Bye Bye Fall flounder fishing

nc rabbit hunter

Guest
Better enjoy it, as of 2016 no flounder for us recs Oct 16-Jan 1.
 

downeastnc

Old Mossy Horns
Heck I have to throw them all back anyways since none of them are ever over 15".........heck most are not over 13". Over the last 10 year so I have seen the number of keepers I catch go down and now when we take a week on the river every summer we are lucky if out of 75-100 flounder we might catch if we can keep 6-10 of them. If this will up the number of bigger flounder and make the fishery stronger I am all for it.
 

Jaimes

Four Pointer
Try being a commercial fishermen!
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Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
If it helps the Flounder recover I'm all for the closure. Most of what we catch now anywhere we fish are just to small to keep..
 

Castle Oak

Guest
Yep, I'm sure recreational anglers are the reason for the decline. Idiots.
 

NickP

Ten Pointer
Either way we're better off that there has been a change in the right direction. I get that the commercial guys have been doing it a while and it may be all these guys know. But at some point we gotta recognize that if nothing's done well soon have no fishery. When I moved here 8 years ago the fishery was no where near it is now. I could go out and catch my limit in a couple hrs. Now I'm lucky to catch 1 a weekend
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
The only Flounder we ever catch now are short ones, even the places we used to catch them they are no longer there in size..I haven't been gigging getting too old to go and no one to go with but the Wife, and she don't like boating at night..
 

Buckshot00

Guest
Let the flatties recover then there will be more for everyone.
 

CarolinaWildlife

Ten Pointer
The 14 inch rule for commercial fishermen and the 15 inch rule for the rec fishermen was as backwards as it could be. Now they are closing it for everyone and that may be what's needed for a season or two...but look at what they've done to the red drum.
There is no shortage of red drum and their efforts have worked, but they have not reduced the restrictions. Once the gov takes away...they are a long time hard pressed to give it back.

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Downeast

Downeast

Twelve Pointer
It took years for the red drum to recover. Open the commercial season on them and they will be gone in 3 years. It's the nature of the game. The commercial fishing industry is based on take. When it comes to the resource nothing is put back and nothing is invested. Most management and restoration costs are paid for by the recreational fishermen. As far as I know, there is no tax on commercial gear, fuel, nets, trawls, etc., that goes directly to manage the resource.
 

nc rabbit hunter

Guest
It will likely never open again.The recs took very little of total catch. Once they close it they will claim to have to do years of study to before they open it.
 

Huntress

Guest
My DH and I actually caught a lot of nice keepers, not gigging, just fishing. From what we were told though the numbers were way, way down from previous years though .. This is our second year there. So yeah ..Hopefully this will allow time for flounder to recover.

 

CarolinaWildlife

Ten Pointer
The rule now reads that flounder that are caught in the ocean are legal to keep. Flounder in the inlets and sound are off limits during the closure.

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BriarHound

Six Pointer
We caught our limit this past Sunday on a charter out of Bogue Inlet about 9 miles out. The Captain said that they wouldn't normally be that close in but due to the higher water temps. they where.
 
Mr.Gadget

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
R) Season open January 1 – October 15.

▲:Size and creel limits for spotted seatrout, flounder, red drum and gray trout taken in inland waters are the same as the recreational limits for those species in adjacent joint and coastal waters



This is what they posted for flounder in the fall......

Closed season.
 
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bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
CarolinaWildlife said:
The rule now reads that flounder that are caught in the ocean are legal to keep. Flounder in the inlets and sound are off limits during the closure.

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Click to expand...

Wonder what they are going to use to determine where the inlet stops and the ocean begins? Colregs demarcation line or where?


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bhodges93

Guest
I’m originally from ocean city maryland area and they do not allow gigging but there are plenty of commercial net boats and our fishery is fine people don’t realize that rec fisherman catch more than you think
 

workennels

Eight Pointer
bhodges93 said:
I’m originally from ocean city maryland area and they do not allow gigging but there are plenty of commercial net boats and our fishery is fine people don’t realize that rec fisherman catch more than you think
Click to expand...

Maryland commercials in 2013 caught about 100,000lbs of flounder, last year in NC commercials sold 1.7 million lbs of flounder
 
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