Have New Fluke Regs Helped? - NJFishing.com Your Best Online Source for Fishing Information in New Jersey

Billfish715 · #1 07-30-2022, 12:14 PM

Fluke fishing has been spotty at best. Catches of keepers which many thought would have improved as a result of the new regulations have people scratching their collective heads and wondering. So, how much have the new regs. helped in improving the catch and/or increasing the fluke population?

Tackle guy · #2 07-30-2022, 02:06 PM

Ocean party boat fluking is not even half of what it was last year some guys do ok but only 1 or2. If not for new regs it would be total disaster.

hammer4reel · #3 07-30-2022, 08:13 PM

We were throwing back 19 and 20” fish today looking for slot fish .
Been that way all season .

NEW REGS SUCK.

.

Billfish715 · #4 07-30-2022, 08:47 PM

So, the beat goes on. 18”+ are showing up in the coolers, but fewer and fewer 17” fish are in the mix.I don’t know if that is widespread or localized to a few “sharpies” with good waypoints or not. But, despite the liberalized regulations, there does not seem like too many slots are filling too many coolers. It’s still a numbers game. There are fewer fluke spread up and down the shore but a few pockets of them in specific places. Find those places and you would never think there was a shortage of fluke. If you are off the mark by a few hundred yards you’ll go home frustrated. I’ll still chalk it up to a big decrease in fluke numbers of all sizes.

emcjim · #5 07-31-2022, 01:27 AM

This year, I have made 8 PM half-day trips on partyboat from AH. I think that more "slots" than "overs" have been kept. No "overs" have been thrown back because the boat limit is never filled. In previous years, a common cooler was used, w/ the fish marked, because there not many keepers. This year, no common cooler. bring your own, or use a pail furnished by the boat. So the number of fish kept is more than last year. Fishing was better in early June than it is now. On 6/3, I was one of 6 or 7 that had a limit. That is my only partyboat limit for this year, and the totals have been declining ever since.

TerriMc223 · #6 07-31-2022, 07:14 AM

Personally, I have benefitted significantly by the ability to keep 17" fish especially since I fish most often in the bay. The slot also helps when I fish in the ocean but since there are more larger fish there, it is tough not being able to keep more than one 18"+ fish.
I have only gotten skunked once so far this season. On the whole the 2022 regs have been helpful.