In last month’s article, Part 1, I had discussed issues that have arisen from SCDNR stating that our Flounder populations along our coast have diminished. SCDNR believe the main reason being over fishing by recreational fishermen. My first objective was to bring information to the public that would help them understand some of the real threats that have and could harm or cause our Flounder. To seek other locations and other habitats to thrive, and of course, discussing some over fishing situations… Read the rest of this great follow up article about declining flounder populations along the South Carolina Coast here: https://coastalanglermag.com/some-remedies-for-our-flounder-population/
I don’t think 15" is too small. I also wonder if we have a reduction in numbers. Don’t fish like I used to, but still have good success in catching when I target them.
I do agree with reelscape and BLP, I help a friend from time to time when he is short handed or has several big orders. Some times very few Flounder and other times the bycatch is crazy, mostly small under 12". And no not hog chockers. I’m one that gets them overboard as quick as I can, but as If anyone has been on a shrimp boat not many survive the release back to the water. So what do we do? We can’t shut down the Shrimp industry.
on your mentioning of inadequate studies in your article, is there actually proof that Flounder numbers are down? Or just in the area’s you finding yourself not catching as many and presume them to be down. We have enough regulations with out more from presumptions. Just take a look at what’s happened to ARS, grouper, spot tail, and Black sea bass… Careful what you wish for.
In closing this post, I think many that gig would call you out on it not being a sport. Just because you choose to use a pole and Line, and I may choose a gig, doesn’t separate the fact that it is a sport. Those same “experts” you say will clean out a flat can only get the 10 you do and an “expert” Pole fisherman could clean out a flat too. ON the good side of gigging, when the 10 are reached a gigger will stop, if a pole fisherman gets 10 he will keeping catching and releasing with the inevitable FACT that some of the released fish will die. I agree with the 10 fish bag limit, but don’t increase the size any more. I actually prefer to eat a 12-14" er scored and deep fried whole.
Disagree Fred ; ya say they can’t shut down the shrimping fishery ;; why not ?? iffn you can shut one down why can’t ya shut another down ?? Oh but I know why ! MONEY !!! MONEY TALKS FAIRNESS WALKS!!!</font id=“red”>
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
[quote]Disagree Fred ; ya say they can’t shut down the shrimping fishery ;; why not ?? iffn you can shut one down why can’t ya shut another down ?? Oh but I know why ! MONEY !!! MONEY TALKS FAIRNESS WALKS!!!</font id=“red”>
George McDonald
/quote=Originally posted by gail wins]
Yea, but if we shut down the shrimpers, We’ll miss out on some pretty delicious table fair. I gave the poles, bait, Late night boat cleaning and shrimp deseeding many years ago! I love some sautéed in garlic butter and let’s not get into different methods of shrimp and grits.
As much as I hate to admit it, the shrimpers are like running a disc harrow across the ocean floor taking out much needed bottom growth for little critters and fishes to grow up and hide in. Really no other way to get wild shrimp in masses for us consumers. Now if ya want to get into solutions, I’ve seen some shrimp farms do pretty good until the get mismanaged.
I didn’t mean to come on here and debunk buchar2 that we do not need some help managing our resources, I just don’t want to see knee jerk responses causing more crap like anyone going offshore is seeing in the ARS and others. Plenty of fish out their for recreational guys and gals. You are 100% correct on the Money talking, got money and some good lobbyists and you can do all kinds of unethical things with some of the corrupt politicians and leaders we have.
We’ve talked about it before, I still think all the coastal golf courses and general coastal growth using so many man made chemicals (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc) washing into our estuaries are the root cause. Shrimpers have been doing the same thing for 60 years and actually taking more and having a larger fleet 30+ years ago. If a proper study was done, I’d speculate most everything is down in numbers from years ago. From my personal experience, most modern recreational fishers don’t even keep the fish.
CRACKER LARRYs ,MAY HE (RIP), PET PEEVE WAS ALWAYS THE POLUTION “RUNOFF” FROM THE DEVELOPMENT/GOLF COURSES… AGAIN MONEY TALKS , COMMON SENSE/FAIRNESS WALKS</font id=“red”> HOW LONG IS IT GONNA ALL THE AFFECTED ONES TO WAKE UP AND COLLECTIVELY VOTE THE MONEY GRUBBERS OUT OF OFFICE AND REPLACE WITH TRUE HONEST REPS
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
There are a lot less shrimpers than just 10 years ago. I never heard of bad flounder catches then. There are far more people on the water today trying to catch them. and when they spend $ 75,000 on a bay boat they expect to be pro fisherman and catch them like they see on you tube! There are a lot of fisherman that catch a limet every time they go and don’t say a word, and nobody counts them. Sorry GW but that’s the way i see it!
BOAT ; YOU WON’T GET AN ARGUMENT OUT OF ME ON THAT COMMENT. I NEVER ADVOCATE FREEDOM FOR THE RECS WHILE PENALTYS ON THE COMs. AND YOU’RE RIGHT THATS THE WAY IT IS NOW AND THE FISHERY IS GOING AWAY LITTLE BY LITTLE BECAUSE (THATS THE WAY IT IS) !! WHY NOT " BITE THE BULLET" NOW ;IE CLOSE THE SEASON FOR ALL OR ESTABLISH STRICT SIZE,NUMBER , POUNDAGE REGS ON SPECIES REQUIRED AND MAKE THE PENALTY HURT</font id=“red”>… A FEW BAD APPLES LOSEING THOSE $75,000 SLEDS WOULD SOON BE TOSSING THE SHORTS , OVER LIMIT ECT BACK… IT WOULD HURT US ALL INSTEAD OF PUTTING ALL THE HURT ON ONE SELECT GROUP… EITHER PAY THE PIPER SOON OR KISS THE ENTIRE FISHERY OFF FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS ;; THIS IS HOW I SEE IT…MONEY TALKS WHATS FAIR AND RIGHT WALKS…
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
anyone remember how controversial setting slot and and catch limits was on spot tails years ago? The rebound that we have witnessed is a direct testimony that the science was right and they work. The catch and release movement surely helped as well. Even with the pressure they get from the charter fleet and the many new to fishing the area.
I saw the DNR presentation on the current state of affairs with flounder and it was startling. It very apparent that limits need to be imposed quickly or we could lose the fishery. I have never been a fan of gigging. I would like to see it gone, but would accept it with limits too.
Don’t get me started on shrimp boat bycatch, those floating oyster cages and the over abundance of commercial crab traps. Anyone remember seeing the by- catch from pre-turtle extruder nets? Indiscriminate devastation
PK you say rebound, aren’t most saying decline? Personally I’ve not witnessed any ability at anytime in my life to catch Spot tail or Flounder in numbers. Can’t say that about trout after a long cold winter, but they always come back.
So we can’t say the shrimpers are doing it with the logic of having TEDs. We now have better limits. So lets get to the root cause. I still say any decline is from coast encroachment from Humans and al the crap we let leech into the estuary’s.
Fred. Just prior to number and size limits, spot tails were in real bad shape. Like flounder now.
Have you seen the DNR presentation? It is an eye opener
Have not seen it PK, you got a link? Are they saying what’s causing the decline? I can’t argue that decreasing what people can take will not increase populations. I’m saying recreational fishing is not the cause of the decline. Let’s not bandaid this thing, let’s fix it for future generations and get to the root cause of all the concern in the Many species we have. Cobia fishing comes to mind. Sure stop the recreational guys from taking any and numbers will increase, but I don’t feel recreational harvests are what’s hurting them. Let’s look to the loss of fry in our estuaries. Hey man, we all want what’s best for our fisheries. I plan on getting back out heavy with the grandkids in a year or so if all goes well. My daughters kids won’t hurt the population, but my Son’s girl wants to eat anything that comes in the boat.
If anyone here doesn’t think that in the recent years Gigging Charters that have started up doesn’t have a DIRECT IMPACT to the decline of the number of flounder that are seen in and around our local waters, you’re sadly mistaken.
If DNR truly cared about the resource, the logical step would be to outlaw gigging charters and place a stoppage on recreational gigging for a year. Bring back recreational gigging at 5 per person limit.
I love gigging flounder as much as the next guy; its amazing and fun and a great experience on the water unlike anything else I’ve experienced, but I’ll be glad to sacrifice a year of no gigging to let this species start to make a comeback. There are 10 times the amount of yahoos on the water today compared to 10-15 years ago and they mostly believe they deserve to take a limit every time they go out. This can’t continue.
For DNR to target the rod and reel fisherman for flounder is silly and not following practical science in my opinion.
“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017
IFFN YALL JUST CAN’T ACCEPT/BELIEVE THE POLUTION / UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE CLOSED,DEAD , AREAS THAT ABOUND AT OR NEAR DENSELY POPULATED STRETCHES OF MARSHLAND… IFFN YOU THINK THE BY-CATCH ISN’T MASSIVELY DESTROYING NOT ONLY TRILLIONS OF FISH FRY HATCHLINGS AND THE HABITAT NEEDED TO REPLENISH THE FISHERY , JUST DO A DRONE OR BETTER YET A PERSONAL , UP CLOSE FLY-OVER OF SHRIMP/COMMERCIAL BOATS DRAGGING NETS TO SEE THE MUD TRAILS THEY LEAVE FROM STRIP MINING THE OCEAN FLOOR, STRIPPING EVERYTHING FROM THE BOTTOM BUT THE MUD</font id=“red”>… IFFN YOU WANT TO SAVE THE RESOURCE PUT THE WELL BEING OF IT FIRST NOT THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE LOBBIST, CORP OR INDIVIDUALS POCKETBOOKS OR OF THE WHINING REC AND COM PUBLIC… YES I’M A FISHERMAN AND WANT MY GRANDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BE ALSO… IF THE PRICE MUST BE PAID LET IT BE NOW ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE GUILTY NOW, NOT ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE FUTURE , GIVE THE RECs ,COMs , SHRIMPERS , NETTERS , THEIR QUOTAS BASED ON THE NEED OF THE RESOURCE ; NOT ON POLITICIANS/LOBBIST OR ANYONES POCKETBOOKS AND MAKE THE PENALTY FOR THE LAYBREAKERS REALLY HURT;ie loss of business , those high dollar rides , lifetime suspension of privledges ect ect… I’M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE DAYS THAT IFFN YOU KILLED AN ILLEGAL DEER YOU LOST YOUR GUN AND IF YOU TRANSPORTED IT IN YOUR TRUCK YOU LOST IT TOO , YOU WOULD GET LESS PUNISHMENT/FINES FOR SHOOTING A PERSON THAN FOR SHOOTING A TURKEY OUT OF SEASON MY MY MY HOW WE HAVE GIVEN INTO THE ME ME ME ,GIMME GEMME GEMME MENTALITY… IT ALL B</font id=“red”>OILES DOWN TO (( DO WHATS RIGHT))
</font id=“size4”>RANT OVER!!!
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s
I love some sautéed in garlic butter and let’s not get into different methods of shrimp and grits.
Hey man, we all want what’s best for our fisheries. I plan on getting back out heavy with the grandkids in a year or so if all goes well. My daughters kids won’t hurt the population, but my Son’s girl wants to eat anything that comes in the boat.