WINTER FLOUNDER MORE LOST$$$$$please read

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Tin Squid

Having a "bag limit" of 2 fish is a crock and an outright insult. I can remember putting 50 + flounders in our boat in the Navesink in the mid 1970's in just about 2.5 hrs. Unfortunately "night dragging" in Raritan Bay in the early 1990's contributed significantly to a decline in the flounder population.

What a shame that yet another valuable resource is being lifted from rod-n-reel folks.

There is the real problem. Those pricks ruined it for us and we have been paying.

Leif

[TurboDan]

I'm only in my 20s and every year (including 2009) my Dad and I would always kick off our season fishing for winter flounder. Some years it was warm, other years we were freezing. Ironically, our best catch ever was probably '08 under the Mantoloking Bridge out with a local charter capt. who has since moved out of NJ.

While I'm never a fan of ANY fishing being taken away, they had to do something about winter flounder. Unfortunately they can't do it regionally within the state in order to leave more northerly locations in Monmouth County open. But below northern Barnegat Bay they have been decimated. The aforementioned Mantoloking Bridge is about all she wrote the past few years. Forked River will produce some, but not in the numbers that really make it a sustainable fishery in that area. When I was really little, we'd even catch them at the LBI Causeway Bridge!

[Reel Class]

They still catch flounder at the causeway and at points south - problem is nobody fishes for them. One of the deckhands that will work for me on a part-time basis this summer has a house on LBI and he had a very good spring last year fishing from behind LBI all the way S towards BHI.

We used to fill five gallon buckets in a tide or two of flounders in the early 80's fishing off the abutments of the 35 bridge inside of will's hole BEFORE the "Kingsbridge" Marina (I think it was a Donzi dealership when it first opened) and its docks were built. The canal used to be the same.

This is a slap in the face to the recs - in the case of winter flounder fyke nets, draggers (NON-Rec pressure) has decimated a specie that used to be as thick as flies on poop in most of our inshore waters in the spring.

Every year I could depend on a dozen flounder trips to start out the year - no more. The only thing that's going to bring this resource back is to close the commercials to fishing for them - NOT US.

[Capt Sal]

capt. allen you are so right.this post was put up for a number of reasons.i hoped it would get more tackle shops on board for the24 in was.each year they take away a little piece of our fishery.10 charters here 10there and before you know it you can't make a years pay.i love being a charter capt but i still need to make money.we need every single angler to be involved in changing the way noaa does things.if not guys like you and i will out of here.

[Capt. Jerry P]

Real Shame!!! Loved Winter flounder fishing season.... Worked deck starting mar 1 every year on the Miss Point, then Nk 2 until i had my license and started running afternoon trips.... Was a great way to get out of the house and end the winter a little early!!! Some of the funniest trips meet a lot of great people.

I was against when they closed the Fall fishery (once ya lose it ya tend to not see much back and only face further closures)... Despite what most think... fishing was good in the fall right up to the closure.

plenty of winter flounder in the ocean at times were getting scooped up net and fike nets in the river... i guess all adds up over time.

but....

Even though the fishery isnt what it was... there was still enough of them to target and put a good catch together within reasonable bag limits... 2 fish is an insult... Most will not charter a boat for that... tackle shop also take a big hit that used to be the jump start of their season.

Flounder trips were a big hit last year on the Fish Monger... Letting our customers end their winter a little early come out and catch a few fish for the table. We sailed almost every fishable day for em. Not any more!!!

See ya in Washington!!!