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Originally Posted by captadamnj
In FOUR dedicated fluke trips this year (I just don't do much fluking), I have landed 89 keepers. 26, 30, 16 and 17. Keepers between 17.5" and 18" on those trips were, respectively, - 2, 1, 3, 7. So 13 of 89 keepers have been as a result of the change in regs for me.
Well thank you for your "driving force" comment, but I don't think that is entirely accurate, polls on numerous sites saw varying interest in change in regs and there were plenty of people that spoke in favor of 17.5" at the NJ meeting, including Tony Bogan's cousin Ray.
The trip where I had 30, that was a 6 person limit. We quit early at the request of the party. Almost all keepers were over 20". So having the 5 fish bag limit was conservationally beneficial and the people were beyond satisfied. One of the four days resulted in a nice box of fish thanks to the 17.5" size limit. I have gotten numerous calls, texts and e-mails from folks that have gotten "a few more fish" as well as people that are more enthusiastic about going fishing as their prospects of getting a keeper are better. Word from this board and in person contacts from up north all reiterate similar sentiments as what hammer4reel posted, so many fish are over 18" that the 5 fish creel limit is more effective at constraining landings this year.
So yes, I absolutely and unequivocally stand by my support of going to 17.5". Many, many people have seen a benefit while the consequence of the lower creel limit has an overall lesser effect on fewer people.
As I stated long ago, I understand there are a number of sharpies on this board that can catch 8 18" fish, and my hat is off to them. They can voice their discontent with the regs, but for them, the 5 fish creel limit should be constraining harvest and making moot the argument of "I knew 17.5 in. size limit would dramatically increase landings".
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1.) Ok so why should you have a say in anything fluke if you do 4 trips a year?
2.) You stated- "So having the 5 fish bag limit was conservationally beneficial and the people were beyond satisfied. "
How many shorts did you catch between 14" and 17", lets say it was 10:1 shorts to keepers. How many of those fish are alive now? (around 14" the fluke probably mated once or twice already this is why I am asking)
3.) You know as well as I do that the numbers offered are a dangling carrot to starving people. This is a type of vote where the fisherman always loses, yet you know this and say you are for the fishermen... Hmmmm.
You know that regardless of the harvest those numbers they gave you to pick from was a joke, pick what you picked and pushed hard for it to go through from what I have just heard, and when you go over raise the size lower the creel. Same goes the other way, not reach your target and they can come and say the fluke are on the decline and do the same thing as before raise size lower creel.
You end up in the same spot no matter what. Its funny for a guy preaching "know the facts" you sure hided a lot of things there Capt. I don't trust guys like that do these things, here in Brooklyn we call people like this rats, snakes.
