Bluefin Tuna Stock rebounds

[dales529]

https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game...-tuna-rebound/

So WHY don't they use the same philosophy with Summer flounder (Fluke)??
"Protect the spawn" in their own words so mature fish "make more babies"
Again preaching to the choir but the link above proves a success on BFT so again WHY? Question directed at NOAA

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by dales529

https://www.sportfishingmag.com/game...-tuna-rebound/

So WHY don't they use the same philosophy with Summer flounder (Fluke)??
"Protect the spawn" in their own words so mature fish "make more babies"
Again preaching to the choir but the link above proves a success on BFT so again WHY? Question directed at NOAA

Interesting article and yes, why aren't we protecting the fluke in specific areas when and where they spawn?

Where and when do Fluke spawn? More detail here https://njscuba.net/marine-biology/m...lounder-fluke/ but in general in the fall and winter when the water cools it triggers them to move out their summer inshore grounds an go offshore to the continental shelf... Our recreational season is closed then but the commercials are still fishing and these spawners are like sitting ducks for them...

Lots of talk on the site here in the past about this very subject from Captain Dan and Broad Bill so I'd like to hear their point of view...

[bulletbob]

It seems its just the way things are done, and its what a lot of fisherman want,,, After all, when is the ""hot bite"" for stripers these days in the NY Bight?.. Right when they are on the move to spawn in the Hudson... Lots of those fish are released I realize that, but I would wager that an awful lot of released fish don't make it, as guys like to fish "light tackle", and those hooked fish get badly exhausted/stressed.. Not so sure the season should start at the same time as the spawn, but whatever...

Here in NY state, Bass, Walleyes, Pike,Muskies,Trout protected at least to an extent during spawn.. Yet panfish historically were not.. Sooo, guess what populations are in trouble?... Panfish.. In some places Perch, Crappies, Sunfish, even Rock Bass have been fished into close to non existence.. Believe it or not, there are even "Rock Bass Tournaments" on Lake Ontario in some ports.. During the spawn of course,, The result?.. Decimated populations, and now in some huge lakes there is a 15 fish creel limit with an 8 inch minimum length on sunnies of all things in a bunch of lakes trying to undo the damage.. Crappies now have to be 10 inches as well.. All because of guys catching them up and eating them when they are most vulnerable- during the spawn.

It makes NO sense now, and has never made sense to target fish that are spawning... Let the fish reproduce, and THEN catch them, either recreationally, or commercially...

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Interesting article and yes, why aren't we protecting the fluke in specific areas when and where they spawn?

Where and when do Fluke spawn? More detail here https://njscuba.net/marine-biology/m...lounder-fluke/ but in general in the fall and winter when the water cools it triggers them to move out their summer inshore grounds an go offshore to the continental shelf... Our recreational season is closed then but the commercials are still fishing and these spawners are like sitting ducks for them...

Lots of talk on the site here in the past about this very subject from Captain Dan and Broad Bill so I'd like to hear their point of view...

IMO all fish should be protected during the spawn .
Only makes sense for them to be able to spawn and continue the resource .

As far as striped bass I think it would be hard to have a definitive closed season , as they have shown to spawn at different times. .
They stack up here and other spawning areas for months before they actually spawn .
Right now that fishery is 95% CR due to size restrictions .
And while there may be some mortality on releases , a lot has been put into effect to try and minimize that .
I would think the only change left would be to not allow trebles on lures and go to single inline hooks .

Releasing all those big egg laden cows is the best thing to happen to that fishery .
.

I do think more has to be done to limit bait reduction .
Without squid , bunker , mullet etc none of these fisheries can survive .