Tag: weakfish cape may co

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7-31-09 Kensdock report RFA/ASMFC weakfish meeting August 19

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27860023

Open letter to Hutch Jr (RFA),

I can assure you if the RFA policy was to put the natural resoures first on their agenda, the weakfish stock would not be so dangerously low today. The RFA should have led a campaign to rebuild the weakfish stock five years ago!

At this point, I ask you, the RFA to join us in urging the ASMFC to implement a closure of commercial and recreation fishing of weakfish for two years. If you choose not to help with this campaign, I politely ask you sir, to step to the side!

Nichola at the ASMFC office has been working at a record pace answering comments and phone calls concerning the August 19 ASMFC meeting… Most of us are angry with the condition of the weakfish. WE are also hopeful that the August19 ASMFC meeting in Virginia becomes historic and the weakfish in time join the striped bass and sea scallops on the list of success stories.

nmeserve@asmfc.org Send your comment time is short

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7-28-09 Kensdock Weakfish meeting/ answers RFA and Charter ass. President Tony Bogan

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speckled trout 031 
                                I have been bashed by JHutchinson of the RFA and Tony Bogon of the Charter boat ass. for urging people and their members to speak for them self’s by sending comments to the ASMFC asking for a closure  of  commercial fishing for weakfish and a closure of recreational fishing during the spawn.  Here is  my response:
 

JHutchinson,

The reason I urge fishermen to make comments directly to the ASMFC on the weakfish population and not to depend on the RFA to speak for them is right in “your mission statement”. The weakfish population would be last on the RFA mission list to be considered before you take a position on the regulations. Not only did I read your mission statement, I have witness it with fishing regulations and other issues” over the years. I am an avid reader of the NJ angler , NJ Fishermen and other national fishing magazines I have not seen your plan for saving the weakfish. There is two days left to comment if you would like your comment heard at the August 19, ASMFC meeting. I follow Capt. Tony and your mind set: We can not have Charter boats or tackle manufactures loose money” by pushing a closure to save the weakfish! ASMFC said they are all going to die anyway!! I will not stand behind that mind set!! To reiterate for the umpteen time. The first step is a complete closure of commercial fishing and recreational fishing in the spawning areas. The ASMFC is quick to respond to comments. Unfortunlitly the condition of the weakfish seems to be worse than they expected.

No hard feellings Tony and Hutchinson that is the way it is,

Best,
Ken

nmeserve@asmfc.org Send your comment time is short.

Capt.TB
If you took the time to read ASMFC site on weakfish you would find they only have “theories” on the decline of the weakfish.You can bet the farm that if the ASMFC allowed the entire commercial fishing fleet loose without a limit on the amount of fish to be killed on any species of fish you would find them in the same state of devastation. Maybe you are not familiar with the proficiency of modern commercial fishing operations. Here is an example: A good friend and a big player in the commercial fishing industry told me he caught in one set 1,000,000 individual weakfish. The estimate was made by an onboard observer. Most of the fish were released. Capt. TB, do you seriously buy into the ASMFC theory that a mysterious natural killer slaughtered the weakfish off? Capt. TB, do you still represent the Charter Boat Association? Does your family member represent the RFA? Do you have family or friends on the ASMFC council? I am wondering why you are so upset that I am encouraging people to make comments directly to the ASMFC ?

I said, The “obvious first step” would be a complete closure to all commercial fishing for two years and a closure to recreational fishing during the spawn. If the ASMFC would do at least this, we will see a spike increase in the weakfish population. I will bet the farm on it!

The flounder bite has been slow the ast couple of days in the back bay. The offshore flounder bite has been slow due to ocean conditions. I will poke around tomorrow in the back bay for flounder and the inlet and right outside the inlet. The flounder should be hiding in that area some where. I just spoke with a commercial fishermen that was fishing off of Cape May NJ the last seven days at a place called the elegant trunk.They did not see a tuna the entire time. The water was blue with 50ft. of visibility. Usually this time of the year they have a school oftuna behind the boat all day. If you are thinking of making a tuna run you may want to wait a few weeks.
 
                             
 
 

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7–24-09 Kensdock fishing report update 7-26-09

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I am heading out flounder fishing in the back bay it is 11: 00 am when I return I will post a report.
Best
Ken
 
 
The  flounder bite remains red hot on the reef and the old grounds any time the condtions are good. The back bay bite is best when we have the turn of the tide at first light. The rest of the day is pretty much a waste of time as far as keeper  flounder are concerned. The back bay water quality is excellent with visablity around 12ft..
As many of you know the weakfish population is at an all time low. The weakfish need a chance to rebuild! The best way and the fastest way is to close commercial fishing for weakfish for two years and close recreational fishing during the spawning season. For years commercial fishing was allowed without a limit on the amount of weakfish that could be killed. Commercial and recreational fishing is still allowed in the spawning area of the entire east coast. The winter yard of the weakfish is still open to commercial fishing, Can you believe the ASMFC has the audacity to claim it is not their fault that the weakfish is heading for the endangered list! The ASMFC will meet on August 19, 2009 to find a way to rebuild the weakfish. All comments must be received 3 weeks before the meeting or they will not be heard. Do not expect any fishing group like the RFA to make a case for you or me. This group was started by marine manufactures and that is were their allegiance lies. Please let them know the condition of the weakfish as you see it. Send your comment nmeserve@asmfc.org <nmeserve@asmfc.org>
Best,
Ken

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7-22-09 Kensdock report

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I fished a couple of Back Bay flounder spots at dusk today. The water temperature was 72.2 on the top of the tide. The water clarity was excellent with visibility about 12ft. Flounder fishing now requires a lot more effort and time. If you want to catch a few keepers in the back bays of Cape May co. NJ at this time  it is going to take  ten times the effort that it does in June. The ocean hot spots like the old grounds and reef 11off of  Cape May co. NJ are  holding large numbers of flounder and most likely will continue to do so through the reminder of flounder season. To fish the ocean locations it requires the better part of a day as far as time. You also must have the correct conditions or it is a waste of time as far as catching fish. I shake my head when I see a party boat or charter captain taking  people on a twenty mile rough ride knowing that the fishing is going to be terrible and someone on board is going to get sea sick. There is always someone that is fishing for the first time on these boats and when their first trip is on a rough day with no fish caught  they may never fish again. If someone goes fishing for the first time and the ocean is calm and the fish are biting he or she will go fishing  again and some will become avid fishermen. When I read Sheps column in the Atlantic City press recently he reported that limits of Weakfish are being caught. He has no names of the fishermen that are catching the weakfish and not one  picture of a limit catch  of weakfish. Sorry Shep, I do not believe that limit catches of weakfish are being caught. Here in Cape May co. NJ and all along the east coast the weakfish population is at an all time low. The few weakfish that are left need a chance to rebuild!  They do not need pressure from news papers trying to sell advertisements!! The ASMFC will meet on August 19, 2009 to discuses ways to rebuild the weakfish population. The best way and the fastest way to rebuild the weakfish stock is a complete closer of commercial fishing for two years and a recreational closer during the spawning season. Please  take the time to make a comment on  the ASMFC web site on the best way to save the weakfish.       Best,Ken
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7-17-09 Kensdock report {weakfish meeting} 2:00 pm

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I urge everyone to demand that the management board give the weakfish population a chance to rebuild .The only way this can be achieved is by closing the harvest to commercial fishing totally for two years and closing the recreational harvest during the spawning season. If there is anyway possibly please attend this meeting.  Best,Ken
Good Morning, Ken,
The Weakfish Management Board will be meeting on August 19, from 8-10:30 am, in Alexandria, VA at the Crown Plaza Old Town Hotel, 901 N. Fairfax Street.

Within a week or two of the meeting, an agenda and meeting materials (including, I hope, a summary of the new stock assessment) will be made available on our website through the link for the meeting at: http://www.asmfc.org/meetings.htm

 

 

Regards,
Nichola

 

 

 

Nichola Meserve
Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
ph: (202) 289-6400  f: (202) 289-6051

 


Within a week or two of the meeting, an agenda and meeting materials (including, I hope, a summary of the new stock assessment) will be made available on our website through the link for the meeting at: http://www.asmfc.org/meetings.htm
Regards,
Nichola
 

 

 

 

 

Nichola Meserve
Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
ph: (202) 289-6400  f: (202) 289-6051
 

 

 

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6-16-09 11:00 pm Kensdock fishing report

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Today it felt like late October not June! I had a long john short on with long pants, I was chilly the entire time I was fishing. We did have an excellent 2 hours  of flounder fishing in the back bay. It is imperative that we back troll in the area we fished today, not usually a problem but with 20  knot NE wind  it made for a wet fishing trip. I figured it would  be wet, I also was confident that the flounder would be stacked up in this small area under these conditions. We boated ten keeper flounder and left before the bite ended! Weakfish? Tex caught a ten pound weakfish in the back bay recently. If you are willing to put the time in it is still possible” to catch a weakfish in Cape May co.. The ASMFC will meet in August to review the weakfish management plan. If, they choose to close commercial and recreational fishing for weakfish for just a short time, I am confident that the weakfish  population will improve. I can also assure you  that if they choose not to close the weakfish harvest we will see the weakfish on the endangered species list.flounder 064flounder 065
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6-14-09 11:00 pm Kensdock fishing report

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flounder 007The  area I have been flounder fishing since opening day is becoming fished out. I only had a couple of keepers today.In Cape May county,NJ the flounder move into the back bays starting in March. The number of flounder in any one hole or area of the back bay is limited. Once I fish an area during good conditions and do not catch any keeper flounder I am done with that area for the season. The commercial sea bass fishermen do the same when fishing the offshore wrecks. Congratulations to Mr.Cheeseman and crew on the 250 pound mako shark they caught at the 750 square. That is the mako everyone was looking for during the south Jersey Shark tournament!  The fishermen that are catching weakfish are investing an average of 40 hours per weakfish caught. To the best of my knowledge high hook has seven weakfish for the season. Most avid weakfish fisherman are now not targeting weakfish due to the dangerously low population. The fishermen that are dialed into the ocean flounder fishing are catching some impressive limits of  flounder, with all the flounder being in the 7 pound plus range. The fishermen do not want their name or boat mentioned.
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Kensdock report: Spring 2013 Cape May point, NJ weakfish

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83000005
The first couple of weeks in June is  traditionally a great time to be fishing for weakfish in Cape May county, NJ. The rock jetties at Cape May point are an excellent spring weakfish spot. Fishing for weakfish from the beach around the gun mount at Cape May point State Park can also produce some nice weakfish. Even though the area around the gun mount has been filled in with sand, by the beach replenishment program, some nice holes still exists. If you put a little time in you can locate the holes that can be fished from the beach. After locating the holes, you will have to figure out when the weakfish are feeding. The weakfish will feed only  for a very short period of the tide, maybe an hour at any one location. Remember that could leave up to  23 hours that the weakfish will not be feeding! Here is a couple of tips for fishing Cape May point,NJ, the weakfish usually start feeding at the gun mount at the lower part of the tide and by the high tide the weakfish are located at Higbee beach wildlife management area.  The best bet early in the spring or until  the water temperature  has remand 62 degrees for 3 consecutive days, is to use blood worms for bait,   The Cape May way of fishing bloods for weakfish is from a float or bobber with the worm set about 18″ under the float. Wind direction can turn on or shut down the weakfish bite at Cape May point. I have found a very light South wind to be the best for this location. Fishing for weakfish is best when you have a high or low tide at sunrise or sunset. 
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6-6-09 Kensdock fishing report 10:25 pm

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I had one of the top fisherman in Cape May County, NJ 
 aboard my boat today. ED Teise has won more weakfish tournaments than anybody alive in Cape May County, NJ. We unleashed the dock lines at 6:30 PM. Today we were looking for flounder. We ended up with seven keepers to 23.5flounder 046“. It was a little chilly for June, the up side  no bugs.Water temperature was 63 degrees. The water was not as clear as I like it. I like to  flounder fish hard  while the flounder  are available in the back bay.  This is  a very good week to hunt for weakfish. I know the numbers are down, but if you want to catch weakfish this week traditionally is a top producer. A few weakfish were checked in at Jims’ B&T this morning one was 34”. They had seven weakfish all together. flounder 045
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Cape May Mako season 6-5-09 8:00 pm

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83000004 A few  basics  to pay attention to when fishing for Mako sharks:
1)  do not leave the dock without a Roffer’s’ report. I get one even though I have up to date reports from commercial fishermen. If you are fishing with a captain that does not know what a Roffer’s report is chances are you are only going for a boat ride!
2) If you are going to compete in the tournaments invest in a Mako magnet they work!  I have seen sharks, tuna and blues come right up and put their nose on the thing.
3)  Makos return to the same wreaks and edges ever year, seek out information as to what areas hold makos when the conditions are right.
4)  a crew with a plan. Every crew member should know how to leader a mako, gaff, shoot and run the boat. 
5)   the first boat on the structure has a significant advantage.  Leave early and run hard! 
6) stay on the structure! not almost on it !
7) make sure your bait is alive and your chum is fresh.