[Broad Bill]

Hammer I know a 17 1/2" or 17" fish usually weigh less but again that depends on its gender and the slot will cause higher discard mortality while in theory a straight 17 1/2" should reduce discard mortality. The decrease in fishing effort by 56 or 41 days should cause substantially greater catch reductions than what the models are calculating relative to a straight 3 fish at 18". 17" or 17 1/2" don't weigh 30% - 40% less than 18" inch fish. I especially don't understand the marginal difference in catch reduction between options 32 and 23 with a season shortened by 41 days or 30%, a 1/2 inch reduction in size minimum with 30% less days to fish should produce significantly greater catch reductions than a fraction of a percentage.

The other point in you post regarding males hanging further offshore. Recreational is an inshore fishery and from a relative standpoint will have equal impact on all options whether we're harvesting mostly makes or females. Commercial's catch is highly geared around spring, fall and winter when the stock is schooled up so they're harvesting more females than males at that time. I had a few friends years back working in processing plants and asked them how many fluke in the fall coming in are females versus males. Females have to make the migration offshore just like males. Their answers were in September and October, the majority of fish they processed were females loaded with eggs.