Flounder limits cut through April

[newsman]

Effective Tuesday, yellowtail flounder possession limits have been cut in the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic areas. Details at http://www.examiner.com/article/atla...-through-april

[Capt. Debbie]

I guess my weekend is now ruined. I guess I will be bonefishing in the Navesink Saturday. LOL

Originally Posted by newsman

Effective Tuesday, yellowtail flounder possession limits have been cut in the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic areas. Details at http://www.examiner.com/article/atla...-through-april

[shresearchdude]

ALS has a Mangrove Snapper that should be big enough to hook soon...

[Rich]

I have no idea what they are talking about.
How do limits of a fish get caught if no one fishes for them.
Yellow tail flounder are different from what is in the rivers, isn't it?

[Joey Dah Fish]

All the flounders I catch have beige tails plus I'm color bling

[DMac]

thats because commercials draggers probably destroyed them this year since we cant fish for them any more. 2 fish whos going to do that . I used to enjoy fishing for them making own chum smashing muscles and clams up and getting few boxes of worms and going at it.

Or its because the powers as be dont know their A$$ from hole in the ground

[kurtisb]

From my reading of the of this cryptic news, is that this cuts the commercial guys to 250 pounds per day target, but allowed up to 500 pounds per day.

We are still allowed our two per day.

[bulletbob]

Maybe I am crazy, but I seem to remember catching a few yellowtails each year along with plain old blackbacks in raritan Bay.. Not in any of the rivers just the bay itself.. I distinctly remember a slightly different profile than a blackback, and a quite yellowish tail.. NO they weren't fourspots, they weren't sundials, they weren't fluke.. They were yellowtails, and we caught them in the bay.. Or am I crazy???... bob

[duranautic al]

ur not crazy Bob, i,ve caught em jamaica bay and further out towards moriches L.I....certain they occasionally showed in raritan bay. ps...these are NOT our local blackback flounders in jersey

[Reel Class]

Yellowtails are completely different that winter flounder. (see my description below)

This regulation apparently doesn't affect winter flounder.

I know recently, the yellowtail population has decreased greatly (I honestly think it wasn't ever really that great down this way anyway).

RE: the ID of a yellowtail.. Yellowtails have a very pointy nose, and their coloration is typically lighter than winter flounder. The tail is a shade of yellow.

I personally have never seen a yellowtail caught, anywhere in NJ, on rod and reel. I'm not questioning you guys (that posted above) that said you caught them in J-Bay and Raritan Bay... Of course it's possible - but catching them on rod n reel is tough. And catching them "inshore" is tougher, since they like colder, deep waters surrounding wrecks.

You will see lots of winter flounder with orange or yellow rings around their tails and on the outsides of their outer fins - there is a reason for that (I honestly don't remember!) but those colorations are pretty common especially in Raritan and Sandy Hook bays, as well as on the S shore of LI.

I attached a great pic by Capt Jason Colby who runs flounder charters up in Boston, where they do come across yellowtails occasionally. You'll notice the difference in a regular winter flounder as opposed to a yellowtail