If Ling go down???

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Fish Tank

Hi bob,dont know how old u r friend but years ago the commercial would shovel thousands ofling off the deck in search off a few boxes of whitting. Rememer days when dead ling could be seen floating as far as thenaked eye could see.cant treat a fishery like that and expect itto survive.stay well capt.tommy joseph

I am 59 capt..
Yes , i am aware of the "bycatch", and it sickens me..

Its funny, up here in NY state squirrel hake are sometimes sold labeled as whiting .
I can't understand the consumer.. The squirrel/red hake is a better eating fish than a silver hake any day of the week, better than fluke as well yet the ling is a "bycatch" to be wasted....... bob

[RussA]

Originally Posted by Jay

I recall catching some nice size flounders thoughout the summer last year and the previous years in the mudhole.

Ocean winter flounder can be down right stupid fishing, that I have witnessed in the last few years but it's hit or miss.

I am 37 and back when I was 15 in Jamaica bay we just slammed flounder of the biggest kind, the limit was 15 at the time and they were all 2-4lb flounder amazing.

Then it happened, the stock collapsed from both the commercial guys and JFK and all of it's run off that has really put a hurting on this flounder, fluke, tog, bluefish, striper, scup nursery.

Now with the boom of the DEP's waste management plants along the waterways, that is also causing ill effects to our fisheries.

There are many things that affect our fish from over fishing to pollution, but the biggest problems are corporate commercial boats and the Regulators, those two need to be cut in half, one needs to be eliminated and the other really is a necessary evil.

[Flukemeister1]

Anyone who has fished the Mud Hole for any period of time has come across slicks of thousands of dead ling floating on the surface. "Bycatch" of commercial fishing. One of the problems with the ling stocks being decimated is the increased pressure on scallops. Juvinile ling spend their early life living inside the safety of scallops shells and unfortunately are killed when the scallops are dragged to the surface in the dredges. When I was younger the stocks of ling and whiting were healthy and you could catch what you wanted to feed your family. There was excellant fishing at night from any pier or jetty that stuck out into the ocean. The fish were incredibly abundant. Now you see reports "ling fishing was great we had 10 per man". Pitiful what we consider to be great. The question is what do we do to improve the stocks back to where they should be? Gerry said it before good luck going up against the big money lobbies, but something has to be done. Suggestions would be great!

[Solemate]

Saw that many times up in the Raritan Bay near the co-op and old fish factory.

[stevelikes2fish]

Originally Posted by frugalfisherman

The dogfish are devestating them. If you want to save the ling don't send a single dogfish back down alive. Knife straight down between the eyes.

The doggies I catch always seem to swim in circles after I release them.........

[tautog]

Ling don't like doggies or ultra cold water. Every year in Oct the linging goes to crap when the doggies show up. If the water is still pretty warm when the doggies start to leave we get a good bite for a while. If it is ice cold when they leave, you have to wait until the first week in May for a good bite. Lots of 14"ers in Sept will be 16"-17" by May.

[SaltLife1980]

"All doggies go to heaven"

[kcritch]

Originally Posted by SaltLife1980

"All doggies go to heaven"

That's funny.

Hope you are doing well buddy. Looking forward to fishing with you and your Dad on Papa's Angles in the spring...Stripers and Blues...and not 10 degrees outside!

The Blue Moons are on me next time!

Tell dad I said hello.