Fluke Regs this year

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by FlukeU2

I’d be happy with 5 fish at 19”. We had so many trips throwing back multiple 20”+ fish back cause we already have a boat limit of fish

I am happy for you and the anglers you fish with.. You must all have a terrific skill set, as most of us just can't muster those kinds of numbers on any given day during the year, let alone with the consistency alluded to in your reply..


I realize there are some guys out there with the right boats that can get out to the deep water broken bottom and get a limit + every time.. However, most are using boats with limited range and must stay closer to shore, and in bays and tidal rivers. Others fluke fish on crowded party boats, or off jetties, piers, docks, inlets, the surf, etc... Tough for guys in those positions to get even say 2 keepers at 18'.. Honestly, a slot limit is THE ONLY way to keep the population in balance, and get the available fish distributed among all fluke anglers in an equitable manner.bob

[hartattack]

SLOTS gaining traction for several species: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/sfsbsb-...-management-fw

Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Framework Framework on Conservation Equivalency, Block Island Sound Transit, and Slot Limits
The Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) jointly manage summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass. The Council and the ASMFC are developing a joint framework action and addendum to consider adding the following management options to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan:

Conservation equivalency for the recreational black sea bass fishery,

Conservation equivalency rollover for summer flounder

Transit provisions for Block Island Sound for recreational and/or commercial fisheries for all three species, and

Slot limits for recreational fisheries for all three species

[hammer4reel]

Should have pushed for the slot fish instead of asking for status quo.
Would more than likely had a better chance then instead of having the refs shoved down our throats we got .

As far as only some boats being able to get to the fish to fulfill a limit at 18”.
BS.
WAS plenty of fish well under 3 miles from any marina last year north of Barney for sure , right through to Statin island .

Not just a few boats having limit trips daily , was lots of boats doing it .

.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Should have pushed for the slot fish instead of asking for status quo.
Would more than likely had a better chance then instead of having the refs shoved down our throats we got .

As far as only some boats being able to get to the fish to fulfill a limit at 18”.
BS.
WAS plenty of fish well under 3 miles from any marina last year north of Barney for sure , right through to Statin island .

Not just a few boats having limit trips daily , was lots of boats doing it .

.

Ok, Understood.. then WHY the slot limit??.. I mean according to a few guys, the fishing is great, getting a limit of fish is no problem, then why not just keep the status quo??.. Seriously. If the fishing is that good, limits are no real problem, why change anything at all??.. must just be a lot of pretty poor unskilled anglers out there that just don't know what they're doing, [such as myself], or a lot of fluke fishermen that just like to complain, despite good fishing... bob

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Ok, Understood.. then WHY the slot limit??.. I mean according to a few guys, the fishing is great, getting a limit of fish is no problem, then why not just keep the status quo??.. Seriously. If the fishing is that good, limits are no real problem, why change anything at all??.. must just be a lot of pretty poor unskilled anglers out there that just don't know what they're doing, [such as myself], or a lot of fluke fishermen that just like to complain, despite good fishing... bob

Slot limit was based on boats fishing skinny water being able to take a few fish home , AND to hope some of those smaller fish were males . Taking some pressure off our breeding females.

IMO many guys catch just as many fish as they had ten years ago , difference is with the keeper size being larger they don't catch as many keepers.
But we get charged a high mortality rate for the fish we throw back.

SO instead of getting charged poundage for fish getting released, allow those guys to keep a few fish and actually get to eat what they got charged for.

Many guys catching 20 - 30 shorts might actually be done fishing after keeping a few 17" fish also lowering the BS mortality quota.

[tuna john]

Fish 90% of time in Cape May, ride to catch fluke anywhere from 7 miles to almost to 18. We fish a lot of days and like to think we are at least average. Honestly they could have made the limit 20 fish last year, as most day we were lucky to have 5 or six keepers for 3 to 4 guys. Crap year. drop the size few fish to take home and less harmful to the stock

[pectoralfin]

Why the slot limit for scup and black sea bass?

[Detour66]

@Dakota560... What I posted was 1 option not 3 separate options. This way people can bring home some fish. It's just my opinion. I can see you are much more educated on the subject than I am. I am just putting in my own 2 cents. I think smaller slot fish would help the industry without wiping out the fish. That is something I do not want to see.

Originally Posted by Detour66

@Dakota560... What I posted was 1 option not 3 separate options. This way people can bring home some fish. It's just my opinion. I can see you are much more educated on the subject than I am. I am just putting in my own 2 cents. I think smaller slot fish would help the industry without wiping out the fish. That is something I do not want to see.

Detour I thought it was two options but understand your point. NMFS has ONLY attempted to manage this fishery by focusing on catch through size increases, possession limit reductions, shortened seasons or reduced overall quotas. It was working to some degree until they broached the high 16" / 17" size limit, then everything went to hell. Prior to that as their data shows, the balance between reduced catch from the early to mid 80's coupled with relatively strong reproduction numbers the biomass responded very favorably through 2002. When they continued increasing size limits beyond that point with the intent again of reducing catch, they created the unintended consequence of changing the gender composition of the biomass destroying egg reproduction in the process. Add to that what's happening with commercials and that's why the fishery is suffering.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Ok, Understood.. then WHY the slot limit??.. I mean according to a few guys, the fishing is great, getting a limit of fish is no problem, then why not just keep the status quo??.. Seriously. If the fishing is that good, limits are no real problem, why change anything at all??.. must just be a lot of pretty poor unskilled anglers out there that just don't know what they're doing, [such as myself], or a lot of fluke fishermen that just like to complain, despite good fishing... bob

Slot fish regs are put in place for conservation not to increase the chances of someone being able to attain their limit. The smaller slot fish would allow people to fill their bag limit without forcing them to keep only keep 18" plus inch fluke, which for the most part are all females and breeders.

It's similar to the reasoning on Stripers where here in NJ your bonus tag used to be used for only larger fish and now it's for undersized fish...

http://www.27east.com/news/article.c...ass-Slot-Limit