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Originally Posted by Blackfish Doug
First lets start with Whiting the biggest problem is cannibalism about the same time the Whiting disappeared is when Giant Tuna fishing was reduced to the levels they are today. The Whiting we catch used to show up at Scotland & Ambrose channels during December taking the Labrador current south right into the heart of Giant Tuna,Dogfish big huge southbound Bluefish. & please don't forget the Whales they are good for how many pounds a fish a day & there's no balance of nature for the big predators. Big fish eat small fish & when there's no more bait they eat whatever is in their way. Even the Mackerel used to be chased up north by the Bluefish only to settle in to be Tuna,Whale,Seal & dogfish bait. Ask anybody who fish's up north they will tell you the Herring are wiped out in about a month by the predators then they seek out whatever is in their way.
The Ling are no longer a winter fishery but a summer one. I have no problem getting my fill of Ling fishing during the summer months. Even the Flounder as well The last couple of summers I had the best Ling & Flounder fishing I had in quite some time. This is my opinion but I'm going on a theory I feel it has a lot to do with our storm drain runoffs. Our fertilizers are much better today growing up as a kid all we used was horse manure now we use chemicals.Did you ever notice how bad our Algae blooms are after a runoff. Plus Calcium Chloride it began to be used during the late 70's when I was a kid all we used was rock salt. Once our snow melts off & goes into our bays the bottom temps get outright frigid. That's why the bay Flounder fishing does not get real good until late April into May.
As far as Fluke is concerned it's NJ size limit if it was 17" nobody would be crying over how many fish they got & would be bragging about getting limits again. Yes we do get a good share of 18" fish or better but our average size fish is about 17". Going by your screen name it seems that Limits are very important to you. Maybe you should fish with some of our many fine sponsors who will increase your chances of getting your limits. I'm not trying to knock you in any way but if it's limits your looking for that's the way I would go.
I honestly feel the fishing has improved quite a bit & last year was one of my best years down here in NJ. I don't Fluke fish anymore but I did see quite a few 10lb plus fish that were caught & released by our sponsors.
And if your looking to buy a bridge I got the Brooklyn Bridge for sale being I'm originally from Brooklyn. Plus the Striper fishing under that bridge is off the charts I even caught quite a few Fluke & Flounder nearby as well.
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I dunno BD... With all due respect, I must say, I don't buy any of that... Ling numbers are WAY down.. Yes they have become a summer fishery, but when I was in my 20's and 30's we caught them all year and they were always abundant in the extreme whenever you wanted them.. just had to fish deeper in mid summer and dead of winter some years.. I can see your theory and I think I understand where you are going with it, but I guess can't think in color the way you can.. My theory is more in black and white-, The species mentioned have become less numerous because people have caught and eaten too many for too long, and have killed too many of their young "incidentally" by dragging weighted nets across their habitat mile after mile year after year, decade after decade..bob
