( 2009 Fluke Regulations) ASMFC Meeting Info

[Pfishingruven]

I just sat down and read the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting Minutes from October !

How did NJ exceed their fluke quota??  Unreal...looks like they are trying to blame it on the fact that the states over their quota allow filleting at sea permits and in NJ the 1 fish for bait rule!  I guess that is being directed at PB and Charters??  Funny though, very, very, very few reports came in of boats limiting out...so why would they have to resort to poaching??  I know if I caught my limit every day, I would let it be known.  So, the Captains were lying about catching so that the powers to be would think they weren't catching, when they were really keeping more than the limits and filleting the fish at sea and hiding them!  Ridiculous...

I hate to think what would have happened if everyone who went fluking this season came back with their limits.  Imagine how much the quota would have been over then.  I think someone higher up couldn't add 1+1 and get 2 !

 

[ped579]

Welcome to the logical world of illogical thinkers. 

[ChrisL]

http://www.app.com/article/20081107/SPORTS06/811070355/1017

[IrishAyes]

I started crunching my numbers for the 2008 fluke season.

Total number of keeper fluke caught aboard the Irish Ayes in 2008 = 237.

The total number of keeper fluke caught aboard the Irish Ayes in 2007 = 461.

The 18" limit (1" raise from 2007) cut the keeper catch by just about one half. I know for a fact that a lot of these fish were just over th 18" mark. A lot of our throw backs were between 17" and 18".

We did about the same amount of fluke trips both years.

The people who do all of the calculating have a college education. I think they should demand a refund of their parents money for the lousy education they got. Absolutly no way can their figures on the recreational catch be anywhere near close, yet alone accurate.

[Pfishingruven]

It really doesn't make sense...

Capt Joe...did you record weights on your fish?  That could be another interesting stat.

 

[IrishAyes]

No, I don't do the weights. I do measure every keeper fluke that is brought onboard, just for my records.

It would be too difficult to weigh every fish. Besides, with the inaccuracy of the scales, it would be as good as a guess. 

Last year I totaled up the length of the keepers and came up with 236.125 yards of fluke. That is over two football fields. 

Haven't gotten that far this year with my figures.

[Pfishingruven]

No, I don't do the weights. I do measure every keeper fluke that is brought onboard, just for my records.

It would be too difficult to weigh every fish. Besides, with the inaccuracy of the scales, it would be as good as a guess. 

Last year I totaled up the length of the keepers and came up with 236.125 yards of fluke. That is over two football fields. 

Haven't gotten that far this year with my figures.

I didn't think so...pretty impractical while out there fishing!  I just thought if you had weights it would make it interesting.

That's a lot of fluke in 2007!

Anyone know what the recreational quota in pounds was for 2007 and 2008??

 

[Hotrod]

This is BULLSHIIT!!!!!  Yes I said the S word!!!

I didn't buy a boat to play catch and release 

[kezsr]

no one counted my fluke for the quota for the year or that of friends of mine.no way did we ever come close to our limit per man this year,with the 18 inch size limit a good day for us with 2 to 3 guys on board was to get 5 or 6 nice sized legal fish,the best we did was 13 with 4 on board,no where near a limit per man.talked to some didn't even do that well.i'm with you hotrod this is BS!

[Bucktail]

This is BULLSHIIT!!!!!  Yes I said the S word!!!

I didn't buy a boat to play catch and release 

Ummm...  that's the "B" word.

[Hotrod]

Yea.. I'm about to delete the word sensor script..  just for this thread!!

Who is on this board by the way?

[Pfishingruven]

People who can't add, subtract, multiply or divide.  Like Joe said...they got robbed by whatever college they went to.  Someone obviously wasn't able to do statistics very well!!

Good news is, they are increasing the quota for 2009...bad news is, the overage will be deducted from it.  They don't have official numbers yet.

No where was I able to find the actual recreational quota for NJ.  I know the overall recreational quota for the Atlantic States, I know the Commercial Quota for NJ...which should be 60% of the recreational quota.  However, when I do the math, numbers don't add up and make sense!  Of course, with so many changes at last minute, it is no wonder I can't find it.

 

[IrishAyes]

Will it be a coincident if the overage coinsides with the increase next year? 

Everything they do leaves me suspect that there is a lot of crap going on behind the scene.

[ped579]

Can you say Boston Tea Party...

[kezsr]

another one,this mornings news,still pushing for a salt water license.

[Pfishingruven]

another one,this mornings news,still pushing for a salt water license.

I think that is pretty much a done deal!  They were going to do it no matter how many or how much protesting was done!  They just can't decide who should administer it.  Right now, the NMFS and the ASMFC are slated to be in control of the "Registration" as they are calling it.  Of course, the first year it will be a registration and free...after that it will be a license.  They can call it what they want, but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck...it's a duck!!  If you read the latest plan that they have published, NMFS makes it sound all warm and fuzzy.  Stating that the fishing registration will better account for how many people fish, how much they are catching, etc...and by doing this Regulations could be changed in our favor.  Of course they are making it look like a positive thing for us!

IMO, if they are going to make us pay for a license, I wish it could be state run.  That way I can get 1 fishing license and any stamps I may need and be done.  The State and the Feds can argue over the money.  I know for $32 I get a lot of freshwater fishing priveledges...including several species stockings.  Are there going to be as many priveledges with saltwater??

 

[deathray]

Lets see was out 3 time last season each time with 3 guys and each trip we came home with one keeper and not one keeper that was one keeper each trip.Lets let the commercial guys kill some more fish.

[Salty Dog]

I launch from Keyport.Alot of times,I can get out twice a week,during the week.No weekends.Never had anybody stop and ask to see my catch.Never had enough fish to raise an eye brow out.Where these numbers come from must be a hat.

[catfish hunter]

we landed a couple this year on my boat and only time we got stopped we had 22 in the box the warden was counting for a while  .there are plenty of fish out there and more than enough keepers for all of us

[Great American Fisherman]

In 2007 I had Nine keeper fluke.  One in the ocean and eight in the bay.

In 2008 I had Fifteen keeper fluke.  All in the bay.

I beleive I did better in 2008 because of education.  Listening to the captain and one of his regulars who helped me.  Plus using bigger baits.  I had my sand eels but a shop owner suggested I use smelts and I did.  Smelts with a strip of belly.  Plus making my own rigs.  And all the listening I did.

I think when it was 14 inches and the 16 and the 16.5 we had it was easier to catch and you did not need to be "pro" for lack of a better term.  Now, you need to do your homework.  And you can't get discouraged.  I'm sure I had well over 250 or more shorts in 2008.  But I did not give up, even after a couple of trips with nothing to show for it in mid to late August. 

In 2009 I will try a couple of different boats for personal reasons.  Hopefully I can do better in 2009.