PROWLER V; BIG OCEAN FLUKE-SEA BASS REPORT MONDAY JULY 26, 2021.

[Prowler 5]

Hey gang, we were out today with 14 customers. The ocean settled down very nice. We we took the long ride where we've been going the last 3 weeks but it was a little slow this morning. So we had to go a little bit further east. Found some big fluke and sea bass there. Had a 22 mile ride back to the dock. But whatever it takes to get it done. No more Wreck Trips until the fluke season is over. We are totally in a fluke and seabass mode lately. Sailing everyday, No reservations are needed. The fare is $85 dollars. We sail 730am sharp . See you guys in the morning. Thanks Captain Scott.

[hartattack]

Nice to see Hammer Tom on them!

[Detour66]

Way to go Capt. Taking the long ride for the BIG FISH with only 14 on board! Don't see that to much these days! Tight lines!

[Togfather2530]

Crazy nj boats running 22 miles just to be 3 miles off the coast of Long Island and5 miles from Jones and rock away inlet in an artificial reef just to catch fluke. I’ve been fishing the same grounds a few times. It’s been decent but not great. Way more action 10+ years ago with nonstop bites and keeping 161/2” fish. The fishery is going to hell. I don’t think I filleted a male all year. 👎👎👎. These boats probably are and certainly should be driving right over millions of fluke on the way there. We need to wake up with this fishery. Hats off to the captain for making the run. I personally think it’s sickening to me when I ran there and realized the amount of fuel(natural resources) burned and pollution just to get there. Sorry for the rant. Same with the offshore tuna bs. 100s of boats burning hundreds of dollars each to get to the grounds and many coming back with 0. A lot to think about if u open your mind to more than just what u want to do for your weekend. Fluke is turning into a 50$ a pound fish when it used to be something anyone could do reasonably. Also saw a bunch of bluefin busting up bunker pods just south of rock away inlet last Saturday on the way back.

[Togfather2530]

By the way the action I’m talking about 10years ago was in the bay lol

Originally Posted by Togfather2530

Crazy nj boats running 22 miles just to be 3 miles off the coast of Long Island and5 miles from Jones and rock away inlet in an artificial reef just to catch fluke. I’ve been fishing the same grounds a few times. It’s been decent but not great. Way more action 10+ years ago with nonstop bites and keeping 161/2” fish. The fishery is going to hell. I don’t think I filleted a male all year. ������. These boats probably are and certainly should be driving right over millions of fluke on the way there. We need to wake up with this fishery. Hats off to the captain for making the run. I personally think it’s sickening to me when I ran there and realized the amount of fuel(natural resources) burned and pollution just to get there. Sorry for the rant. Same with the offshore tuna bs. 100s of boats burning hundreds of dollars each to get to the grounds and many coming back with 0. A lot to think about if u open your mind to more than just what u want to do for your weekend. Fluke is turning into a 50$ a pound fish when it used to be something anyone could do reasonably. Also saw a bunch of bluefin busting up bunker pods just south of rock away inlet last Saturday on the way back.

Capt Scott,

Don't mean to hijack your thread but want to reply to Togfathers post. Congrats on running that far for so few fares,
only so much you control and you can only make the effort.

This fishery has been on a decline since 2010. The decent fishing were seeing this year in my opinion is the result of foreign and domestic markets being closed most of last year and Covid giving the stock a temporary reprieve.

A few facts marine fisheries doesn't really discuss. Female population of this stock declined by 36 million from 2010 to 2017. Why, recreational size minimums have caused 90% or more of recreational landings to be females and a lesser percentage but still significant proportion of commercial harvest to be females as well. A fact NMFS and the Monitoring Committee outright deny but one their data completely supports.

Female fluke are said to average 400,000 eggs when they attain sexual maturity, increase production as they grow and the oldest and largest will produce over 4,000,000 eggs annually. For the last 30 years, if you compare new recruits to females, the ratio is .5 to 1.5 new recruits per sexually mature female, an unimaginable statistic considering tens of trillions of eggs are produced every year. Yet we continue harvesting exclusively sexually mature fish, most females and provide zero protection to the spawn. Recruitment classes have essentially failed, are at late 80's levels, and will continue failing because we're killing off the female population of this stock. Elevated recreational size minimums and the consequential impacts they've caused the stock are killing this fishery.

Two more statistic kept close to the vest. In 2018, there were 8.6 million angler trips, trips where fluke were specifically targeted. Over 7 million or 81% of those trips ended up with no fish harvested. Can't begin to comprehend that statistic. Of the remaining 1.6 million trips, 67% ended up with one fish harvested and 24% ended up with two. Recreational angler trips since 2010 have declined by more than 4 million a year as regulations continue getting more restrictive.

Second, between 2009 and 2017, the recreational sector is charged with catching 450 million fish in the process and harvesting 45 million! A 90% release ratio and why over 30% of the recreational harvest limit is exhausted on discard mortality. How can regulations targeting the harvest of the spawning stock, a disproportionate amount females, killing millions of younger and older age class fish while destroying recruitment be benefitting this fishery?

NMFS reports up under the Department of Commerce. Someone tell me what impact 4 million less recreational trips has on the economy, small businesses, party and for hire operators and shore communities. We're talking billions of dollars less in spending because of increasingly more restrictive regulations resulting in 81% of 2018 trips with anglers going home with empty coolers. Commercial quotas as with recreational have been slashed and truthfully a once thriving fishery has been turned into a complete mess in the throes of a free fall decline. If size minimums don't revert to the 90's regulation, 15 to 16-inches, if management doesn't start protecting females and the spawn, this fishery will continue its decline until irreparably damaged.

[Prowler 5]

@togfather
its all good. we fish all different places. didnt mind the rant at all, i liked your comment.

[howardrf]

In 2018, there were 8.6 million angler trips, trips where fluke were specifically targeted. Interesting. Where did you get your trip stats? Info appreciated.

Originally Posted by howardrf

In 2018, there were 8.6 million angler trips, trips where fluke were specifically targeted. Interesting. Where did you get your trip stats? Info appreciated.

Research. Memorandum dated November 27, 2019 from Kiley Dancy to the Council and Board regarding Summer Flounder Recreational Measures for 2020 which included another Memorandum dated November 6, 2019 also from Kiley Dancy to Chris Moore, Executive Director Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council re Summer Flounder Recreational Management Measures for 2020 on pages 12 and 20 of the 23 page document which includes the data shown in the two attachments. 8.6 million directed Summer Flounder trips, 1.6 Angler Trips with keepers harvested totaling 2.4 million fish. 7 million recreational anglers paying all in probably $250 between boat cost, food, ice, gulp, jigs, transportation, rod rentals, possibly hotel accommodations, maybe even taking a day off from work without a single keeper. It's inconceivable how bad this fishery's been managed and how a once thriving fishery in the 90's has been decimated for both sectors for the past decade or more. Even worse the declines will continue until recreational size minimums are adjusted and we stop killing off the female population of the stock. So many stocks the regulations protect the breeders realizing without healthy recruitment you don't have a sustainable fishery. In this fishery, we target the spawning stock exclusively with a greater proportion being females because of their size differential and economic value. Absolutely ludicrous. And management insists more males make up combined harvest which their data proves wrong while they wonder why after thirty years of sacrifices by both sectors and severe quota cuts recruitment levels have reverted back to late 80's levels which were the lowest levels of the stock over the past five decades.

If you want the entire document, pm me your email and I'd be more than happy to send you the entire document.

[Togfather2530]

Well they will certainly have to make keeping anything over 18 illegal since we all know 99% of the fisherman would still keep the big fish. Those artificial reefs are strategically placed near inlets so recreational fisherman can access them without burning fuel and polluting the oceans. What happened to nj fluke. Anymore the normal old spots off the hook are beat. Even the beat up rattlesnake is a long run for what we catch and bring back. It’s disappointing to say the least. Very little fluke around anymore as far as quantity. U really have to hope you drift over a good body of fish and get lucky. The other week I took a handicap guy out in a wheelchair and wanted to show him a decent day of fishing. He didn’t want to go too far so I started off at the swash channel. That was beat with very little action. I headed out to the Fishermans area and had very little action. No keeper fluke, hardly any shorts, and three keeper sea bass. 3 guys fishing 🤣. It was a perfect day with a perfect drift I’ll add. It was pretty disgusting to say the least. The black fishing has been going downhill for us as well the last few years. I don’t know if that’s because of pressure or what. They seem to be doing better down south with that.