We're all stuck in the same political quagmire as everyone else. The fact that North Carolina and a handful of other sttates have an equal vote on the ASMFC regarding annual legislation options when combined they represent lees than 5% of the annual harvest makes them as culpible as NJ.

It's embarrasing to say "we limited out" these days when the limit is 3 fish but that's the situation we're in. Are there some big fish around, obviously read the reports but I believe the overall fishery is in a significant decline. It's not possible to sustain a fishery when 95% of the annual harvest are female breeders. NY / NJ make up ~85% of the coastal harvest, and our catch due to short sidedness and inept size limit legislation means that percenatge of the overall harvest is almost exclusively females. Within a month or so, commercials will start pounding fluke on their way offshore during their spawning while NMFS turns a blind eye.

Haven't witnessed inept management to this degree not just of a fishery but in general in my entire career. Capt. Ron I couldn't agree with your post more. Next season if there's not a change in the management philosophy of this fishery, businesses will continue to fail albeit at an accelerated rate. The fishery has gradually been being destroyed over the last 15 - 20 years and we're being asked to accept that fate.