Sandy Hook Blackfish

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Pietro

I just enjoy fishing for them. Many times in the late summer we will anchor up and just catch and release. Keep maybe 2 for the table. However, its understandable how they get overfished. A head boat fishing 5 days a week can clean the reef out in a few weeks I would think. I think the fishing down south is better because there is much less pressure. This is just more reason for me to let my first 10 lber swim away!

yep.. Watch one of Elias videos from NC .. He catches a lot of Tog right in a rocky inlet in winter from his kayak... Tog fishing is not a mania down there.. Its a cold weather option that not many people there even take advantage of.. I bet half the fisherman down there don't even realize there are tog in the rocky areas down there....

[hammer4reel]

Tons of pressure for over 6 months of the year .

It’s the new designer fish made possible by spot lock .

Guys who couldn’t anchor on a football field can now set up and fish around every tiny piece .
Add in all the high end graphic cards and it makes a novice a very competent angler .

Tackle and techniques have also been super tuned .

We used to catch triple boat limits easily on good pieces , now it takes a few hours to scratch out a good catch .
.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Tons of pressure for over 6 months of the year .

It’s the new designer fish made possible by spot lock .

Guys who couldn’t anchor on a football field can now set up and fish around every tiny piece .
Add in all the high end graphic cards and it makes a novice a very competent angler .

Tackle and techniques have also been super tuned .

We used to catch triple boat limits easily on good pieces , now it takes a few hours to scratch out a good catch .
.

Indeed.. technology is great for the fishermen, not so great for the fish. sadly, I think bag limits are going to be lowered further at some point. The fish just aren't there any more, and it takes 6 years for a tog to reach 15 inches... They are just not a species that can handle the pressure that is being put on them in the modern age..

[Togfather2530]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Indeed.. technology is great for the fishermen, not so great for the fish. sadly, I think bag limits are going to be lowered further at some point. The fish just aren't there any more, and it takes 6 years for a tog to reach 15 inches... They are just not a species that can handle the pressure that is being put on them in the modern age..

No it’s not sad lol. All the limits need to come down. I’m glad they dropped the blues limit. How many fisheries besides striper and maybe sea bass can you actually say are better today than the past. Fluke is on its way out too. It sucked this year. We can’t be concerned about the party or charter boat industries and they’re crying about the regulations. We have to first prioritize the resources. That being said I would love to see tons of fish and tons of party and charter boats. The days of them going out and catching big blues and tubs of mackerel are over. Most rotted away in a burlap sack🤣🤣🤣

[Togfather2530]

Funny thing is when it comes to salt water fishing everyone keeps their limit or as many keeper size as they can until they reach their limit. There is no catch and release. Many people that were keeping those blues back in the day just threw them in the freezer to get freezer burnt.

[Togfather2530]

List of fisheries in the toilet in nj that used to be thriving

Cod
Winter flounder
Whiting
Weakies
Mackerel

List on the way out

Flounder
Blackfish
Blues

List in good standing

Striped bass
Sea bass
Porgies (although they will be the next to go on the list above)

This is just my opinion

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Togfather2530

No it’s not sad lol. All the limits need to come down. I’m glad they dropped the blues limit. How many fisheries besides striper and maybe sea bass can you actually say are better today than the past. Fluke is on its way out too. It sucked this year. We can’t be concerned about the party or charter boat industries and they’re crying about the regulations. We have to first prioritize the resources. That being said I would love to see tons of fish and tons of party and charter boats. The days of them going out and catching big blues and tubs of mackerel are over. Most rotted away in a burlap sack🤣🤣🤣

I think that NY/NJ anglers are at a disadvantage,, Simply too many fishermen after too few fish.. Go out to eastern LI, up into Rhode Island, away from the big cities, or south into the Carolinas, and the pressure is miniscule in comparison to what NY Bight anglers have to deal with...

[Capt Sal]

[QUOTE=hammer4reel;573275]Tons of pressure for over 6 months of the year .

It’s the new designer fish made possible by spot lock .

Guys who couldn’t anchor on a football field can now set up and fish around every tiny piece .
Add in all the high end graphic cards and it makes a novice a very competent angler .

Tackle and techniques have also been super tuned .

We used to catch triple boat limits easily on good pieces , now it takes a few hours to scratch out a good catch .
.[/QUOTIt is because there is nothing left to fish for in the winter.E]

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Togfather2530

No it’s not sad lol. All the limits need to come down. I’m glad they dropped the blues limit. How many fisheries besides striper and maybe sea bass can you actually say are better today than the past. Fluke is on its way out too. It sucked this year. We can’t be concerned about the party or charter boat industries and they’re crying about the regulations. We have to first prioritize the resources. That being said I would love to see tons of fish and tons of party and charter boats. The days of them going out and catching big blues and tubs of mackerel are over. Most rotted away in a burlap sack🤣🤣🤣

Commercial limits need to come down , not recreational limits .
5 blackfish for 3 months out of the year isn’t going to totally crush them even with added pressure .
Fluke limits of 3 fish isn’t killing the fishery like allowing NC boats to go to any state and return with. 30000 pounds a week per boat is .

Ocean states should not. Have to carry the burden of feeding all the world .
You don’t see Idaho sending us their elk .

Coastline states need to fight for their stares resources to stay here .
You want it you come here and catch it .along with all the other fees imposed we are charged to go everywhere else .

..

[Skolmann]

Originally Posted by Togfather2530

Funny thing is when it comes to salt water fishing everyone keeps their limit or as many keeper size as they can until they reach their limit. There is no catch and release. Many people that were keeping those blues back in the day just threw them in the freezer to get freezer burnt.

That’s the attitude of the majority of northeast saltwater anglers. They feel as if they did not have a successful trip unless they limited out and/or filled the cooler. In the southeast, it’s been my experience that the vast majority of saltwater anglers will take one or 2 fish for the table and release the rest.