Flukin at the hook 8/21

[mckee17]

Launched at Leonardo around 6:30am.  Tried East Reach, nothing doing.  Set out for Ambrose Channel looked like wall to wall.  Opted for Sandy Hook Channel.  It was drop and reel, we stopped counting at 30.  The depressing part was not a keeper in the bunch.  Packed it in around 2:00pm.  Wonder if anyone has documented the mortality rate of all the throw backs.  Wouldn't it make more sense to be able to keep 6 or 8 fish at 17 inches instead of killing untold numbers of throw backs while trying to catch some fish for dinner??  There has to be a better way!   

[Luna Sea 5]

nice catch, but the trow backs should have a excellent survival rate as long as they don't swallow the hook.

[wb]

I agree; a 17-18" slot fish(es) would be a nice compromise for us novice flukers

[FINITALIA2]

at least u had some action

[Treebeard]

Good action  Thanks for the report

[twoforhooking]

I hear ya.  I would surely take much less action for larger fish.  Wonder what the size will be next year?

[IrishAyes]

Nice report. I'd like to see them let us have two or three seventeen inch fish and maybe four eighteen and better fish. That way most would have at least two or three to bring home. Expecially if you concentrate on only keeping deep hooked seventeens.

For next year, I see them keeping the size and bag the same and extending the season. Maybe add a week or two on both ends, beginning and end of season. We will have to see what they come up with.