Flounder limits cut through April

[newsman]

Effective Tuesday, yellowtail flounder possession limits have been cut in the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic areas. Details at http://www.examiner.com/article/atlantic-yellowtail-flounder-limit-reduced-through-april

[Capt. Debbie]

I guess my weekend is now ruined. I guess I will be bonefishing in the Navesink Saturday. LOL



Effective Tuesday, yellowtail flounder possession limits have been cut in the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic areas. Details at http://www.examiner.com/article/atlantic-yellowtail-flounder-limit-reduced-through-april

[shresearchdude]

ALS has a Mangrove Snapper that should be big enough to hook soon...

[Rich]

I have no idea what they are talking about.:confused:
How do limits of a fish get caught if no one fishes for them.:confused:
Yellow tail flounder are different from what is in the rivers, isn't it?:confused:

[Joey Dah Fish]

All the flounders I catch have beige tails :D plus I'm color bling :cool:

[DMac]

thats because commercials draggers probably destroyed them this year since we cant fish for them any more. 2 fish whos going to do that . I used to enjoy fishing for them making own chum smashing muscles and clams up and getting few boxes of worms and going at it.

Or its because the powers as be dont know their A$$ from hole in the ground:D

[kurtisb]

From my reading of the of this cryptic news, is that this cuts the commercial guys to 250 pounds per day target, but allowed up to 500 pounds per day.

We are still allowed our two per day.

[bulletbob]

Maybe I am crazy, but I seem to remember catching a few yellowtails each year along with plain old blackbacks in raritan Bay.. Not in any of the rivers just the bay itself.. I distinctly remember a slightly different profile than a blackback, and a quite yellowish tail.. NO they weren't fourspots, they weren't sundials, they weren't fluke.. They were yellowtails, and we caught them in the bay.. Or am I crazy???... bob

[duranautic al]

ur not crazy Bob, i,ve caught em jamaica bay and further out towards moriches L.I....certain they occasionally showed in raritan bay. ps...these are NOT our local blackback flounders in jersey

[Reel Class]

Yellowtails are completely different that winter flounder. (see my description below)

This regulation apparently doesn't affect winter flounder.

I know recently, the yellowtail population has decreased greatly (I honestly think it wasn't ever really that great down this way anyway).

RE: the ID of a yellowtail.. Yellowtails have a very pointy nose, and their coloration is typically lighter than winter flounder. The tail is a shade of yellow.

I personally have never seen a yellowtail caught, anywhere in NJ, on rod and reel. I'm not questioning you guys (that posted above) that said you caught them in J-Bay and Raritan Bay... Of course it's possible - but catching them on rod n reel is tough. And catching them "inshore" is tougher, since they like colder, deep waters surrounding wrecks.

You will see lots of winter flounder with orange or yellow rings around their tails and on the outsides of their outer fins - there is a reason for that (I honestly don't remember!) but those colorations are pretty common especially in Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, as well as on the S shore of LI.

I attached a great pic by Capt Jason Colby who runs flounder charters up in Boston, where they do come across yellowtails occasionally. You'll notice the difference in a regular winter flounder as opposed to a yellowtail :)

[Capt. Lou]

Yellow tails R primarily deep water flounder , primarily a commercial catch of late. However for those of u that remember the decent sno shoe flounder runs out east !
They R totally gone for most part now that was flounder fishing , most the size of fluke !!!
Each spring it was a viable fishery now ???? :mad:
U could catch 100 flounder a day in Shrewsbury / Navesink rivers during the spring run ! This started going strong around St Pattys Day ! The bottom was paved with them BB as well ! I guess we overfished them as well !!!! RNR guys decimated just about every viable fishery , we did it to ourselves , no commercials involved right !!!! Right NMFS ???

[stevelikes2fish]

Excellent pic Capt Al. The yellowtail is such a beautiful looking fish with it's pointed head. I've never caught nor seen one, but have done a lot of research on them. One of the features the yellowtail also has is the lateral line does a 180 around the fin.
Would love to catch one in my lifetime.

[Billfish715]

I have to imagine that the majority of members and readers on this forum don 't remember or experienced the phenomenal flounder fishing in Quincy Bay back in the late 70's. When carloads and busloads of NJ anglers would leave their home state's waters to fish for flounder in Boston,, it had to be good. Mix in a few pollack and tommy cod and it was a dream trip. Simple corn rigs and chum put lots of quality fillets on lots of plates back home.

[bunker dunker]

that was great fishing for sure.we had some great flounder in the bay and rivers years back also.i'm glad I took my sons up the navisink so they could see what flounder fishing was all about.

[bulletbob]

Yellowtails are completely different that winter flounder. (see my description below)

This regulation apparently doesn't affect winter flounder.

I know recently, the yellowtail population has decreased greatly (I honestly think it wasn't ever really that great down this way anyway).

RE: the ID of a yellowtail.. Yellowtails have a very pointy nose, and their coloration is typically lighter than winter flounder. The tail is a shade of yellow.

I personally have never seen a yellowtail caught, anywhere in NJ, on rod and reel. I'm not questioning you guys (that posted above) that said you caught them in J-Bay and Raritan Bay... Of course it's possible - but catching them on rod n reel is tough. And catching them "inshore" is tougher, since they like colder, deep waters surrounding wrecks.

You will see lots of winter flounder with orange or yellow rings around their tails and on the outsides of their outer fins - there is a reason for that (I honestly don't remember!) but those colorations are pretty common especially in Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, as well as on the S shore of LI.

I attached a great pic by Capt Jason Colby who runs flounder charters up in Boston, where they do come across yellowtails occasionally. You'll notice the difference in a regular winter flounder as opposed to a yellowtail :)

Yes,, they were yellowtails... Never caught a lot of them, never in real shallow water either.. When we saw them they were in open bay only, not too far from a channel.. Never caught one in a river.. Used to catch 2 or 3 on a good day, mixed with somwhat smaller darker blackbacks.. but this WAS well over 30 years ago.. I remember they fought really hard.. They tasted just like a "regular" winter flounder... bob

[Reel Class]

I have to imagine that the majority of members and readers on this forum don 't remember or experienced the phenomenal flounder fishing in Quincy Bay back in the late 70's. When carloads and busloads of NJ anglers would leave their home state's waters to fish for flounder in Boston,, it had to be good. Mix in a few pollack and tommy cod and it was a dream trip. Simple corn rigs and chum put lots of quality fillets on lots of plates back home.

That fishery went into the 80's - early 80's. I personally never experienced it but have heard stories of guys filling rental boats with jumbo's. Crazy stuff.

And nevermind the fishery up there, how about the fishery HERE? Growing up in the 80's, flounder fishing here in the shore area and up in Raritan/Sandy Hook Bay was also pretty good. Fish were smaller, but there were loads of them and guys would load up since the fishery wasn't regulated.

I used to fish the "beach" with my dad and grandfather in will's hole right under the 35 bridge before will's hole marina was built and we used to destroy them. Fish half a tide, get a dozen or two for dinner, and go home. Simple. There was an older guy that used to fish there every weekend (this was 81'-82'). He'd fish 2 rods - basically he'd fish a tide, and fill up a bucket to the brim. Mixed sized fish -- after we got to know him a bit, he told us he didn't eat fish, he used them for garden fertilizer :eek:

With all the flounder we caught in the deep last summer (the most we've caught out there in years!), and with good reports from the squan and shark rivers this fall, I'd say flounder are on an upswing again.

[shresearchdude]

from somewhere near Georges Bank

[Billfish715]

Allen: You are so right about the flounder in N.J. back in the day! When was the last time any of the PP party boats made a left into the river and went under the 35 bridge and set up shop at the end of the canal or better yet, just west of the 35 bridge during the spring run? Will we ever see that again? Do the AH party boats ever go up the river any more? With today's size and bag limits, would it pay for them to do so? You've got me reminiscing about the inshore ling, whiting, and mackerel fishing back then too. Again, I ask the same question.....Will we ever see that again?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Spent many a spring day in the late 80s/early 90s fishing for Flounder way back in Raritan Bay. Fishing was good, very good.

I think one of the Atlantic Highlands party boats had a trip or 2 back up in the river last spring but it was a total bust.

[bulletbob]

Spent many a spring day in the late 80s/early 90s fishing for Flounder way back in Raritan Bay. Fishing was good, very good.

I think one of the Atlantic Highlands party boats had a trip or 2 back up in the river last spring but it was a total bust.

I have known about the Quincy Bay flounder fishing for decades, since the early 70's, and the original NJ Fisherman.. Russ Wilson used to write about Quincy Bay most years.... Legendary fishing..
However it was SO incredible right in Raritan Bay, that I could never see the sense in driving up there.. How much flounder does anyone need?.. Back in the 80's when I lived in Union Beach we got tired of looking at them.. honestly...
In those years, I recall several AH head boats making the run down to the flats off of Keansburg, Union Beach, almost down to Keyport.. One day my older brother and I saw 2 party boats go stern to stern, right off the old broken down Keansburg Pier, and start churning the water up until the water was a muddy mess.. They then settled back close to it and started fishing.. I think it was a form of chumming, stirring the hell out of the bottom.. NEVER before saw that, and never since.. Those were the areas we had caught a few big yellowtails during those days.. The grounds off of Keansburg/Union Beach.. How I miss that fishing...bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

I have known about the Quincy Bay flounder fishing for decades, since the early 70's, and the original NJ Fisherman.. Russ Wilson used to write about Quincy Bay most years.... Legendary fishing..
However it was SO incredible right in Raritan Bay, that I could never see the sense in driving up there.. How much flounder does anyone need?.. Back in the 80's when I lived in Union Beach we got tired of looking at them.. honestly...
In those years, I recall several AH head boats making the run down to the flats off of Keansburg, Union Beach, almost down to Keyport.. One day my older brother and I saw 2 party boats go stern to stern, right off the old broken down Keansburg Pier, and start churning the water up until the water was a muddy mess.. They then settled back close to it and started fishing.. I think it was a form of chumming, stirring the hell out of the bottom.. NEVER before saw that, and never since.. Those were the areas we had caught a few big yellowtails during those days.. The grounds off of Keansburg/Union Beach.. How I miss that fishing...bob

I miss it too Bob..... Haven't fished for Flounder in many years because of the regs. Not sure if the fish are still there or not. I know of one friend who still fishes for them each Spring but he does not go all the way back there and tends to stay in and around the Naval Weapons peer... He did not do well this past year but fishing was pretty good the year before.

One thing I've always thought, it's what I call "The Fish Tank Theory" I think if the fish are being fed by us fisherman day after day in a particular area, they are going to stick around for the easy meal. If that's the case that might be part of the issue with the local flounder fishery here. We're not feeding them.

Point in case, there used to be a ton of boats on areas like Round Shoal on any give day in April. All of them with chum logs, corn, catfood and cracking clams etc. I would think this helped attract the fish and kept them there.

[bulletbob]

I miss it too Bob..... Haven't fished for Flounder in many years because of the regs. Not sure if the fish are still there or not. I know of one friend who still fishes for them each Spring but he does not go all the way back there and tends to stay in and around the Naval Weapons peer... He did not do well this past year but fishing was pretty good the year before.

One thing I've always thought, it's what I call "The Fish Tank Theory" I think if the fish are being fed by us fisherman day after day in a particular area, they are going to stick around for the easy meal. If that's the case that might be part of the issue with the local flounder fishery here. We're not feeding them.

Point in case, there used to be a ton of boats on areas like Round Shoal on any give day in April. All of them with chum logs, corn, catfood and cracking clams etc. I would think this helped attract the fish and kept them there.
Your theory is a good one.. I tend to agree with it... bob

[shresearchdude]

Well there is plenty of natural food for the fish. They eat worms and nip the siphons off of clams so they don't need to clams cracked open. Cat food and corn really aren't on their natural search image:cool:

[Reel Class]

Allen: You are so right about the flounder in N.J. back in the day! When was the last time any of the PP party boats made a left into the river and went under the 35 bridge and set up shop at the end of the canal or better yet, just west of the 35 bridge during the spring run? Will we ever see that again? Do the AH party boats ever go up the river any more? With today's size and bag limits, would it pay for them to do so? You've got me reminiscing about the inshore ling, whiting, and mackerel fishing back then too. Again, I ask the same question.....Will we ever see that again?

I can tell you when - when the regs were at 10 fish per man!

2 fish per man on a half day with very inconsistent fishing is a joke.

The only viable "fishery" for party and charter boats for winter flounder w/ the current regs is the deep water wreck trips (which we do a lot of!) from June-September. We caught our boat "limit" several times and every trip we had at least a few. FWIW, having fished the deep water wrecks consistently for 5 years now last summer was the best we've seen.

Some pics below from this past summer's fishery. All but one in the pics were caught on ling hooks, hi lo rigs, and huge hunks of clam lol - no chum pots, no worms :)

[NoLimit]

Winter Flounder is my favorite. We took busses to Quincy in the 70s and even caught lobsters along with 50-100 flounder. Ladies filleted the fish with a knife and pliers and charged ten cents a fish. Kegs of beer on the bus - every St Pats and Columbus Day.

Anyone remember the huge fall run in 1995 or so? Boats were packed right outside the Atlantic Highlands breakwater.

[Capt Sal]

Winter Flounder is my favorite. We took busses to Quincy in the 70s and even caught lobsters along with 50-100 flounder. Ladies filleted the fish with a knife and pliers and charged ten cents a fish. Kegs of beer on the bus - every St Pats and Columbus Day.

Anyone remember the huge fall run in 1995 or so? Boats were packed right outside the Atlantic Highlands breakwater.

Did that well in good ole Raritan Bay in the nineties. Keyport flats.Sure was nice to get bass and flounder on the same trip and a short ride. The bus rides were good in the seventies going to Quincy. Lot of fun,party all the way there,fish hard and sleep all the way home lol

[GDubya07]

2 fish per man on a half day with very inconsistent fishing is a joke.

The only viable "fishery" for party and charter boats for winter flounder w/ the current regs is the deep water wreck trips (which we do a lot of!) from June-September. We caught our boat "limit" several times and every trip we had at least a few. FWIW, having fished the deep water wrecks consistently for 5 years now last summer was the best we've seen.

Some pics below from this past summer's fishery. All but one in the pics were caught on ling hooks, hi lo rigs, and huge hunks of clam lol - no chum pots, no worms :)[/QUOTE]



X2 with that one AL - when I have been deep water this past year they are there and they are big n hungry - My personal favorite to eat

Gdubs-:cool:

[NoLimit]

Did that well in good ole Raritan Bay in the nineties. Keyport flats.Sure was nice to get bass and flounder on the same trip and a short ride. The bus rides were good in the seventies going to Quincy. Lot of fun,party all the way there,fish hard and sleep all the way home lol

The filleters at the row boat livery docks were incredibly fast. I want to say they held the head with pliers, cut back along the bones and left the fillet on by the tail. They flipped the fillet on its skin side and ran the knife under the meat to seperate from the skin. Then they did the same on the other fillet.