VA Flounder Limit

[BuffaloHunter]

So I just found out today that the Va limits on flounder are 19inches and 5 a day. Looks like Wachapreague in a couple weeks is gonna be tough. Do they expect anyone to actually limit out? What is the final word for MD? 20inches? a 19inch flounder is damn near 3lbs.

[brad regan 01]

Brian i think md is 17 1/2 now 3 per person. someone correct me if i am wrong

[BYRD]

Limiting out won't be a problem in the middle of the summer. A 19 inch flounder limit does however pretty much cut out fishing near the shore and in creeks and such.

[Guatemala Dave]

They don't expect you to limit out, THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO LIMIT OUT. There may not be a season in 2009 on the entire East Coast.

Save the Summer Flounder Fishery before the enviro-terrorists shut it down check out

www.ssfff.net

[BuffaloHunter]

No Doubt it's much easier to catch a 19inch fish on the wrecks during summer on live spot and mullet. I think though early season fisheries like Wachapreague are going to see a decrease in the amount of fishermen making the trip down from PA and Ohio like many guys do.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

No Doubt it's much easier to catch a 19inch fish on the wrecks during summer on live spot and mullet. I think though early season fisheries like Wachapreague are going to see a decrease in the amount of fishermen making the trip down from PA and Ohio like many guys do.

The early season at Wachapreague will be the only shot at a limit there with those size restrictions. There will be big fish staging there any day now on the channel edges next to the large mudflats. Year before last a buddy and I caught a limit of large fish on March 6th, 11 fish over 5 pounds. The charter operations are gonna suffer from those limits in the summertime. The restrictions would make much more sense if the draggers weren't allowed the huge bycatches of shorts. I just don't get why the recs take a lick every year and the draggers get away with rape.
Holwachagot

[hubris 1]

if you say there will not be a season.....ok, i can live with that for a while. its sort of like the stripers but it seems the same guys that manage social security manage fisheries. they always screw up, in fact here in new jersey i think they let guys take to many stripers. you cant possibly eat three of them. but my question.......will the draggers or netters what ever they are also have to stop or just the rec guys? because if they can still fish, what difference does it make what size limit they have. they just dont want anyone with a pole to fish for them.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

if you say there will not be a season.....ok, i can live with that for a while. its sort of like the stripers but it seems the same guys that manage social security manage fisheries. they always screw up, in fact here in new jersey i think they let guys take to many stripers. you cant possibly eat three of them. but my question.......will the draggers or netters what ever they are also have to stop or just the rec guys? because if they can still fish, what difference does it make what size limit they have. they just dont want anyone with a pole to fish for them.

AMEN! The pole benders could never hurt the population! The recs(pole benders) do not even come close to taking the amount of fish all season that the draggers do in a week. Not to mention the destruction to the seafloor the draggers cause. The fox is guarding the henhouse.
Holwachagot

[hubris 1]

you know what, i think in fishing we all need to take a little responsibility. i mean i think marlin tournaments should not kill, but thats a different day. you cant always blame the commercial guy for the decimation of a fish population. BUT YOU SURE CAN WITH FLOUNDER! i mean, how can party boats and a guy in his own boat that has been abiding by the rules for all these years, be the cause? they couldnt possibly do the damage with the regulations. sometimes i think you die when your 80 because you just cant take it anymore. this will put all the innocent guys out of business and continue to allow the wrong guys to harvest. what a shame.

[BuffaloHunter]

you know what, i think in fishing we all need to take a little responsibility. i mean i think marlin tournaments should not kill, but thats a different day. you cant always blame the commercial guy for the decimation of a fish population. BUT YOU SURE CAN WITH FLOUNDER! i mean, how can party boats and a guy in his own boat that has been abiding by the rules for all these years, be the cause? they couldnt possibly do the damage with the regulations. sometimes i think you die when your 80 because you just cant take it anymore. this will put all the innocent guys out of business and continue to allow the wrong guys to harvest. what a shame.

I think we need to do a better job of keeping up with how are elected officials are voting and whose side their on. You're right on with the responsibility thing. I still don't believe politicians realize just how huge a part the recreational fisherman is to our economy. We spend tons and tons of money on everything from what seems like the 100 different licenses and permits we need to plane tickets and hotel rooms, and don't forget GA$ and DIE$SEL. It has to be in the billions every year. As we all know flounder is just one of the many victims of neglegent managment (International Bluefin Tuna Stocks...WOW) We need to realize that healthy stocks are in the best interests of the commercial guys too because after all that's how they make their living. But they're an awful lot of charter captains that are probably fuming about all this too. I can think of a couple right here in OC for sure. What we need are politicians who are as nuts about fishing and all this as we are, who knows.