Caught My Fluke Limit, But Are Commercial Draggers Hurting the Fishing?
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- I caught a limit of Summer Flounder (Fluke) by fishing under the birds, bait, and bluefish. Supports my new book, Fishing the Edge - Techniques and Tales from Surf, Boat, and Kayak: amzn.to/3TQtFvq.
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The problem is all the fish that come up after dragging and their limit go back dead. I have friends who have worked these boats and that's what they have told me. Damage is definitely being done but it seems the recreational and for hire fisherman always pay the price of the other guy.
Can’t believe dragging is still legal. Definitely having a effect. But they always restrict the rod and reel guy instead
I have fished off NJ for decades. This is the WORST season I have ever seen. Last year was hard weeding through small fish for an occasional keeper. This year there aren't even a lot of small fish to weed out! Granted, the weather has been an issue with a persistent southerly wind driving cold water inshore, draggers ,'mowing the lawn " almost daily though have destroyed the bottom and the fishing.
As a scuba diver / fisherman, this subject hits close to home. I have dove @120’ and when you come to where a dragger came through it’s like walking in a forest and then coming to the edge of a desert with NO LIFE, not even an empty shell.
Of course they ruin the fishing, they have been for decades now.
Draggers destroy fisheries. I don't care what anybody says.
Trawlers in the sound is why NC has a two week flounder season. Trawlers need to be a mile offshore....period.
So true, unbelievable that they're able to work inside in NC
In NC , bad data ,bad laws ,and big preference to the commercial guys has really hurt us recreational fishermen. We didn't even have a spring season at all. A lot of guys getting tired of it. If they don't change , I suspect the so called "laws" will be ignored by many. This year ,I'm taking my dollars to SC, where the rec fisherman gets a fair shake.
Totally agree.
Its happening here in sc to . Commercial gets all
Someone has to do something
With today's regulations, I don't think draggers are decimating the flounder population thru catching. I think the draggers are destroying the bottom structure. Once the structure is damaged there's nowhere for the bait to hide, without bait the flounder won't come around
I belive the draggers and the gill-netters take the majority of the fish stock. I have seen the gill-netters take a whole stock of bluefish off the Jersey coast
Commercial fishing shit needs to shut down
I hate the commercial draggers they destroy the bottom killing millions of fish every year. However, i also dont like people who go out and catch a limit every time they fish and keep fish they dont need. Catch them responsibly🙏 you dont need 3 keeper fluke every time you fish
yup, destroying the bottom is the thing that most people don't talk about.
John, I believe everyone has a right to make a living, however I also believe commercial ventures should not be able to fish inside the 3 mile line. That's my 2 Pennies in the topic !
everyone has the right to earn a living unless/until they are damaging the resource. The resource belongs to all of us.
@@jjm4643 fractionally it does, yes.
Draggers are absolutely to blame for the decline of Fluke in Long Island sound. Terrible
Ny needs a congressman in its pockets instead of the commercial fishermen.......I've seen flounder in fishing markets only 8 inches long ..they take or kill everything
John , 1960's and 70's fluke , winter flounder were plentiful , even salmon in the sound .
What killed these bottom dwellers were all the draggers off south shore . Why is it we never learn from our mistakes
There is one way to see if the draggers have an impact, Block off several miles of water straight out to the open sea for several years. If the fishing stays the same then it's not the draggers, But, I'm guessing it's the draggers.
Everyone agrees its the draggers.... Same story with the Atlantic highlands
Bycatch and shorts dead, fed to the sharks
They destroyed it in Virginia and North Carolina
We had a saying when spotting a dragger "bring all tubes to bare" Yeah they have to make a living too but ask yourself this "when have you ever seen a fluke in a fish store" (I have never) Where is their catch going??
we used to fish Long Island for fluke on opening day for years. they always opened a week before CT back then. One opener we slammed the fluke ! Great trip ! we went back a few days later to same spot and caught nothing. we seen a older gentleman who we seen on the opener and asked him if he was having any luck. he said "the f*****g draggers were here yesterday.. enough said. I hate to take away anyone's way of living, commercial fishing is hard work. But with today's technology they are doing a number of fish stocks IMO. Too much waste with draggers.
The fluke fishing all around port Jefferson has been terrible this year. I've gone out all day with no keepers. So something causing the decline.
The draggers should have crazy restrictions also...... Man Delaware is 16" and 4 per person all year
I have seen, in southern New Jersey, a huge decrease in fish from when I was a kid in the early 60s. The last 30 years of flounder fishing has been up and down (AKA good years and bad). I think the recent regs in NJ are making a difference but time will tell. Overfishing is definitely an issue but I believe it goes right with over populated areas like the northeast. The demand for fish is hurting the fishing for sure.
What’s up Rob hopefully you’re retired from Campbells and don’t have to worry about that mess of a place anymore. 😂 I’ve been fishing out of Wildwood every summer early June and it’s usually slow or nothing. This year we all caught multiple fluke but all shorts. Had one nice keeper in about 60 ft of water off the cape may reef but got off at the net. The trips I take to Obx every summer is like night and day the amount of fish I catch there compared to NJ. Plus the variety of what you can catch from the shore in NC is really amazing.
@@timolean5846 in OC NJ May and early June are the best flounder fishing in back bay. Shallow water under 20 ft usually. Water temps in the 60s. After that they move. Missed out on some of this this year but still have over 10 keepers with a ton of throw backs. All on minnows but one on gulp. And yes I am retired and it's fantastic.
@@robtopham6095 yeah we mostly fished the back bays with killies and gulp. Water was 67 at cape May reef probably should had chummed and targeted sea bass. Don’t get to go too often it’s usually just a handful of times a year in NJ. But in comparison Obx seems easier and more consistent. I’ve always thought that north shore that skinner fishes as one of the best fisheries on the east coast. Northern jersey seems to be a little better than south or maybe it’s just imo?
@@timolean5846 Agreed OBX , Long Island sound and north jersey's fisheries are better BUT I was out yesterday's high tire and today's high tide and caught 17",19" yesterday and 20" today. If you put your time in you will find them. Not limiting like Jon but who does!
@@timolean5846 North NJ is superior to the south NJ for most of the season. Deeper waters near the coast and the bigger fish hold inside inlets past labor day. South NJ is more shallow sandy waters with tons of wetlands.
As a beach fisherman when the draggers went by the fishing stopped.
I think dragging for fish should be banned
I live in Virginia where they allow commercial bunker fishing. Massive ships clear out the bay and it makes a clear difference when they’re not out there.
I fish Port Jefferson Long Island
After the mf dragger goes through it’s like the dead zone
You’re better at this than I am, so I’m gonna put it to you this way, my experience of many years of fluke fishing. When I go out for offshore, I’ve noticed on many occasions draggers that have left a 2 mile long, slick of dead fluke they were under the size limit they just dump them off, with that being said, they are ruining the flu population because they can fish at times that we can’t so they dragging up all the food during the migration from Oshua to insure before the season even opens for you. This is not fair that should be stopped immediately.
@@myronchamberlain7734 that is not the point they kill fish and just waste them and throw them away. If they’re not the size limit they’re allowed to keep that is slaughtering millions of fluke do you understand now
6:06 if the commercial staggers are not the ultimate cause in the drop of fluke, adding to a drop in specific areas is still not justifiable.
Cannot stand the draggers ruined a lot of good fishing spots around me.
Not really happy about the draggers cause everything they pull in dies regardless of size. I believe its effected the Fluke fishing for the recreational fisherman and damaged the Fluke stocks.
Absolutely. As an off shore deck hand I can tell you the damage is devastating.
Stop the draggers for a couple of years and watch how good the fishing becomes. They shouldn't be allowed that close to shore at least the 3 mile line
That first blue are all those sand eels and was still trying to eat?
I fish the inner coastal of NC. We are the only state in the SE that allows inshore dragging, and are restricted to a 2 week season. I don’t think there is any other conclusion that can be made about the damage of the commercial dragging. I can throw a cast net without bringing juvenile flounder, I could imagine how many are killed when a net is drug over their habitat. It’s no different than deforestation and wondering where the animals went after their habitat is removed.
@John...don't know when's the last time you went to a fish market but I went last week and the things they're allowed to sell are insane. I saw porgies barely 6"....I'll leave it there.
Stop n shop in CT today I saw lots of fluke filets that obviously came from 12” fish
draggers are destroying the fisheries.....i will never believe that indiscriminate bottom dragging and killing everything in your path is somehow good for the environment and our fisheries. Won't happen but I believe drag net fishing should be banned. Lot of place rod and reel commercial fish and commercial spear fish and if grocery stores need fish companies can farm fish like they do all the other meat available there.
I guess those draggers don't believe in mufflers !
Draggers catch everything in their nets and if it’s in or out of season theirs tons of by product thrown over the rail or they get fine for keep it the only ones that pay the price is recreational fishman and biologist blame us by putting slot limits and restrictions on the amount of fish we keep Bottom line we don’t make the state enough money like the commercial fishermen do and I only keep what I can eat that day .99% of the time I release everything for some one else to have fun . the fishing all around has gone down in the past 10 to 20 years because they changed the regulations on commercial fishing
For an example When I was a kid American shad fishing was big on Delaware and Hudson rivers today it’s barely excises on the Delaware and it’s been closed on the Hudson for decades so is there a impact on a few netters or draggers you better believe it just a few can destroy a bay and a fisherary in a few seasons
draggers should have to stay out of the bays. I fish Raritan bay often and the draggers are dropping nets as they go through the channels. it just isn't right!
I’ve reached my limit with a Dragger’s. Now they’re actually driving their nets all the way up into Niantic bay.
I'm on the Thames river side and I'm over it. fishing is awful around us now.
NC still allows commercial flounder draggers and went over by 25,000 lbs. now we have no recreational season. I guess I’ll be heading up north soon for the flatties
At what point do laws become unjust and get broken. How is it fair that commercial fishing wipes out your recreational season
I fish out of moriches and this season has been terrible. Ive scoured the bay from east to west all the usual channels and sand bars special holes you name it have no fish on them. Not saying you can't catch them but it definetly seems like there is less fish around. Also everytime I'm out starting in March early April there are big commercial boats right off shore out the inlet. I want to believe it's because the temperatures aren't where they need to be just yet but look at the comments everyone's saying it maybe it's time to advocate and get some answers.
Hey John big fan buddy I think the draggers get paid and so do we with less fish in the area and bigger size for us to keep I hate them tell you the truth 😉 keep up the great work your friend Mike from nj 👍
There is zero enforcement for the commercial draggers. The limits mean nothing and their bycatch is just as dead as the stuff they land.
Why can't they fish rod and reel like everyone else
Your silly
last year there was a dragger that left 2 miles of dead porgy's from by-catch. I took pictures and videos and reported to DEEP, who told me "well, it's very unfortunate he did that, but we didn't see it so...." and that was it.... no fine, no punishment, no nothing. it's awful.
@@thevernonposse because I get paid by the pound 😂
Such a idiotic statement
One fact that should always be kept in mind is that in NJ, NY and CT paid and effective lobbyists are always pushing for their commercial fishing clients. Sport anglers are mostly unorganized and fight amongst themselves.
Sport anglers are their own worst enemy. I will say however that on the CT Fisheries public hearing meetings I've attended, the policies seem to have been decided and ASMFC makes policy. States have little control except to screw it up further like the insane Black Sea Bass closure except for party boats in a few days.
Yeah I fish the harbor, near Jersey City.. the first couple weeks I caught multiple 20-22 inchers. This month: dead! So bad my last 3 trips I decided to start blue crabbing. Lmao did very well too last Sunday. Hope it picks up. I’m not paying for party boat fluke trips.
'Are commercial draggers hurting fishing'???? That's THE most rhetorical question ever asked.
I’ve been fishing around great south bay fire island area of Long Island and got nothing so far this year and I’m not the only one. Never used to be like this.
Did you ever talk to a Shinnecoxk boat dragger? NYSDEC SUCKS. They are allowed like 100 pounds. Out of state boats are the problem
Abim beni balığa götür 😂
It’s absolutely not a few draggers and I adamantly disagree with you they catch ALOT of fluke they literally dredge the bottoms. Rarely disagree with skinner but I absolutely believe majority of the damage is done by commercial. How many hours spent wind against tide , conditions do not matter to nets.
We were fishing Vineyard sound last week early in the morning. No fluke but caught sea bass and blue fish. We had to move. A dragger was coming down on us. We were in 100 ft. Of water. We normally do well there. Not anymore. Sadly.
I think they should be a certain amount of miles out
Not to attack another man's source of lively hood, but can we do something about these draggers?
Too much pressure on fluke from everywhere.
How do you adjust the tension knob on the accurist and what’s the purpose of it thanks John
I don't touch it.
At the end of the day, it's always about the money. Recreational fishermen will always be second rate in the laws.
Which is crazy since the recreational fishermen put way more money into the economy
Proffesional fisherman disturb the bottom and leave a waistland without bait for those fish that you are targeting. Same here in Holland
Thanks John for a great video! I not a fan of the draggers. We as fishermen, sportsmen and I'm glad to see better conservation laws but draggers usually target one species and all the rest go back dead. I was on a charter out of Portsmouth for Cod and all the under size fish go back but they don't drain their bladders so they flop on the surface till they die or eaten by the gulls. Things need to change!
All those bait fish that first fish puked up, alot of bait fish in the water, I know what you mean about the draggers we had a similar problem around the isle of man where I live and they created several no dredge trawling zones of several square miles around the island and the scallops and plenty of other marine life has started to thrive, I know those guys have to make a living but think seems to work by giving area's chance to recover.
if you allow total devastation of an area and then dont allow the fish taken to be sold what do you expect. Its clear proof these "fishing" regulation work only for those taking the fish...not for the rest of us. too much dead throwback to appease "regulation".
Commercial fishermen hurt everything, what they do to the environment and fish and shrimp stocks is unstainable
The small draggers don’t do a lot of damage but the multiple big ones that go back and forth from Ft Pond to Montauk all day long have certainly impacted the fishing here. Who knows how much they keep.. there is no DEC enforcement. Over 25 years of fishing on East End I’ve never seen the DEC board a dragger .
They do trust me
Commercial bycatch definitely puts negative pressure on any fishery. Areas where nets and dredges can't operate will always be a healthier place to fish. Every regulation placed on recreational fishermen is imposed for a reason but it's not from problems caused by recreational fishermen.
Exactly! Rec guys act like nothing they do has an effect just because someone else might be having more of an effect. All around the fisheries are just terribly managed with reactive regulations instead of proactive conservation.
Yes, commerical draggers are hurting the ecosystem and fishery.
I have observed a noticeable drop in fluke. It might just by my area (Point Lookout NY) but I have really been struggling over the past 2 years. Not 1 keeper from shore.
If you don’t think draggers have ruined so many fisheries than you just aren’t paying attention.
Back in the mid to late 80s the fluke got pounded by the offshore draggers in the winters fluking was terrible in the fire Island area for years back then thunk that's what's happening now a lot less fish making it inshore from the winter grounds what makes it worse these draggers are mostly from Southern states Carolinas and such. That area john is fishing 10 years ago the fluking was incredible it was so good back then those little draggers were working that area backed then didn't matter that's how good the fishing was brings tears to my eyes almost how badly the fishing there has fallen off the fish are not making it inshore any more just my take on it
Been fishing Hempstead harbor pretty much everyday for a few weeks and haven’t caught a single fluke. In the Same spots and tides as last year I would be catching at least 5-8 a day so something is definitely up
Hi John, long time listener, first time caller… what’s easier to catch, fluke or harder to catch? I’ve always wanted to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks in advance.
Regards,
-Matt Bobsong
I don’t understand the point of having size limits for the draggers. What good are they doing by “releasing” dead fish that don’t add to their creel?
I bought 3 of those rods. But I didn’t know there was a bay version lol now I got to go look.
Was that a skulpen fish
Link for dehookers???
John- as a shore fisherman in RI, I've caught exactly one legal flounder in the last five years. I've had days were I catch and throw back a dozen or more in the 13-16" range, and what kills me is that I throw those 16" fish back, then stop into my local fish market where I can buy the same fish on ice. From a dragger. Because the commercial size limit is 15. Makes no sense.
Get tha draggers out. Make it solely ah hook & line recreational fishery. With daily limits, slot limits etc. Florida has a huge problem with this. And trawling destroys marine habitat under the water. Want to eat some fish? Get some equipment & ah state fishing licence and go out and get them. Remember know your "legal" limits before you go.
I don't think they should be anywhere near recreational twenty or thirty miles away
The offshore winter draggers are the issue. Killing anything that gets in their nets and wiping out fluke populations way offshore. But regulatory agencies seem to always screw over the recreational guy.
Sounds like the draggers need more regulations. I really dont care for big brother etc. but they should have to check frequently to help ensure the small fish can have a chance to live after being released.
Ya...i do not! like it at all...their limits should be way reduced! unfortunately, there's not enough enforcement and those boats are greedy. What Dillion(UA-cam)put out from Jersey..Sickening!! Strippers hidden under rocks...what the .....😢
I guess those fish was sea robbens
Yes.
I've never caught a fluke/flounder and we do get them around my area but nothing like the size I've seen on your channels in the usa 🇺🇸
Yes stop all draggers matter of fact stop the party boats as well
John, with all those book sales surely now you could get your seat recovered😂
I just located the replacement I think!
@@JohnSkinnerFishing i like that your boat is a beater with a good engine that’s my type of vessel except I can’t even afford the good engine part 🤪
Think your experience of "what it used to be" summaries almost all of CT waters for fishing
YUP.
I used to work at Captree back in the day. Boat after boat drifting like vacuums...
Worse than those dragger's
One more thing commercial dragon should be limited to 10 to 12 miles off the beaches I’m not even close to the fishing areas for the local rod and reel guy
Jones Inlet in bay not worth going out. I am sure some people do ok. Not taking cover of boat.
How far is your teaser tied from the jig?
12 inches roughly.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing thank you
Definitely not a fan of commercial dredgers operating in the Sound or any of the bays for that matter. Hard enough to catch fluke without have them vacuum cleaning up everything.
By an unusual contrast, this was not a very productive trip for you.
I'm on the other side of the Atlantic and I don't do fluke / boat fishing, as I have no means for it, so I'm restricted to shore fishing and look mostly for bass. What I can tell (and all other shore fishermen here), is that commercial fishing does not abide by the rules (they bribe the coast guard with fish and other perks). For example, minimum shore distance is 300 yards and we have draggers constantly following the surf line, not only ruining fishing for everybody paying licenses to fish from the shore, but also leaving the coastline increasingly barren. From the shore it's now very hard to get a decent fish, and too many times you come out empty handed, either by catching undersized fish or non interesting species. Due to this, many shore fishermen are turning to expensive and overcrowded party boat fishing (which is a mess, with everybody bumping into each other and there's always some aggressive people, that turn the trip into an ordeal).
As John said, there's only a handful of draggers in the Sound only keeping 210 pounds a day. Rarely will they even catch that. There's so many more recreational and party/charter boats catching way more fish. A good day on any party boat will catch way more fluke than any dragger and there's a lot more of them. Also, fluke size limits on draggers minimizes waste. If you try to eat local from farms do the same for your seafood. Support your local commercial fishermen, they're just trying to make a living while providing high quality protein to the public
Recreational fishermen don’t destroy the entire environment by fishing like the draggers do.
@@jcfishingwrld Recreational fishermen and commercial fishermen kill fish. That's destroying the majority of the enviroment. Unless you're an expert on benthic organisms and species that inhabit it you can't say that draggers are destroying the entire environment while not even understanding it. I love to fish and I kill a lot of fish. It's understanding that everyone is doing some damage to the environment and believing that management and regulations are for the best of the fisheries. I don't want to argue in the youtube comments sections but blaming commercial fishermen for kill fish while remaining ignorant to recreational anglers also killing fish is unfair. The commercial fishing industry on Long Island is one of the oldest industries and is also diminishing because of beliefs like these. Support local businesses; support local commercial fishermen.
Funny you post this video today I caught a 4.5lb fluke on Monday and she was COVERED in scars that appeared to be from a dragger.
They should stay out in the ocean
Hey John, do you troll with the wind or with the current when they are opposed to each other? Thanks!! Great work as usual
With the current for two reasons. One, the difference in speed and direction of the current and boat is what determines how vertical you can jig. Two, the bait is getting swept with the current. It is unnatural for bait to travel up current.
Always bugged me how some people had a license to harvest for their own monetary gain, what actually belongs to all of us.
Well said, agree 100%
Where were you fishing in this video?
Eastern LI Sound.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing I know you mentioned eastern LI sound, I’m fishing around Eatons Neck are you that far east?
East of Pt Jeff.
Way further, your in much better waters where you are.