Public Scoping Hearings on summer flounder, scup and black sea bass are being held from 6-8 p.m. today in the Belmar Municipal Court at 601 Main St., and tomorrow at the Galloway Township Library in Manahawkin.

Allocations are among the issues to be discussed. While that appears to be mainly about shifting some commercial quota from N.J. to N.Y., the possibility of cutting into recreational quota always exists.

Though I fought to get a summer flounder management plan underway as a member of the original Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, along with the late Bill Feinberg of Asbury Park and Eliot Goldman from Pa., most of the members at that time were more concerned with surf clams and looked at fluke as an inshore species which could be left to the ASMFC.  They weren’t even aware that fluke stocks were being decimated by large draggers on their offshore spawning grounds.

Fluke had been so abundant decades ago that there was no size or bag limit. Even commercial fishermen only had a very small minimum for sale. The imposition of a 14-inch minimum in N.Y. gained quick support as it was imposed not for conservation, but to spread out the catch to last all summer.

Summer flounder made it through the foreign fishing disaster in good shape as those fleets weren’t interested in them — and the State Dept. had an informal agreement with foreign fleets  to stay out of the offshore fluke spawning area.

Prior to regulation, NOAA Fisheries put together a study referred to as The United States Marine Fisheries Resource — Marmap Contribution No. I — March 1974. It concluded  that anglers in 1970 caught 39 million pounds of summer flounder that was nearly seven times the commercial landings.

Yet, the NOAA Fisheries study was ignored when the Council came out with their plan, and the public ended up with just 40 percent of the quota. I was off the Council at that time, and those preparing the plan selected landings from a year when big trawlers destroyed the spawning fluke offshore — leaving little for hook-and-line and traditional small draggers to catch inshore.

How that distortion got through is hard to comprehend, but funny things happen behind closed doors. The result has been high minimum lengths, small bag limits and short seasons for anglers and economic losses for party boats, tackle shops and all the others dependent on angling expenditures.  It’s long overdue to right that wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see further erosion of the public’s share of the fishery.

One more calm day is coming up, as the marine forecast is for just 5 knot southeast winds in the morning before  it switches to the east in the afternoon and light rain becomes more likely.

 

 

The marine weather forecast looks good again for Monday with south winds at just 10-15 knots. The Ocean Explorer from Belmar found a lively bottom with lots of bergall and eel bites along with a few ling. pollock and blackfish. A 6-pound tog took the pool, but didn’t come close to the seasonal pool leader that’s worth over $6000.

There will be a scoping hearing on possible allocation changes for summer flounder, scup and sea bass at the Belmar Courthouse from 6-8 p.m. tomorrow. I’ll have details in an early blog tomorrow.

 

Today was a pretty good one for late February, and nice fishing weather continues tomorrow. The marine forecast is for only southwest winds at 10-15 knots with 2-to-3-foot seas. Furthermore, after an increase in wind tomorrow evening, it’s right back to mild southwest winds of 5-10 knots on Monday.

John De Bona of The Fisherman reports the Philadelphia Fishing Show has been following up its first successful run last  year in similar fashion. It concludes tomorrow at  in the Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, Pa.

The World Fishing & Outdoors Expo will run from Feb. 27 to March 1 in the Rockland Community College Field House in Suffern, New York.  I’ll have more about that big annual event during the week.

 

Chuck Manny couldn’t hook a trophy striper from his Ty Man out of Cape Charles this week, but he did release schoolies two at a time. That brought Ty Man  up to over 1500 striper releases from last March to this February between N.J. and Virginia. Not a bad year on a stock that’s far from its peak!

The Ocean Explorer didn’t sail from Belmar today as it was windy and the ocean was lumpy. However, they did have a few keeper tog Thursday in good conditions when about 20 short tog and a 15-pound class cod were also caught. They will be sailing through next Friday when the seasonal pool will be settled.

The marine forecast looks fishable  with west winds at 15-20 knots tomorrow — and great Sunday with west winds only around 10 knots.

The Jamaica from Brielle sails to the far offshore wrecks at 1 a.m.  Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The Philadelphia Fishing Show runs through Sunday at the Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. There are many seminars sponsored by The Fisherman magazine.

Capt. Vinny Vetere says he will be selling his Ho-Jos and bunker spoons  at a big fishing flea market on Long Island in Bnai Torah, 290 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh. The show runs from 9-3, and info is available by calling 917 312-0506.

The Atlantic City Boat Show will run from Feb. 26 to March  in the Convention Center.

 

Paul Haertel of the JCAA was at this week’s bluefish scoping hearing, and said the one thing everyone seemed to agree on was there should be a 10-year rebuilding period in order to avoid even more restrictive regulations than we’re now facing.

That particularly makes sense with a species such as the bluefish which has been very cyclical over the ages. As I’ve noted before, there were virtually no adult blues when I was growing up on Long Island  — though there were snappers every summer to be caught with my bamboo pole from docks in Merrick during the 1940s.

The adults eventually returned, and we’ve had them ever since. The present scarcity doesn’t seem as bad from my point of view in comparison to my youth.   After the early May run of big blues in Manasquan River had been a flop the previous year, they were back in force last spring though, fishing was tough after that — and almost a complete zero in Raritan Bay. Just as with weakfish, I wouldn’t be surprised to see either a rebound this year — or even worse bluefishing.

The ASMFC also got plenty of flack about the unauthorized transfer of recreational bluefish quota to commercial fishermen instead of leaving it unused for conservation. They indicated that much of that transferred quota may not have been used — and are supposed to come up with an accounting.

The comment period is open to March 17. E-mail to mseeley@asmfc.org

After a calm day, small craft warnings are back up through Friday morning. North winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25 may be accompanied by light freezing rain in the morning.

The Jamaica from Brielle will be sailing to far offshore wrecks at 1 a.m. Saturday for jumbo porgies, cod, pollock and hake.  Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

Small craft warnings are going down at 6 p.m. — leading to what appears to be a perfect mid-winter forecast tomorrow. Northwest winds of only 10 knots are predicted with 2-3-foot seas.  Couple that with mild temperatures and it doesn’t get any better than that in February.

Tomorrow will be the last day for the  Southern area Angling category giant tuna (73 inches up) Trophy fish which can be landed , but not sold. That closes at 11:30 p.m. for the rest of the year.  That area runs from Little Egg Harbor south.

Crazy Alberto Knie will be featured at Saturday’s Surf day in Brookdale Community College with a discussion on the similarities and differences in habits of big fish.

The  Philadelphia Fishing Show runs from Friday through Sunday in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. There are over 300 booths in that show which also features many seminars. Admission is $10 for adults, while kids 6-2 pay $5, and those 5 and under are admitted free.

A bluefish scoping hearing is being held from 6-8 this evening in the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave., Toms River — Room 119. This hearing involves possible changes in the Bluefish Management Plan, including a change in recreational and commercial shares.

Though that plan was a good one, it was abused by the regulatory agencies which transferred so-called unused rec quota, due to almost all of the catch being released, to commercial fishermen despite any authority in the plan to do so — and in the face of a declining resource. The net result is the 3-bluefish rec limit this year, if there are any blues to be caught. That rule is in place, and isn’t within the scope of tonight’s discussion. I’ll have more about this tomorrow.

Capt. Al Crudele said blackfishing Sunday on his Bayhound out of Sea Isle City wasn’t as good as it has been during a windy morning, but his three anglers combined for 8 or 9 plus a dozen ling and some large bergalls.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar had an almost flat calm and mild Monday that produced decent blackfishing.  The high hook had three keeper pollock, and a few managed two tog. There were also a few ling and small cod.

Phil Fischer got out from Highlands to 17 Fathoms for cod, a few ling and big tog.

Small craft warnings are up through Wednesday evening. Tomorrow starts with northwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25.

 

 

 

Good weather doesn’t last long in the winter. Small craft warnings will be posted at 3 a.m. for southeast winds of 15-20 knots plus gusts to 30. That drops off in the afternoon to 10-15 knots south, but with rain.

Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that winter blackfishing has been holding up offshore with the Ocean Explorer bringing in tog up to 8 pounds. . He’s satisfied with the new regs for stripers of one at 28 to 38 inches  to take pressure off the big breeders, but says it will be tough on the trollers who catch mostly big bass. over 38 inches.

The Ocean Explorer got out Sunday but ran into a big swell about a mile out and couldn’t get to the deeper waters they wanted to fish. Yet, they did have one fare with a blackfish limit and also caught some ling and small cod.

Ric Gross of Point Pleasant reported good bottom fishing in 78-degree waters off Boynton Beach, Fl. yesterday for porgies and triggerfish, though trolling was slow.

It’s not the greatest marine forecast, but President’s Day may be fishable — and southwest winds have pushed temperatures back up.

Today’s southwest wind drops to 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 by morning — and down to 5-10 by afternoon.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar reported lots of life on the bottom during Saturday’s blackfish trip which produced a couple of legal tog for two fares and one for some others. A few big tog were broken off. The seasonal pool is over $5,000

Capt. Kenny Namowitz reports a “go” tomorrow on his open trip with Mimi VI from Point Pleasant.  He’s fishing for blackfish at 7 a.m. on a limited trip for $8o. Make a reservation by calling 732 370-8019. He’s also sailing open on similar trips Saturday and Sunday.

Sorry for noting the SWABC flea market on the wrong day. I had it listed in my book for Sunday.

The Salt Water Angers of Bergen County will be running their big Fishing Flea Market on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Hasbrouck Heights Hilton at 650 Terrace Ave.

The New Jersey Boat Sale & Expo concludes tomorrow in the N.J. Convention Hall at Edison.

Today was the coldest day of the year, but it’s warming up. However, that warming is coming from a switch to southwest winds. gusting to 25 knots tonight. After a calm day, the forecast for Sunday that was noted here last night as light winds will instead be southwest at 15-20 knots before dropping to 10-15 in the afternoon.  Now it’s Monday that looks good with just 5-10 knots west.