This was what 1980's? You'd have to catch them on an industrial scale daily to do that.
The whiting disappeared up here too and so did the weakfish.
Migration patterns change. Whoever heard of large Drum in RB? Or the yearly visit and spotting of a huge Sturgeon that no one fishes for. But there's not 1000's of Sturgeon either.
Nature has a cycle.
Even crabbing up north in Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers stunk the last two seasons with smaller crabs all season long.
We can blame the Evil Commercial Empire as they are convenient scape goats on a Rec fisherman site. But that is very suspect too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blind Archer
First couple of blues caught in Cliffwood was always the end of the spring run of flounder. Can't say I blame them. One observation at the time of their demise was, nearly all of the Party boats from AT fished the rivers, Port Monmouth flats , the Cedars etc in the spring.. Then all of a sudden the marquis read " Jumbo Bay Flounder" and they were all over the west end collectively pulling hundereds of egg laden females a day. It was only 2 years later that the decline hastened.
My personal hotspot was destroyed when the Keyport harbor channel was dredged. The South flats were barren from then on.
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