Flounder Season

[Togfather2530]

I would appreciate some insight on these seasons and state waters. I see NY flounder season is open to Sept. 21 and NJ close on Sept. 5, if I am not mistaken. Can someone please explain how they determine where you are fishing. Do you have to stay within 3 miles of the NY coast? How far can you go out into the ocean. Im assuming you can be coming back through NJ water but what about if you trailer and put in at a NY ramp. Same thing with the sea bass as NY is still open. Thanks in advance everyone.

[tjd24]

You can launch & fish in NY State waters (look at a Google earth Map for State lines) for 3 fluke @ 19". If you are stopped in NJ waters by a CO, you will be in violation. If you launch in NJ, you cannot bring fluke back to the ramp.

I made an inquiry to NYDEC to see if a NY CO's can stop & check your catch if you're not actively fishing. The answer was yes. I live in NJ but must pass thru NY waters (NY Harbor) to get home. I kept to the NY limit of 19" all season just in case. It really made a difference in my total number of keepers this year.

Launch in NY & fish until NY closes.

[Oceanroamer]

Here's a funny one. But suppose you went on a trip up north of Jersey and had a cooler of fluke and got stopped in JErsey, they called the wardens, so on....

Hope they'd believe you.

[NoLimit]

Flounder does not close:D

[torchee]

Summer flounder=fluke
The crime is possession of fluke in nj when stopped

[frugalfisherman]

The fine for 3 summer flounder is $134. That's IF you get caught and that's a big IF. Just don't launch out of the AH municipal dock.

[Gerry Zagorski]

You should have the colregs lines on your gps which are the states line. They are generally 3 miles from shore but it does get screwy in Raritan Bay Area.

As far as the law, if you catch fish in NY or federal waters which are legal there and you cross into NJ, if you get stopped on the water while passing through NJ or checked at your NJ marina, you would be found out of compliance.

[Togfather2530]

Thanks Gerry for staying on focus with the question. That kind of clears things up. I'll have to look for these Colreg lines on my Gps. I was trying to figure out if federal waters were legal(basically 3+ miles off the coast of jersey) example rattlesnake, fisherman buoy. I do see a 3 mile line on my gps but it's not real prominent sometimes

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks Gerry for staying on focus with the question. That kind of clears things up. I'll have to look for these Colreg lines on my Gps. I was trying to figure out if federal waters were legal(basically 3+ miles off the coast of jersey) example rattlesnake, fisherman buoy. I do see a 3 mile line on my gps but it's not real prominent sometimes

If you don't see it very prominently try zooming in or out and that might help.