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Kensdock report: Back bay flounder update

kensdock — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:42:40 +0000

I was out yesterday for a short time flounder fishing in the back bay.The first spot I stopped at the short flounder were staked up. A gentleman and his two sons had been fishing the spot for two hours they had 34 throw backs and two nice keepers. I moved on to a summertime favorite flounder hole. This spot was loaded with flounder, also mostly shorts but I know with time spent one could catch a few keepers at this spot. I moved on to the next summertime spot this spot is out in the inlet, same way loaded with flounder.What I found at the end of my 45 minute scouting trip was the fact the bottom of the back bay is covered in flounder. You should expect to catch at least a few keepers a tide. With the tide cycling around it will make it possible to avoid the heat by fishing the morning and evening tide. The water temperature was 65 degrees at the top of the tide. The water clarity was a 7. Fishing pressure was a 1 with 10 being the busiest.

The Fishery Conservation Transition Act (FCTA)

kensdock — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:58:20 +0000

Recently, legislation named the Fishery Conservation Transition Act (FCTA) was introduced in Washington DC by United States Senator Bill Nelson that will ensure the conservation intent of the Magnusson Stevens fishery conservation and management act {MSA} is upheld, while providing the funding and orders to upgrade the science and data collection to state of the art.

FCTA has five key areas that will steer NOAA Fisheries back towards the true intentions of the overfishing amendments made to MSA in 2006.

Filling gaps in MSA regarding multispecies fisheries by mandating specific conservation and science-based actions that would be taken in part to allow fishing for healthy stocks;
Allowing reasonable time to transition to a new management framework that will deal more rationally and scientifically with rebuilding of stocks undergoing overfishing;
Sharpening MSA economic assistance programs to insure funding is directed to those most affected by closures after carrying out full examination of who would be affected by closure;
Requiring the agency to look at alternative fishery management measures to enhance the sustainability of an overfished stock and carry out more frequent stock assessments;
Directing the agency, along with the National Academy of Science, to conduct a long-needed study on questions surrounding multispecies complexes and how all stocks in such a fishery can be managed for maximum yield.

A group of marine recreational fishing, boating, and conservation organizations and businesses, including the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), The Billfish Foundation (TBF), the Center for Coastal Conservation (Center), the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) lauds the introduction of the FCTA and strongly supports the new bill. The coalition will continue to advocate with Members of Congress for their support of the bill and to seek additional sponsors.

Note:

The { FCTA} differs greatly from the RFA backed {MSA} flexibility bill. The {MSA} flexibility bill does nothing to improve the data or the science.

The Fishery Conservation Transition Act Fact Sheet

S.3594, The Fishery Conservation Transition Act, was introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) on July 15, 2010. FCTA has five key areas which steer NOAA Fisheries back to the intent of the 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA): ending overfishing.

1. A Transition to Rational Management and Sustainable Fishing – Bill Section Two

FCTA addresses current MSA problems pertaining to fishing in a fishery that includes a stock that is undergoing overfishing. Gaps in MSA regarding multispecies complexes have led to overreaching moves such as the current proposal in the South Atlantic to close all bottom fishing for all snapper-grouper species in order to carry out rebuilding of one species — red snapper. This section maintains the prohibition on fishing for an overfished stock. However, FCTA gives the Secretary of Commerce the ability to allow fishing for other stocks in the complex IF specific thresholds are met and IF certain conservation actions prescribed in the bill are being taken, such as:

• Measures to minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality;

• Actions to improve data collection and implementation of a targeted research and monitoring program for the challenged fish stock and the fishery as a whole;

• A program for on-board observers;

• Immediate steps to close stock assessment data gaps in that fishery complex including a stock assessment for the challenged stock, and

• A report from the regional fishery management council on a long-term discard mortality reduction program for the challenged stock.

2. Time to Transition – Bill Section Two

FCTA gives NOAA Fisheries and the regional councils time to transition to a new management framework that will deal more rationally and scientifically with rebuilding of stocks undergoing overfishing. Closures will still be an option but only after actions above have been taken. Under FCTA, if actions above have been taken and total fishing closures are still deemed necessary, they would not be considered before the end of fishery year 2015.

3. Economic Assistance – Bill Section Three

FCTA amends MSA’s economic assistance program to better ensure funding is targeted to those directly affected by closures. The bill more specifically directs the Commerce Secretary to carry out an examination of who is being affected and how they are being affected when prioritizing economic assistance.

4. Better Information Gathering and Use – Bill Section Five

FCTA directs Commerce to carry out better social and economic data gathering and analysis pertaining to a given fishery closure decision and directs the department to look at alternative fishery management measures. Requirements in this area include analysis of social and economic impacts on fishing communities and industries related to the fishery in question; fishery management measures to enhance the sustainability of the challenged stock; an evaluation of alternative measures to enhance the sustainability of that stock and a stock assessment update for stocks undergoing overfishing every two years and a full assessment at least every five years.

5. National Academy of Science Study – Bill Section Five

FCTA directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a National Academy of Science study focused on questions surrounding multispecies complexes and the impediments to managing all stocks in such a fishery to maximum sustainable yield.

Kensdock report: summer flounder update

kensdock — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:57:47 +0000

This is the time of the year that most Cape May co. back bay flounder fishermen move on to the Delaware bay or Atlantic ocean summer flounder hot spots like reef 11 and the old grounds. I continue fishing the back bay for flounder all summer, only less frequently after July 15. There is always a couple of keepers lurking around, it just takes 10 times the patients to find one or two keepers in late summer. If you want to fill the cooler with summer flounder head to the upper Delaware bay from number 1 north to Fortqescue, the upper Delaware bay flounder bite continues red hot.

Kensdock report: Bass barn/Rfa

kensdock — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:23:41 +0000

The Rfa is begging for money to finance their sea bass law suit. They are bashing large marine manufactures and other related business on the Bass Barn for not sending them money. In a nut shell, the RFA claims the science and data that the NMFS used to set the sea bass season is flawed, there for the recreational and commercial seas bass harvest should be increased. They continue to push for short term financial gain for a few, in complete disregard of the future of recreational fishermen,commercial fishermen ,marine manufacturing industry and the sea bass.

I think the reason that no major manufactures or larger and better financed recreational fishing organizations have joined the RFA lawsuit is due to this court decision http://www.joincca.org/press%20releases/2008/Rule_of_science.html

Kensdock report: Flounder Tournament update

kensdock — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:44:05 +0000

Grassy Sound marina is holding their annual flounder tournament today also today is Sterling Harbor’s duke of fluke tournament. We started out this morning to fish the Grassy sound tournament unfortunately the steering cable broke ending the day seconds after leaving the dock. The grassy sound tournament is strictly back bay fishing. The heaviest combined weight of three flounder wins the tournament. Catching keeper flounder from the back bay in July is challenging couple that with the rain today and it will be tough to catch 3 keepers to weigh in. Ed Teise and DR.Gary had 4 keepers on the boat as of 11:30 am, putting them in the hunt. I will update this post at the end of the grassy sound tournament.

Update: Dr.Gary and Ed Teise won the Grassy Sound flounder tournament Calcutta with a 6 plus pound flounder. They also placed third in the total of 3 heaviest division with a weight of 7 plus pounds. They also caught a 22″ weakfish that they released, due to the fact that they were not in the weakfish Calcutta. The second place flounder weighed 5 lbs and change the third place was 4 lbs and change. Ed Teise is no stranger to the winners position of fishing tournaments in Cape May co.. He has won numerous weakfish, flounder and speckled trout tournaments. I will post the names of all the winners shortly. We never wet a line today but we won the weakfish Calcutta by luck of the draw. No bragging rights but a great way to make up for a bad start.

Great tournament

Kensdock report: Back bay flounder update

kensdock — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:45:48 +0000

I was tied up this weekend, I only had a short window to fish. I was out for about an hour today, I managed one keeper flounder and three that were just short. The water temperature was 75 degrees,the water clarity was an 8. Note: No fisherman in sight only wave runners and water skiers.

Kensdock report:Back bay Flounder update

kensdock — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:19:12 +0000

I was able to flounder fish for 2 hours today. The round trip to my fishing spot was 35 minutes. Even with the boat traffic it was beautiful on the water today. It was slow fishing but I did manage to catch 3 keeper flounder. There was one down side today and that was the greenheads. The water temperature was 64 at the top of the tide.The water clarity was an 8, with 10 being the clearest.

I fish for whatever flounder are located in the back bay.

If you are looking to fill the cooler with keeper flounder the upper Delaware bay is red hot at this time.

Kensdock Report:Quick flounder fishing update

kensdock — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:39:55 +0000

For those flounder fishermen that possess the ability to find keeper flounder the back bay areas are still producing keeper fluke. Wally Bockman caught 5 keeper flounder from the back bay yesterday. Although far from the 39 keepers him and his crew boated last week from the waters of the Delaware Bay, 5 keepers is an excellent catch for July in the back bay.

Eric Reeves caught an 28″ flounder to top off his limit catch. Reeves was also a top finisher in the annual good old boys back bay flounder tournament. I should have a few reports on weakfish as the tide cycles around. All of the fishermen that are targeting weakies are releasing the fish due to the condition of the stock.

John C. from Stone harbor caught 5 kingfish from the beach yesterday. The water temperature was 74 degrees at high tide, water clarity was an 8 with 10 being the clearest water.

Kensdock report: Flounder update/ weakfish

kensdock — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:18:47 +0000

There is a school of large flounder {6-7 pound fish} in the back bay areas of Cape May co. the school has been moving around from Avalon to Cape May. I have been unlucky by showing up after the bite. I have seen the fish unfortunately for me they have been in someone else’s cooler.When you limit out with flounder that average 6 pounds in the back bay you have had a special fishing trip. The guy who had the large flounder was using a rig that is common for offshore fluke fishermen,a pink glowing plastic squid combined with bait. The rig is not as important as finding the school during the bite. Good luck. Wally Bockman and crew boated an impressive 39 keeper flounder yesterday. He was tight lipped as to the location. I am sure he was not fishing the back bay waters. There has been a few weakfish caught in the last week. The top fishermen that are targeting weakfish and catching have been releasing the breeders. Dr.Gary has caught two weakfish while he was flounder fishing and released both of them. Don caught a 24″ weakfish he also released it. A few weakfish were caught and retained by fishermen on rental boats this week. The water temperature at high tide was 64 degrees, the water clarity was a 5.

Kensdock Report: Short back bay flounder trip

kensdock — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:54:59 +0000

Just returned from the back waters we fished about 5 minutes before being chased by the thunderstorm. We did manage two keepers before running home at full throttle, just about making it to the dock before the rain. The water temperature was 61 degrees, clarity was a 4 with ten representing the clearest water.