Stupid fluke question:

[AndyS]

They always say the stupid question is the one not asked. I'm looking over the reports from the bays and I see a lot of fluke being caught and kept, yes I know limits and all that stuff bla bla bla, but these fish entering the bay are here to spawn ? Seems the same way with the striped bass in the spring. I would think the best way to rebuild stocks is to let fish spawn, am I not correct in thinking that. If we catch every fluke coming in to spawn seems like we are shooting ourselves in the foot, no ? I see a lot of number crunching on here when it comes to fluke but if they don't spawn, seems like a dead end.

[Jigman13]

They spawn offshore

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by AndyS

They always say the stupid question is the one not asked. I'm looking over the reports from the bays and I see a lot of fluke being caught and kept, yes I know limits and all that stuff bla bla bla, but these fish entering the bay are here to spawn ? Seems the same way with the striped bass in the spring. I would think the best way to rebuild stocks is to let fish spawn, and I not correct in thinking that. If we catch every fluke coming in to spawn seems like we are shooting ourselves in the foot, no ? I see a lot of number crunching on here when it comes to fluke but if they don't spawn, seems like a dead end.

They spawn primarily in October and November dependant on water temperature when they're heading to the shelf, some spawn in that time frame multiple times, most spawn once. You're thinking about winter flounder which drop their eggs in the spring before staging offshore during the summer months.

The question you and everyone should be asking which I've addressed on this site and to marine fisheries a hundred times is why commercial netting is allowed when these schools are insanely concentrated and NMFS has ZERO knowledge of the impact dragging nets has on the overall efficacy of the spawn yet they allow it every year. Absolutely &^$%#@! senseless. Close the season for two months and reallocate the commercial quota for those two months to the other 8 months of the year.

I suggested this to NMFS, ASMFC and MAMFC a dozen or more times, got no answer and certain recreational groups were against it because it would move more, a negligible amount, of the commercial quota to those four summer months, mid May to mid September, when recreational anglers have access to this fishery.

So in other words instead of protecting the spawn, kill not millions but trillions of eggs each year so that the commercial guys can't catch 2% more of their quota for four months when they're netting during those months anyway. Insanity. You'd be shocked at the discard mortality rates involved in this fishery year round but more so when the stock is migrating west in the spring and east in the fall. Any smaller lesser value fish which come up in loaded nets that bring lower catch values go back dead and the numbers are absolutely staggering.

[AndyS]

Thanks for the information, I was under the impression like most fish coming into the shallows in the spring was to spawn.

[Broad Bill]

Andy, here's a good read about the reproduction cycle of the stock including when the larvae enter inshore estuaries.

https://www.google.com/search?q=repr...mer%20flounder

[frugalfisherman]

They're in the bays because the water's warmer. They'll move to the ocean when it warms up.

[Duffman]

My opinion and that’s prob worth zero……the larger spawned out females are the first to hit inshore and stage at every estuary outlet there is to gorge on food.

After that the smaller fish follow in dribs and drabs and disperse as the water warms. Then settle on familiar spots both ocean side and inside.

I thought the Raritan and SH bay were lights out for the first 3 days of the season and then fell off a cliff. Conditions definitely changed with rain, wind and shitty water quality but to me it was like a light switch was turned off. Again, only my experience and there’s a ton that know the game a lot more than me so only an opinion.