Ken.. Your Beating a dead horse here.. Though I'm all for a great debate... but from here to every site you have Spammed this Crap on. Maybe it's time to...How about we talk.. say Flounder Rigs
If NJ would have been proactive and had a saltwater license in place this year, in addition to the many benefits of a license, there was a chance that our 2010 flounder season could have been May 1- Nov 1 with a 17" fish, 6-8 fish bag limit.
Let me just add that I COMPLETELY understand the desire for the longest season possible! Fact is that it is tough to make money with restrictive bag an size limits, but it is impossible to make money in a given fishery if it is CLOSED!I get it, believe me I do. However, if we can work the Sea Bass season to be open later in Sept., and the Fluke boats can "survive" with a season that encompasses Memorial day to Labor Day, we might (I say might) have a shot at being able to hold off extending the season to its max in Fluke and thereby hedge our bets for the future.As I said before, for the businesses (I am not trying to speak for individuals here, I know what the anglers on our boats want, they want keepers more than more time to throw fish back) they need to determine what they feel their businesses can or cannot survive with. And, only they can decide that. I can give advice, I can tell people what has or has not worked and what has or has not happened before and what possible outcomes/consequences/benefits may come based on experience.What I cannot do is tell them what works best for their business. As I said, only they can decide that and I will respect whatever they (meaning the various business owners) tell me. I might disagree with it, but I respect and understand all the various decisions.I have dealt with this issue for so many years it gets frustrating to have to push for things that may help one group but will inevitably hurt another. Let's face it, since we had to lose our late September/October season a few years back, and with the size limits we are now at the shore guys are basically in a catch and release fishery, period.The southern guys have always wanted their earliest possible season and many have told me the fall "exit" as it was put does not have the same fish available. I do not know, so I have to go by what the "experts" tell me they see in their neck of the woods.It sucks, which is why I have spent so much time and energy with SSFFF the past 3 years. That group is the single reason we are not looking at far more severe cutbacks and /or closures in Fluke, period.Quota had to be our number one concern. Once we get the quota back to a respectable level we need to continue fine tuning the rest of the system as it relates to Fluke.We will continue to fight on all fronts to the best of our ability (we meaning SSFFF, UB and RFA, the ones who have always fought)
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