08/21/23 Fluke and then some more fluke

[dales529]

Another Banner day on a NSB boat on the Fluke grounds out of MI.
Found them on every stop from 30ft to 65 ft. Lots of bites from shorts through slots through keepers. 68 Keepers ORL for 14 man trip, Plenty of throwbacks and as I will keep preaching ALL the throwbacks went swimming hard and fast back to the bottom so mortality BS is just that BS.

Bucktails and Ball jigs plus gulp were again the ticket and meat or no meat didnt seem to matter although later in the day when the wind and drift cut out robin, tuna strips were producing. Also casting around up current as usual was key as well when the wind dropped out. Went through a lot of Gulp! I used Pink Shine and Glo white but other colors worked as well.
Mate Sean fantastic as always and you know the Capt who always gives you 150%

Got to love this fishery we have here in NJ close to ports and weather was beautiful. Now I hear the powers that be are saying our slots are mainly females LOL and many fish over 18" are males WTF. Cant win.

Pics attached.

[Detour66]

Great report and nice catch. It seems the further south you go down the coast and farther away from the flows of the big rivers the easier it is to bucktail for fluke! Up toward SH I really don't bucktail as much as I would like to due to the fast currents from the tides and rivers. Tight Lines!

[Duffman]

Awesome report bud.

Capt JP dialed in as usual.

Handsome crew……:rolleyes:

[Broad Bill]

Now I hear the powers that be are saying our slots are mainly females LOL and many fish over 18" are males WTF. Cant win.

They're correct, as it relates to the slot. Their own data supports the fact most fish between 17" and 18" are females which is why the slot should have been much lower with a wider range targeting younger age classes and more males. Instead they chose an unrealistic narrow slot targeting the wrong age classes and gender mix and are now questioning their own decision.

As far as fish over 18" being males, they've actually gone as far as saying the majority of fish over 18" are males which again their own data completely refutes. All anyone needs to do is check their catch when you fillet them, you'll see 95% plus are females with an egg sac.

A few years back, ASMFC shared a power point with a slide titled honorable mention for large fluke caught during NMFS trawls. The point they were trying to make is the harvest of larger fish was not affecting the numbers of large fish in the stock which is absolute BS. The slide noted 4 fish, two males and two females. The females were both over 30". The males included one at 20" which NMFS estimated to be 20 years old. So for anyone involved in the management of this fishery at the federal or state level to take the position that many or a majority of the fish over 18" are males is lying to support a different agenda intended to validate the horrible decisions made over these past decades with increases to size minimums. How many 20 year old fish of either gender, much less males, does anyone seriously believe make up this stock with the gauntlet of year round commercial netting this stock is subjected to.

FWIW, all these shorts we're seeing this year are the result of the commercial fishery essentially being shut down during the 2020 pandemic. These are primarily 3 yr. age class fish, 2020's recruitment class, which benefitted from the commercial fishery and domestic and world markets being shut down three years ago. Imagine how strong this stock would be if the spawn was protected every year through management measures as opposed to the misguided regulations being used. If the powers to be implemented a slot, protected the prime breeders and annual spawn for the striped bass fishery, why not do exactly the same for fluke which is experiencing the same type of declines for essentially the same reasons the bass fishery has. Same problem being addressed with two polar opposite management philosophies. One philosophy promotes the protection of breeders and the annual spawn as recruitment is the lifeblood of any fishery while the other mandates the harvest of breeders year round and the commercial onslaught of the stock during its spawn. It makes you question the basis of why and how management decisions are being made.

And now we're to believe 17"-17.99" are mostly females but many fish over 18" are males. So we're to believe 17" to 17.99" fluke that are males aren't harvested commercially or caught recreationally. Now I understand why the stock is in the shape it is.

[hartattack]

Great trip Dave & co.. As far as " many fish over 18" are males WTF. Cant win.", Dakota Tom is shaking his head. Beyond frustrating....

[dales529]

Great report and nice catch. It seems the further south you go down the coast and farther away from the flows of the big rivers the easier it is to bucktail for fluke! Up toward SH I really don't bucktail as much as I would like to due to the fast currents from the tides and rivers. Tight Lines!

Hey Detour
Yes the currents up there are stronger and less as you head south. Long ride for you and you seem to be doing fine up there. Nice getting your son out and great report as well. Couple of guys were using chicken rigs and bait/ gulp on our trip and caught but not as well as the Jigs.
Tight lines also and hope you have a great rest of the year. Maybe this carries well into September / fingers crossed

[dales529]

Awesome report bud.

Capt JP dialed in as usual.

Handsome crew……:rolleyes:

Hey Duff:
Hard to not have a great trip with Capt JP! You are always welcome if you want to increase the handsomeness of the crew:p

[dales529]

They're correct, as it relates to the slot. Their own data supports the fact most fish between 17" and 18" are females which is why the slot should have been much lower with a wider range targeting younger age classes and more males. Instead they chose an unrealistic narrow slot targeting the wrong age classes and gender mix and are now questioning their own decision.

As far as fish over 18" being males, they've actually gone as far as saying the majority of fish over 18" are males which again their own data completely refutes. All anyone needs to do is check their catch when you fillet them, you'll see 95% plus are females with an egg sac.

A few years back, ASMFC shared a power point with a slide titled honorable mention for large fluke caught during NMFS trawls. The point they were trying to make is the harvest of larger fish was not affecting the numbers of large fish in the stock which is absolute BS. The slide noted 4 fish, two males and two females. The females were both over 30". The males included one at 20" which NMFS estimated to be 20 years old. So for anyone involved in the management of this fishery at the federal or state level to take the position that many or a majority of the fish over 18" are males is lying to support a different agenda intended to validate the horrible decisions made over these past decades with increases to size minimums. How many 20 year old fish of either gender, much less males, does anyone seriously believe make up this stock with the gauntlet of year round commercial netting this stock is subjected to.

FWIW, all these shorts we're seeing this year are the result of the commercial fishery essentially being shut down during the 2020 pandemic. These are primarily 3 yr. age class fish, 2020's recruitment class, which benefitted from the commercial fishery and domestic and world markets being shut down three years ago. Imagine how strong this stock would be if the spawn was protected every year through management measures as opposed to the misguided regulations being used. If the powers to be implemented a slot, protected the prime breeders and annual spawn for the striped bass fishery, why not do exactly the same for fluke which is experiencing the same type of declines for essentially the same reasons the bass fishery has. Same problem being addressed with two polar opposite management philosophies. One philosophy promotes the protection of breeders and the annual spawn as recruitment is the lifeblood of any fishery while the other mandates the harvest of breeders year round and the commercial onslaught of the stock during its spawn. It makes you question the basis of why and how management decisions are being made

And now we're to believe 17"-17.99" are mostly females but many fish over 18" are males. So we're to believe 17" to 17.99" fluke that are males aren't harvested commercially or caught recreationally. Now I understand why the stock is in the shape it is.

BB
Nice points there and agreed , was just spitting out frustration as we all have with the current and most likely future summer flounder regs. Its a grind for too many innocents (recreationals)

[dales529]

Great trip Dave & co.. As far as " many fish over 18" are males WTF. Cant win.", Dakota Tom is shaking his head. Beyond frustrating....

Thanks Larry wish you were there! Starting to wonder if BB and Dakota Tom are one in the same?
Tom?
Actually Tom is on our next trip so he can identify the males vs females.

[Detour66]

Hey Detour
Yes the currents up there are stronger and less as you head south. Long ride for you and you seem to be doing fine up there. Nice getting your son out and great report as well. Couple of guys were using chicken rigs and bait/ gulp on our trip and caught but not as well as the Jigs.
Tight lines also and hope you have a great rest of the year. Maybe this carries well into September / fingers crossed
I had one good jigging day this year and I was using a 2oz jig with gulp. We where fishing down by the SBR area in 40 ft of water. The action was hot! I caught 2 26" and 1 24" and lots of slots. Yes I am hoping this fishing continues until Sept also. That would be great. Good luck to you and tight lines!

[Broad Bill]

Thanks Larry wish you were there! Starting to wonder if BB and Dakota Tom are one in the same?
Tom?
Actually Tom is on our next trip so he can identify the males vs females.

Not sure who you're referring to but not me.

[Duffman]

Hey Duff:
Hard to not have a great trip with Capt JP! You are always welcome if you want to increase the handsomeness of the crew:p

Zero percent chance I’d elevate the good looks of that crew.

:D