The Fluke are Coming!

[Billfish715]

They have about 100 miles to go. I just received another tag return from the American Littoral Society's tagging director, Jeff Dement. A fluke that I tagged and released at the end of August in Manasquan Inlet was recaptured four weeks ago by a commercial fishing boat in 55 fathoms near Hudson Canyon. The fluke was 15" when I tagged it. It was 15.3" and 1 lb 4 oz. when the tag was returned. The information was forwarded by the North Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources from a catch that was unloaded in Beaufort. They must monitor the commercial catch coming into that port.

So, if the fluke season in N.J. opens this weekend, and fluke are already being caught, how long will it take for the fish that are still out near the Hudson Canyon to get near the beaches? When you come across one of those dry spells when you just can't seem to put a good catch together, consider that there are more fish coming in from offshore. You just have to find them and wait them out. It also makes me wonder about rough bottom spots to check out far offshore that so far have gone undetected and unexplored. Maybe this year, we'll check out some 100' spots.

[Blackfish Doug]

When I lived in NY 10 years ago one of my favorite spots was the Cholera Banks in late July & early August. You needed perfect drifting conditions being the debt of water. But I had fantastic trips there when the conditions were right. A odd big Codfish or ling or Sea Bass was not uncommon in that area as well. If you wanted to bucktail out there you needed the heavy bucktails 6 to 8 oz. But that area was a great drag bait area if you liked fishing for fluke out there that way. I also caught Fluke in the 3 sisters area,Yankee wreck & G&D wreck area as well all very deep areas that hold fluke in the summer. Just bring your heavy gear if you fish there it's not uncommon to run into something other then big Fluke out there. I also one time while Codfishing out in Montauk in mid February had a trip on the Viking where the Cod were not cooperating somebody on board caught what we thought was a odd Fluke. This was well over 20 years ago before we had seasons on Fluke so keeping the Fluke was not a problem. What happened that day was it was a perfect day for drifting & the Fluke wanted to bite. Quite a few Fluke were caught that day all real big ones as well there were quite a few in the 10lb plus category. We were fishing Cox's Ledge that day but it was one of those rare days when everything was perfect conditions for fishing that area that day. They went back the next day & the fish were gone but it can happen.

[shresearchdude]

I've chatted with one of the guys that sets the pound nets. AS soon as he has reset them in the spring- the largest fluke are in the nets. That however is not the bulk of the fish. When migrating fish cover the distance quite quickly and move day/night.
I poked around and haven't found anything that measured their speed/distance covered. Yet.
There was a VIMS study that was unsuccessful for the most part. They didn't get enough tag returns and learned some lessons.

http://mrc.virginia.gov/vsrfdf/pdf/RF09-05_Feb11.pdf

[Ry609]

Check out Hampton Lady's facebook page (out of Hampton Bays in LI) and you'll see the fluke that are already here!

[bulletbob]

A percentage never leave actually... same with winter flounder... Some stay in near shore areas and don't go far offshore with the majority.... bob

[Capt Sal]

[QUOTE=Billfish715;445787]They have about 100 miles to go. I just received another tag return from the American Littoral Society's tagging director, Jeff Dement. A fluke that I tagged and released at the end of August in Manasquan Inlet was recaptured four weeks ago by a commercial fishing boat in 55 fathoms near Hudson Canyon. The fluke was 15" when I tagged it. It was 15.3" and 1 lb 4 oz. when the tag was returned. The information was forwarded by the North Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources from a catch that was unloaded in Beacheck out far offshore that so far have gone undetected and unexplored.

We tag them and let them go and a commercial draggers kills it and sells it. I agree tagging helps us understand there migration but it still pisses me off.