Fluke migratory habits and taggiung

[Pete]

Common Names: Fluke, summer flounder
Scientific Name: Paralichthys dentatus

Range: Estuarine and coastal waters from Nova Scotia to Florida. Most abundant between Massachusetts and North Carolina.

Migration

Fluke are normally found in the nearshore coastal waters and bays where they are available to anglers in the warmer months of the year, thus their other common name of summer flounder. In the fall and winter they move offshore into depths of 100 to 500 feet of water. There is also a tendency for fish to return to more northern estuaries in successive years, resulting in a higher occurrence of larger, older fish in the more northern parts of its range.

The above was taken directly from the NJ Div. of Fish and Game website.

My friend also tags fish for the littorial society. His tag returns for fluke always come from northern states as far as Mass.

So, while you believed the 17 1/4" throwback would return as a 17 1/2" keeper (pre regulations change) early season 2014. Think again! It appears very likely that fish and many similar won't even come near Jersey water.

NY has been the recipient of our benevolant ways for some years now. The difference is they just got blessed with a more liberal set of regulations. Which will likely cause the entire region to, yet again overfish.

Hey don't get me wrong NY did take a hosing for quite a few years. I guess our NJ pols. outsmarted theirs for that period. Who knows?
This is one huge shit sandwich, and each and every bite gets worse.

Where does it end.

There has got to be a sustainable size and bag. 25 years and they still can't get it right. I can't believe it is regional. It would be more than likely state by state. To say a guy fluking from Montauk has the same odds as say an equally skilled guy from Cape May, to catch his limit is absurd. Ask those guys from the southern part of the state, how many 18" keepers are around in their waters?

Conservation under regulations for all these years got me, or the fluke fishery as a whole, nowhere.