Updated Fluke Proposals

[Skolmann]

FLUKE NEWS: The fluke options listed yesterday as being presented to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) were wrong. I talked to Tom McCloy of the Division of Fish and Game at the ASMFC meeting in Alexandria, Va. to get the following options:
17 1/2 inches - 8 fish - July 4 to Sept. 2
17 1/2 inches - 2 fish -- June 28 to Sept. 8
18 inches - 8 fish - May 24 to Sept. 7
18 1/2 inches - 8 fish - May 17 to Oct. 6

[Hotrod]

What is our season now?

[IrishAyes]

Last year's season was closer to the third option.  May 26 - Sept. 10

The option for this year with the closest season is an inch larger fish.

No matter how you slice it, it stinks.  No need for these horrible regulations.  There are more fish out there now than there has been in many, many years.

[mboy]

Should make it 18" 4 fish, no closed season based on what is listed there.

Ideal would be 17 1/2  4 fish, no closed season.

[IrishAyes]

From what I remember last year...the powers to be claim that anything given over a 2 fish limit would not make a difference in the catch.  In other words, if the limit was 4 fish or 104 four fish, the average trip only produces 2 fish.  Therefore, the number of fish allowed would not make a dent in the final poundage tally.

I know for a fact that last year, my trips keeper size average came out to 18 1/2".  The bag average was close to 8 fish (7.8999 or something like that).  These figures are with an typical crew of 5 guys.
The numbers I am using came from last years log.  I had 60 trips with 461 keepers.  I also note the size of every keeper fish on the boat every trip.

[Luna Sea 5]

lets see...

[miller-time]

We limited out every time last year. The 18" limit is fine with me. We throw most of them back anyway.

[CapBob]

We limited out every time last year. The 18" limit is fine with me. We throw most of them back anyway.

How many times did you fish, and how many guys?? Once, Twice?? 

We had some of the best Fluke fishing ever, and the average was 4.67 keepers per guy at the end of the year.  And I had several trips with some real serious fishermen.

Not saying that there were no limits, but you could count on two hand the number of trips that limited out 3-6 anglers a trip.

[mgm]

I made about 15 trips last year with a boat that averaged 12 fishermen per trip.

The highest keeper total of any fisherman was 6.

Plenty of shorts....I hope they grew this year.