Winter Flounder - Nostalgia

[Reel Class]

It's a shame our flounder fishery has become what it has become due to regulations and a very clearly diminishing population. I grew up in the 80's when this fishery was something ALL OF US took for granted. Buckets full of fish without even blinking an eye, and now they're virtually a forgotten species. Hell, if this was 5 years ago, we'd be prepping the boat and would be in for 4/1 to start fishing for flounder and wouldn't think about targeting bass or bottom fish. Man, have times changed :(

I sincerely believe if WE speak up maybe something can get done in this one instant. If no one complains up the ladder, "things" get forgotten and buried (hypothetically speaking).

I miss fishing for these things and Maybe our angling "groups" can do something for us and the rest of the recreational sector to at least get us a longer season and maybe even get us back that 10 fish bag limit, if not a few less. Businesses, especially tackle shops prospered when there was interest in flounder (chum, worms, clams, rigs, etc.) and even us in the charter business put a few bucks in our pockets when we targeted the blackbacks.

I attached some pics (from ~1999-2008 mostly from the old reel class and a couple from Capt Robbie's old Sea Hunter), feel free to post your thoughts.

(Please don't criticize me for the one pic of that "short bass" LOL - that was when we had slot fish we could KEEP)

[tautog]

My feelings on flounder are that for some reason, the population stays offshore more. Back when we had more flounder in the rivers and bays, you would catch a few in the deep during the warm weather, but now that the backwaters are spotty, there are spots paved with flounder in the deep. I have had drop and reel fishing out there by switching to number 6 virginias and smaller pieces of bait with no chumming other than the baits of other patrons. I don't know how many times I have seen 100 flounder come up out there in a few hours of fishing with no chumming and large 3/0-4/0 hooks.

[mako28]

There is no shortage of winter flounders in RB or JB. I say this from experience. I still can limit out any day and then some with a 10 fish limit. People may say there are no fish, not as many fish, blah, blah, blah. I say you don't try hard enough. The fish are here. No I don't keep 10 fish now.

[Bob T.]

With a 2 fish limit I haven't even tried for them. I use to hear a lot of complaints about the fyke nets in the rivers, is that method still used?

[Papasown]

I really miss the "good old days"of flounder fishing. When I was a kid growing up on LBI in the late 1940's and 1950's, my Mom and I would walk from Surf City over to the bulkhead on the eastern most part of the old causeway where it enters Ship Bottom from Cedar Bonnet Island. We would open 2 cans of cat food with a beer can opener, and throw them down on the up current side, close to the bulkhead. If we had a couple clams, we would crack the shells and drop one every few minutes while we were fishing. Our flounder hooks, baited with bits of bloodworm and clam, would be tied with one off the leader of the other, and were allowed to move freely from the 3-way swivel and sinker, (the same way I set it up today). We would limit out in the fall/winer season with huge flounders in no time, and if we fished in the spring, the catch would usually be smaller.
I always enjoyed the winter flounder fishery, and since I joined the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers in 2003, I have always fished in their annual Flounder Tournament. These Tournaments, and the one's sponsered by other groups gave the small boat fisherman a chance to get out in the rivers and bays, and stand a chance at winning a tournament. I am proud to say that I won the JCSA's last tournament (and calcutta) , knowing that this too is perhaps a thing of the past. But I still love to get out there with my Grandkids, and catch ém up, Papa

[jerseyhunter]

I remember back in the 60 as a kid having a grand old time in Belmar catching in the spring. I used to go with my dad in the winter to check on the boat in dry dock at Campbell's Marina in Shark River Hills in Feb and remember this old couple sitting on the dock catching and within minutes the fish would be frozen , it was that cold. My Dad said to me in front of them that they wanted to go home but couldn't cause they were also frozen to the dock. LOL Like the song says "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end".

[NoWorries]

With a 2 fish limit I haven't even tried for them. I use to hear a lot of complaints about the fyke nets in the rivers, is that method still used?
Used to be the way we would start our saltwater fishing every year. Fyke nets are still around last few years,not sure about this winter because of Sandy. Doesn't seem right, commercial should be shut down too. Catch and release from shore has been very good last few years before the March 23 open season but there's been an early exodus from the rivers/bays. I haven't been out this month yet but will fish in my local area after the season opens.

[frugalfisherman]

Don't winter flounder come into the rivers and bays to spawn?

[action]

two flounder bah humbug more bull shit.hook um to cook um:rolleyes:

[Blackfish Doug]

Plenty of Flounder are around this picture was just from 2 years ago. I had at least 9 or 10 keepers in a half day of fishing. I only kept my limit this picture was from a group charter on the Monger. Everybody on board that day had their limit & yes it was worth it. There was more meat on those 2 keepers then there would be on 2 keeper Fluke. At least with Flounder your chances of limiting is a lot better. I really got to laugh when I read only 2 keepers. I always do good with the Flatties & yes I would love to see more keepers added to the catch. I would love to see a longer season into the summer months or a fall season to fill in the gaps when the Fluke season ends.

[Blackfish Doug]

Me & the Topeka boy went out quite a few times with Jerry on the Monger for half day trips & not once did we ever not have a limit day. As a matter of fact we were culling our Flounder keeping only the big ones. I only wish more boats would target the Flounder I miss fishing for them.

[AndyS]

Write letters to NMFS. Regs CAN be changed. When I am not fishing I am writing letters to F&G. Just because some one sits behind a desk and makes the rules doesn't mean they can't be changed. WRITE LETTERS.

[action]

Me & the Topeka boy went out quite a few times with Jerry on the Monger for half day trips & not once did we ever not have a limit day. As a matter of fact we were culling our Flounder keeping only the big ones. I only wish more boats would target the Flounder I miss fishing for them.
TWO FISH THATS WHY. I MISS IT TO WE ALL DO THE REG>:mad:

[AndyS]

MID-ATLANTIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
New York • New Jersey • Delaware • Pennsylvania • Maryland • Virginia • North Carolina
Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director
800 North State St., Suite 201 • Dover, DE 19901-3910
302-674-2331 or 877-446-2362 • Fax 302-674-5399 • www.mafmc.org


Simply ask the question why 2 fish http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/stock-assessment/index


Imperfect implementation of forecast catch levels is an additional factor to
consider when conducting medium- or long-term forecasts of the stock’s response
to fishing. When the fishery is managed principally through input controls such
as number of licenses or number of days at sea, the implementation error occurs
because such measures are imperfect at holding fishing mortality to exactly the
prescribed level. When the fishery is managed principally through the output control
of quotas, then there is implementation error in controlling the fishery catch to
that level and implementation error in forecasting the correct level of a future quota
based on imperfect knowledge of stock abundance. The potential impact of these
implementation errors are principally investigated through Management Strategy
Evaluations that simulate the entire system of stock dynamics, imperfect assessment,
imperfect management implementation, and feedback of actual catch to stock
dynamics (Butterworth and Bergh 1993; Smith et al. 1999; Patterson et al. 2001

[TheMotherFluker02]

I understand everyone has to make a living but commercial fishing the crap out of them doesn't help either.

[Blackfish Doug]

I just sent in some input I hope it gets read.

[Blackfish Doug]

TWO FISH THATS WHY. I MISS IT TO WE ALL DO THE REG>:mad:

I don't buy that I see a lot of people who go Fluking & get nothing but shorts come come with nothing. Full day half day it doesn't matter it happened to me a few times last year here. At least your coming home with something instead of a empty cooler & making the Spro Jig & Gulp bait company rich. Also even the Striped Bass as well ever get skunked doing that & that's 2 fish if you can get them. My point is go for the Flounder & you will get them even if it's 2 fish go for everything else & it's a crapshot. I also sent in my comment to NOAA I hope everybody who reads this does the same let's get the ball rolling & try to get something started.

[snapperbluefish101]

I was wondering, as of now, even after Sandy, did most winter flounder bury themselves in the bay/river mud for the winter? I am very surprised to not hear that people did not fish for them in the fall and late winter for catch and release.

SNAPPERHEAD

[SaltLife1980]

If the bite is hot the 2 fish limit does not bother me.. Play catch and release and keep two nice ones for the dinner table.. When you are just dropping and hooking up every time its a blast no matter what the limit is..

They are prob in the bay and ready to be picked up.. Just a matter of finding a hot spot! As soon as the season starts i will be out there trying to catch a few... Lots of fun on Super light tackle..

[nancy corigan]

You and I know the flounder regulations suck as a matter of fact we all know it. But the fact that they literally let a douche bag with a fyke net in places where they spawn is without a doubt a huge problem.

Another problem that I see is loss of spawning habitat and another problem is culling smaller keepers to get the bigger ones. Stop culling for now because you can bet your butt that upwards of 50% may die when you saw them swim away. (IMO)

To those who like to cull, Individual females produce an average of about 500,000 eggs annually, and nearly 1,500,000 have been taken from a large one of 3 3/8 pounds.

IMHO this fishery is fragile right now and when you get your limit in this case you should go and either fish for another species or just go in and fish tomorrow.

And like Andy keeps suggesting write letters.

[SaltLife1980]

You and I know the flounder regulations suck as a matter of fact we all know it. But the fact that they literally let a douche bag with a fyke net in places where they spawn is without a doubt a huge problem.

Another problem that I see is loss of spawning habitat and another problem is culling smaller keepers to get the bigger ones. Stop culling for now because you can bet your butt that upwards of 50% may die when you saw them swim away. (IMO)

To those who like to cull, Individual females produce an average of about 500,000 eggs annually, and nearly 1,500,000 have been taken from a large one of 3 3/8 pounds.

IMHO this fishery is fragile right now and when you get your limit in this case you should go and either fish for another species or just go in and fish tomorrow.

And like Andy keeps suggesting write letters.


I agree.. Good point... Things need to change.. Lets hope that one day they open their eyes and fix it!

[italianfisherman]

My feelings on flounder are that for some reason, the population stays offshore more. Back when we had more flounder in the rivers and bays, you would catch a few in the deep during the warm weather, but now that the backwaters are spotty, there are spots paved with flounder in the deep. I have had drop and reel fishing out there by switching to number 6 virginias and smaller pieces of bait with no chumming other than the baits of other patrons. I don't know how many times I have seen 100 flounder come up out there in a few hours of fishing with no chumming and large 3/0-4/0 hooks.
I 2ND THAT. we had some excellent catches last year, big fat flounders..

[Topeka Boy]

Nothing more tasty then flounder filets my favorite fish to eat. Really looking forward to fishing for flounders this year and I really believe the regs are horrible and keep rec fishermen away from going for them. I dont believe there is a shortage of flounder and the bag limit should be increased to 4 keepers this could make a nice dinner for a small family. Lets go getum guys and have some fun catching. Tight lines;) :D :cool:

[action]

I was wondering, as of now, even after Sandy, did most winter flounder bury themselves in the bay/river mud for the winter? I am very surprised to not hear that people did not fish for them in the fall and late winter for catch and release.
SNAPPERHEAD
Tried the river in seabright 3/17 not a bite maybe a few more weeks