NOAA

[Capt John]

The NOAA weather predictions posted on our local "National Data Buoy Center" web site is a disgrace. And they pay these guys to post this crap. What a joke...a disgrace. If I did that in my previous jobs, I would have been fired in less than 6 months.

While I'm on the subject of NOAA...my sincere thanks for the current Fluke population here in NJ. Your reg's (along with other agencies) have totally wiped out a once vibrant fishery. Keep increasing the size...kill more females. Good going ladies and gentlemen. One of you guys care to offer an opinion of what the hell happened to all the fluke in this state or are you afraid to admit to your mistakes and tell the truth?

Most (not all) but most people I've talked to in the past 3 months have all echoed the same refrain...where the hell are the Fluke? Small pods here, small pods there. Tons of travelling...AND GAS.

Just a few years ago, Raritan Bay was well stocked with Fluke but not any more. Time to go whale watching I guess.

[Jim C]

"Keep increasing the size...kill more females"
THIS IS 100% CORRECT.
THE PEOPLE WHO CONTROL THIS HAVE DONE THIS, AS YOU CAN NOT KEEP KILLING THE BREEDING STOCK OF FLUKE OR ANY FISH AND THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING. WHATS NEXT,BIGGER SIZE FISH, KILL MORE FEMALES?? ITS NOT WORKING!

WHEN WE HAD SMALLER SIZE LIMITS WITH BAG LIMITS 8-6 OR 5 FISH PER PERSON FLUKE FISHING WAS NEVER THIS BAD.
YET THEY ALLOW COMMERCIAL FISHING TO KEEP SMALLER SIZE FISH AND MORE FISH. THE LAST FLUKE TRIP I WAS ON WAS A 1/2 DAY ON THE SEA TIGER WITH 70 PEOPLE ON THE BOAT AND 2 KEEPERS ON THE BOAT. YES ON SOME DAYS THE BOATS ARE DOING BETTER BUT NO ONE CAN SAY ITS FLUKING THE WAY IT USE TO BE.
JUST KEEP TAKING BREEDER FISH AS MOST BIGGER FISH ARE FEMALE AND SOON WE WILL HAVE NO FLUKE FISHING.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Jim C

"Keep increasing the size...kill more females"
THIS IS 100% CORRECT.
THE PEOPLE WHO CONTROL THIS HAVE DONE THIS, AS YOU CAN NOT KEEP KILLING THE BREEDING STOCK OF FLUKE OR ANY FISH AND THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING. WHATS NEXT,BIGGER SIZE FISH, KILL MORE FEMALES?? ITS NOT WORKING!

WHEN WE HAD SMALLER SIZE LIMITS WITH BAG LIMITS 8-6 OR 5 FISH PER PERSON FLUKE FISHING WAS NEVER THIS BAD.
YET THEY ALLOW COMMERCIAL FISHING TO KEEP SMALLER SIZE FISH AND MORE FISH. THE LAST FLUKE TRIP I WAS ON WAS A 1/2 DAY ON THE SEA TIGER WITH 70 PEOPLE ON THE BOAT AND 2 KEEPERS ON THE BOAT. YES ON SOME DAYS THE BOATS ARE DOING BETTER BUT NO ONE CAN SAY ITS FLUKING THE WAY IT USE TO BE.
JUST KEEP TAKING BREEDER FISH AS MOST BIGGER FISH ARE FEMALE AND SOON WE WILL HAVE NO FLUKE FISHING.

Not saying Commercial fishing isn't a problem but I think you want them to be able to keep 14 inch fish. The reason is if they were forced to keep only larger fish, fish they'd be discarding those 14 - 18 inch fish to fill their quota and those discards would wind up dead anyway and not count towards their quota.

[Jim C]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Not saying Commercial fishing isn't a problem but I think you want them to be able to keep 14 inch fish. The reason is if they were forced to keep only larger fish, fish they'd be discarding those 14 - 18 inch fish to fill their quota and those discards would wind up dead anyway and not count towards their quota.

I don't have a problem with the Commercial fishing keeping 14" inch fluke, BUT the size for rod and reel should be the same. Recreational fishing is force to kill a lot of female fish just to take a fish home for dinner. When the size was 14 inch you got your limit of smaller fish and you when home, and bigger fish had less pressure.

Correct me if I am wrong but commercial gets 60%, and recreation gets 40% quota, that means we have to kill 40% of a lot of female fish. Did the commercial fishing lobby money boys help make the rules? Lets make sure nobody get those dinner plate AKA 14" fish. Not only is this not fair to recreational fishing, it helps destroy other forms of business that need recreational fishing money.

[togzilla]

Has it ever occurred to anyone that this all by design????
Keep destroying fisheries and then close them down all together to eventually bankrupt the charter and party boat industry while at the same time reducing the amount of private boaters. It’s all part of the green new deal. Just start connecting the dots!

[Gumada]

How about not allowing any netting/catch of fish while they are breeding offshore ? That fishery never existed until 15 or so years ago. No babies no fish !

[Jim C]

Originally Posted by togzilla

Has it ever occurred to anyone that this all by design????
Keep destroying fisheries and then close them down all together to eventually bankrupt the charter and party boat industry while at the same time reducing the amount of private boaters. It’s all part of the green new deal. Just start connecting the dots!

YOU are 100 % correct