Fluke Regs this year
 

Just something to throw around. What's your opinion on the upcoming fluke regs? Does anyone think it will stay the same as last year or some type of size and amount change? what's your thoughts on this just to kick around.

John

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

3 fish at 18" is hard enough to achieve... If they decide to go to a 19" minimum size the daily limit should at least be brought back to 5 fish whatever works for the comerical fishery is gonna set the bar for the recreational fisherman in other words we are gonna probably get screwed in some shape or form

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

I’d be happy with 5 fish at 19”. We had so many trips throwing back multiple 20”+ fish back cause we already have a boat limit of fish

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

The party and charter boats will be choked out of business with a 19" limit. Hard to get many that size in late July and all of August. It cost about $115 for a family of four to fish on a half day boat. Add food, drinks, gas, tolls. That's an easy $175. How many trips with no fillets to bring home is a man going to pay for during the course of the fluke season? Maybe two. And 3/4 day party and charters boats cost three times as much. With all the rules and regulations today it's not even fun to go fishing. Depressing to say the least.

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

Even better let's make it 7 fish at 23". This would as already pointed out put the nail in the coffin for Party and Charter boats and coincide with an increase to the commercial quota resulting in even greater damage to the overall fishery. There's one answer here gentlemen, slot limit re-introduced, shut the fishery down to commercial harvest for two months during the spawn and take pressure off the female composition of the biomass.

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

3@ 16.5"....2 @ 18"- 21" ... 1 trophy fish with tag! (21" +)

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

I am happy for you and the anglers you fish with.. You must all have a terrific skill set, as most of us just can't muster those kinds of numbers on any given day during the year, let alone with the consistency alluded to in your reply..


I realize there are some guys out there with the right boats that can get out to the deep water broken bottom and get a limit + every time.. However, most are using boats with limited range and must stay closer to shore, and in bays and tidal rivers. Others fluke fish on crowded party boats, or off jetties, piers, docks, inlets, the surf, etc... Tough for guys in those positions to get even say 2 keepers at 18'.. Honestly, a slot limit is THE ONLY way to keep the population in balance, and get the available fish distributed among all fluke anglers in an equitable manner.bob

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

SLOTS gaining traction for several species: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/sfsbsb-...-management-fw

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Framework Framework on Conservation Equivalency, Block Island Sound Transit, and Slot Limits
The Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) jointly manage summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council and the ASMFC are developing a joint framework action and addendum to consider adding the following management options to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan:

Conservation equivalency for the recreational black sea bass fishery,

Conservation equivalency rollover for summer flounder

Transit provisions for Block Island Sound for recreational and/or commercial fisheries for all three species, and

Slot limits for recreational fisheries for all three species

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

Should have pushed for the slot fish instead of asking for status quo.
Would more than likely had a better chance then instead of having the refs shoved down our throats we got .

As far as only some boats being able to get to the fish to fulfill a limit at 18”.
BS.
WAS plenty of fish well under 3 miles from any marina last year north of Barney for sure , right through to Statin island .

Not just a few boats having limit trips daily , was lots of boats doing it .

.

Re: Fluke Regs this year
 

Ok, Understood.. then WHY the slot limit??.. I mean according to a few guys, the fishing is great, getting a limit of fish is no problem, then why not just keep the status quo??.. Seriously. If the fishing is that good, limits are no real problem, why change anything at all??.. must just be a lot of pretty poor unskilled anglers out there that just don't know what they're doing, [such as myself], or a lot of fluke fishermen that just like to complain, despite good fishing... bob