Proof The System Is Broken - We killed 3x the fluke we took home

george

george

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🎣 Fluke Catch & Release Reality Check: By the Numbers 🎣

Here’s what a typical summer weekend looked like for just one popular fluke spot south of Jones Inlet.

Our Boat (3 anglers)​

  • Total Released: 100
  • Kept (legal limit): 4
  • Died from Release Mortality: 11

All Party Boats in Area (290 anglers, 5 trips)​

  • Total Released: 7,250
  • Kept (legal limit): 290
  • Died from Release Mortality: 797

Private Boats (200 additional anglers)​

  • Total Released: 7,000
  • Kept (legal limit): 280
  • Died from Release Mortality: 770

Grand Total: One Day, One Area​

  • Total Fluke Released: 14,350
  • Total Fluke Kept: 574
  • Fluke That Died from Release Mortality: 1,579 (Nearly 3x as many as were legally kept!)
🚨 Key Takeaway: For every fluke you put in your cooler, almost three more die after release—even with careful handling and good intentions.

Share this if you care about the future of our fishery.
Let’s start the conversation: How can we all do better for the fish—and each other?
 
Last edited:
Allow us to take the first 3 or 4 fish you catch of your mchoice and want to keep so you have the chance for a trophy if you want or switch over to target another species and stop catching and releasing fish that may die 👍
 
Chinacat said:
Allow us to take the first 3 or 4 fish you catch of your mchoice and want to keep so you have the chance for a trophy if you want or switch over to target another species and stop catching and releasing fish that may die 👍
Click to expand...
Then I'll never leave the bay! Keep my first 3 14" fish and go home! Love it!

Will that apply to shore based anglers as well? I see buckets full of 10" scup!!

Lol
 
My suggestion which would be impossible to enforce would be to give each rec entry into the quota. They would need to report their catch at the end of the trip similar to bluefin tuna.

16"minimum size. 5fish per person. Once the fluke quota is reached, it get shut down whether its july or September.
 
Here's a question for you guys . . . Why are we targeting the older fish when a female over 25 inches produces 4-million eggs while smaller fish produce between 250-500k? Don't we save the larger striped bass because of their reproductive abundance at older ages?

Yet commercially they're taken at 14-inches! And somehow we look at this and say "maybe we can save the fishery by regulating the recs"

It's Nauseating.
 
george said:
Here's a question for you guys . . . Why are we targeting the older fish when a female over 25 inches produces 4-million eggs while smaller fish produce between 250-500k? Don't we save the larger striped bass because of their reproductive abundance at older ages?

Yet commercially they're taken at 14-inches! And somehow we look at this and say "maybe we can save the fishery by regulating the recs"

It's Nauseating.
Click to expand...
If actual science ruled the regulations, then, IMHO, we should have a slot limit for Fluke as well to protect the larger and most successful spawning fish.

However, the slot would have to allow us to take 18" fish so we could sat least be reasonably assured of going home with something to eat after all the time, effort and money invested. Four fish at 18-23" sounds good to me.
 
george said:
View attachment 104539

🎣 Fluke Catch & Release Reality Check: By the Numbers 🎣

Here’s what a typical summer weekend looked like for just one popular fluke spot south of Jones Inlet.

Our Boat (3 anglers)​

  • Total Released: 100
  • Kept (legal limit): 4
  • Died from Release Mortality: 11

All Party Boats in Area (290 anglers, 5 trips)​

  • Total Released: 7,250
  • Kept (legal limit): 290
  • Died from Release Mortality: 797

Private Boats (200 additional anglers)​

  • Total Released: 7,000
  • Kept (legal limit): 280
  • Died from Release Mortality: 770

Grand Total: One Day, One Area​

  • Total Fluke Released: 14,350
  • Total Fluke Kept: 574
  • Fluke That Died from Release Mortality: 1,579 (Nearly 3x as many as were legally kept!)
🚨 Key Takeaway: For every fluke you put in your cooler, almost three more die after release—even with careful handling and good intentions.

Share this if you care about the future of our fishery.
Let’s start the conversation: How can we all do better for the fish—and each other?
Click to expand...

Accurate numbers rely on accurate sampling. Assuming every boat in a given area had the same results is highly inaccurate.

The discussion can begin once the season ends and we can assess several criteria: Days fished, fish kept, fish released, etc, etc

Can't jump to conclusions......yet.
 
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