Brian,
I have to agree with Whatever! The fluking has been going downhill big time in the Stonington area of Connecticut. Since I am commercial, I have to keep fish logs. For the past couple of years my fluke poundage kept has been decreasing with each passing year. Since I am a pin fisherman, I do not keep 14 inch fluke even though it would be legal for me to do so. Unless a fluke gets hooked deep (bleeding all over the place) or is at least 16 inches, he goes over the side. The problem with the area I am in is that I have to fish in wake of draggers. These big commercial boats leave the Stonington docks typically several hours before sunup. Since fuel is expensive, they set their drag out just as soon as they clear the Stonington breakwater. Not only are they a fish vacuum cleaner, but their nets muddy up the entire area such that even the fluke they miss would have a hard time finding /seeing my bait. Since I scup fish, I too am out there just before sunup as well. I have to watch closely the lights on the draggers to see what course they take after clearing the breakwater. Only after seeing how many draggers come out, and just what part of the ocean they messed up, can I make a decision if it would be worth it for me to even try for fluke. I am hopeful this year things just might end up for the better as the cost of fuel is keeping many of the big guys in port. Let me change the subject somewhat but I believe things are going to improve drastically for just about all ground fish this year. DEP just cut back the allowable scup landings to 1000 pounds. Last week the price paid for scup by the wholesalers was 36 cents per pound. If scup were the only fish being targeted, then they cannot leave port when they are looking at only $360 for a day's work. Starting May 1, they will only be allowed 50 pounds so even if the price of scup rose to $2.50 a pound, this particular fish will become a non issue for them. I am anticipating a great season this year for us since it will only take a few bad fish days for the draggers to start to realize they just might be in the wrong business. Severe regulations/limits on fish, and out of sight fuel prices are going to force many out. More and more captains cannot make ends meet any longer and so you can see their boats tied up to the pier when normally they should be out fishing. The only thing still in their favor is the wholesale price of fish is going to skyrocket as well. Right now they are targeting Black Sea Bass because the local retail fish markets are getting $15 per pound for fillets, however, if it climbs much higher in price, the demand will drop off as nobody would want to pay such a steep price for fish. Just maybe, what our environmental regulatory fish boards have allowed the draggers to do in the pursuit of their trade, has finally come home to roost (combined with the high cost of fuel.) It is a business driven by profit; take away the profit and the business fails! |