Wow! It was a good week to be named Sean. Especially if you were going fishing for blackfish out of Cape May. Not one, but two 16-pound-plus fish were caught over the weekend. After this weekend, I think I know what name to take, as a nickname, anyway. Well, congratulations to those two anglers, plus the others who caught legal, but slightly smaller fish. The cold-water run-off from the snow and thawing ice has cooled the water, but maybe, hopefully, the recent catches will signify a positive upswing in our local winter fishery. There is also word of a fisheries science course to pass on, and a report of one angler’s 2017 flounder season re-cap and his thoughts for the future of that fishery. Let’s begin.
The Cape May Lady got out early on Sunday before the football games, but back in time to catch the action. Her anglers also caught some blackfish, even though the fishing was described as “very slow.” Even so, some nice fish were included in the pictures, including one that pushed the scale on the boat to 16.5 pounds. Sean Elumba was the angler who caught the nice double-digit fish. Bergalls also showed up in good numbers to make sure they were represented in the day’s catch. Bergalls inhabit wrecks, rocky areas and pilings. The wrecks and rocks are areas favored by blackfish, so it’s not unusual to catch one species when you catch the other. The final point mentioned about the trip was how nice the weather was. Great weather, some blackfish and being on the ocean in January with a bunch of like-minded fishermen made for a great day.
The Fishin’ Fever also got to the fishing grounds recently and set up on its desired piece of structure. For the anglers’ perseverance they caught some respectable fish, but then were rewarded with their big double-digit tog. Sean Jones was the man, as he landed a 16-pound specimen.
I received a copy of a 2017 Flounder Log from Bucktail Willie. He has tagged over 25,000 fish for the American Littoral Society, and has contributed to the column before. The log gives a month-by-month recap of the flounder catches he experienced. It concludes with a review and a plan to allow for the growth of the flounder population going forward.
After reviewing the information, which covers the back bay areas, the conclusion can be made that the early part of the flounder season is the time to get the largest fish. As the season progresses, the big fish move out. The size of fish being caught drops, with June’s average length being 16.88 inches, while the numbers of fish caught “were good.” The shortest fish were caught in July, with fish averaging 13.86 inches. Interestingly, this is around the time when the bigger fish start to show up at the local reefs. They stay there well into September when the flounder season is ending. Looking more at the back bay/ocean connection link shows that several fish tagged early in the season were re-caught in the ocean in late May and June. This showed that early Spring fluke move offshore during a six- to eight-week stretch.
A few final numbers revealed that the largest fluke caught was 26 inches. Three fish of this size were caught. Overall, 364 fluke were caught, with 322 being tagged. These numbers would have been higher, but Bucktail Willie was not in the water for 6.5 weeks due to engine problems.
Willie (a.k.a. Bill) arrived at a few conclusions based off the catches and patterns. The fish population has been affected by the ongoing beach replenishment projects. This has resulted in fish not being in their regular areas, then showing up in areas that they weren’t previously. Next, 19-inch and larger fish have been shown to be breeding females. Therefore, as few as possible should be kept. He feels this can be accomplished by allowing smaller slot-sized fish to be kept. Two to three fish in the 15- to 18-inch range would allow more large females to remain in the population. Your bag limit would be filled by non-breeding fish. As he pointed out, the initial size for a keeper flounder when size limits were established was 13 inches. The population (based on his data) grew each year except one. When the size limit hit 17.5 inches, the population “flattened.” The population in states with a 19-inch limit has shown a decline “as reported by federal agencies.” The use of split opening dates, with an earlier date in the southern area of the state and a later opening in the north, will also help to grow the population. This is in correlation to the fish’s migratory patterns.
A copy of the report can be found at www.bucktailwillie.com.
I received word of an introductory fisheries science course being offered by Rutgers Cooperative Extension. It is targeting New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fisheries industries stakeholders, and will look at the science and management processes that impact their particular industries.
This will be a seven-week course that meets weekly. It starts Feb. 27 and runs till April 17. Meeting times are 6:30 till 8:30 p.m. and will occur at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County in Toms River. This program will also be available through a live webinar. You can attend in person or from the comfort of your home. Register before Feb. 16 by contacting Kelly Jurgensen at (732) 349-1152 or kjurgensen@co.ocean.nj.us. There is a fee to register.
Topics to be discussed, in the order listed, are: a history and overview of fisheries science; fisheries biology (reproduction, early life, habitat, etc.); oceanography off the New Jersey coast and its impact on fisheries; commercial and recreational fisheries catch data collection; state and federal resource assessment trawl surveys and supplementary surveys of fisheries resources; stock assessment methodology-data-limited and data-rich; and federal and state management processes for New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fisheries. There will not be a class on April 10 due to a Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Montauk, N.Y.
Take care, get out if you can, and I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
