[617301]

fluke

CHANGE! Nobody likes change! Remember how we were all whining when NOREAST changed its format and made us all log in?> Now that we are all logged in it seems the whole site runs better and smoother....17" isnt bad, before you know it you will be glad that our fish quality imporves...think back to what 36" did for stripers, it was great.

HOOD

 

[Leprechaun]

14

O.K. - so I don't post that much here, usually confine it to a weekly recap of my fishing on the "Reports" board.

But there seems to be widespread resentment of the Commercial's legal ability to keep 14" fish.

Since I am a vendor to the NYDEC @ Seatuket, I get frequent opportunities to pick their brains on the various seemingly strange regs that get produced out there.

The reason that the commercials get to keep the 14's and we do not is because the commercial quotas are poundage-based not individual-fish-counted.

Since the dragging of fluke will result in a high percentage of sub-17" fish caught and killed in the trawl nets, regardless of repeated mesh size increases over the years, the smart thing to do is to allow the commercials to keep those fish and let them count towards the total poundage caught. They would only have to shovel the dead 14-17" fish back over the side for crab food. So logic says, let them keep them and let the poundage limits be achieved all that much quicker. Get them the heck off the fluke sooner and onto the squid or dogfish or whatever it is they fish for when fluke are closed to them. I like that thinking.

Of course the best solution would be to outlaw the trawlers altogether, but that ain't a-gonna happen. The DEC people are actually quite sensitive to this beating that the commercials are alledgedly taking in the media (and of course on post boards like this), and feel that the recs not the comms are the ones overfishing the Fluke, therefore WE bare the most watching.

I must say on reflection, that I agree with the 14" Commercial limit, but disagree VIOLENTLY with the characterization of recs as the abusers. I let them know it in no uncertain terms too. They were quite taken aback and perhaps not at all used to hearing our side presented in such a way. Maybe in ANY way for that matter.

Hmmmm, on reflection, maybe that's why they don't call me all that often anymore.

Anyway, if they would have granted catch limits more in keeping with the actual historical record regarding commercial catches vrs rec, then maybe I could buy the second, rec-overcatch position.

And this doesn't even take into account what I believe is the bad science involved in the fluke bio-mass computations.

But I do understand and agree with the thinking on the Comm 14" size limit.

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[bassman909]

I fully understand that we all need to work hard on maintaining/rebuilding the stocks. It is just very frustraiting to go out and catch a ton of short fish, repeatedly, and not be able to bring a couple home for dinner. Let's look at the regs, 7 fish at 17"s, who really needs to bring home 7 fish at that size? I just don't understand why they could'nt make it three or four 16" or 16 1/2" fish. That is still a decent meal or two for four people.

I know that there are places around the island (like Greenport, Montauk) where there are bigger fish, but that's not were a lot of us fish regularly, so that's a moot point.

One last point on B. Attitudes post, everything you said make sense, the one concern I have is what happens to the under 14" fish that die in those nets? Just a thought

All in all, the way this season is starting, by June we'll be saying, thank god for all the Bass. And once again, it will be a waste of time to Fluke Fish in our area.
I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Scalawag]

2 great posts, Leprechaun & bassman

I now understand the 15 " commerical size limit, how that works.
& Bassman...you hit the nail on the head, after buying the bait, taking the kids on the boat let us bring home a couple 16's for din din.
Make it 4 fish @ 16, HECK, 3 fish @ 16.
A 16" fluke is a good eating , filleting size and there so much easier to catch around JI then 17"ers.
I'll be honest I dont do it but if people keep a 16 once in a while after throwing 35 fish back, almost cant blame them.
Alan

 

[bassman909]

I have heard that one of the reasons the commercial guys pushed for a 14" size limit is that the smaller fish sell better in the fish markets and restaraunts because the filets fit on a plate better. Is that true? If so, what a crock of S--t!!!

 

[MakoMike]

Bassman,
That story about the smaller fish selling better is what's the crock of S. If you look at the prices at the fulton market, which are available online, you'll see that the large and jumbo fish always bring a higher price than the smaller fish.

 

[614021]

This discussion brings up a couple questions.

If the whole point of allowing commercials to take 14" is to make them keep fish that would normally be culled and killed, why have any size limit on them? Allow them to keep any size fluke. Or are we to believe that the sub 14" fish being culled off the draggers are surviving? If you drag it up, it's dead.

If you think that making the limit 16" in GSB is going to help you take home more keepers, it might help a little, but in general, any bay fishery that is hit hard every day is going to see a lot of fish that are 1/2" under the limit. Doesn't matter if the limit is 15" or 17". The keepers get cleaned out quickly, and then you play with the shorts. Just because you guys are tossing back 20 16" fish a day all summer, doesn't mean that it would remain that way if the limit was dropped so that those fish became legal.

 

[Leprechaun]

C-Poof - according to the DEC the "Overwhelming Majority" of sub-14" fish escape the dragnet as the mesh size has been adjusted to allow them to pass thru.

I don't buy it.

Do you?

rgds, Leprechaun

 

[KNOTME]

The reason for the 7 fluke @17" limit is so the party boats can stay in business.
know one in there right mind would pay 35 bucks for 3 fluke @ 16.
In order to make everyone happy they would have to make a weird regulation like [email protected] 14", [email protected]" ,[email protected] 16", and [email protected]" or bigger per person per day.

 

[KNOTME]

It seems to me that there are more recreational fishermen that fish from boats and/or from shore than there are rec. fishermen that fish on party boats.
The regulations should cater to the majority.

 

[Scalawag]

knotme, good idea on the slot type limit

also 3 Fluke @ 16 is too low but 5 @ 16 & the party boats may prefer. But I'm not too sure the party boats were considered when they decided 7 @ 17".

 

[baywatch]

I think the current quidelines are good. I have filleted many 16" Fluke and in my opinion the 17 is better. Yes you have to east or outside for keepers. I understand that some people can not go outside because of the size of there boat but we don't make the rules, we have got to follow them. Water temps to cold here anyway,once the water temps go up so will the fish. Patience men, it will get better.

Jusy my 2 cents.

 

[614021]

Bottom fishing from shore is not a high percentage game. How many keeper porgies, sea bass and blacks come up for every 30 shorts. At least in a private boat you have more options. And if you have some skills, stripers and blues seem pretty common. At least if you are hungry, there are always clams, crabs and snappers.

 

[bassman909]

chessyproof,
In response to you're point about the keepers all being culled, I dissagree. If you look at my posts, you'll see that I have been gettting plenty of 16 1/2" fish since last week when the season started. While it is true that the keepers do get culled as the season progresses, how do you explain the lack of bigger fish on opening day?
I hope it's just that the water temps are still low, and the as the water warms the % of keepers will increase. That did not happen last year however.

 

[620277]

HAHAHAHA

Not one person mention the price for a 1/2 boat to catch no fish.