Flounder Reg Changes

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Are we really getting a ban coming in August? Is that proposed for one year or 2+ years until Amendment 3 is implemented (I've read both)? It looked like the preliminary vote was 5-4, but I would think a complete moratorium would get some powerful folks pretty upset. What are the proposed recreational changes after the ban?

Is SC tasked with reducing harvest as well? Are there any changes coming for SC?

Don't want to start another argument, but if you have to use a complete ban to save a fishery, someone messed up big time and had a lot of opportunities to act before. The DMF has been warning that many of our fish stocks are of concern or overfished for many years. It's a shame they have to resort to a ban because they don't have the political fortitude to manage. No one wins when we run them in the ground.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Are we really getting a ban coming in August? Is that proposed for one year or 2+ years until Amendment 3 is implemented (I've read both)? It looked like the preliminary vote was 5-4, but I would think a complete moratorium would get some powerful folks pretty upset. What are the proposed recreational changes after the ban?

Is SC tasked with reducing harvest as well? Are there any changes coming for SC?

Don't want to start another argument, but if you have to use a complete ban to save a fishery, someone messed up big time and had a lot of opportunities to act before. The DMF has been warning that many of our fish stocks are of concern or overfished for many years. It's a shame they have to resort to a ban because they don't have the political fortitude to manage. No one wins when we run them in the ground.
powerful folks pretty upset- isn't that the nature of NC salt fishing? which powerful folks does this upset?
article has detail in links on the proposal. it is yet to be decided.
 

Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
This year it will close after the August Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting. Reopen sometime in 2020 and will have a 10 week recreational season and a 30 day commercial season.


The new regulations will only apply to NC.
 
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CRC

Old Mossy Horns
South Carolina can't change their fishing regs unless their legislature acts if I understand correctly
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
This year it will close after the August Marine Fisheries Commission Meeting. Reopen sometime in 2020 and will have a 10 week recreational season and a 30 day commercial season.


The new regulations will only apply to NC.

Thanks. I read one place where it said late summer 2020, and another place said closed until implementation of amendment 3 in 2021.

I know this particular proposal only applies to NC, but since they call it the South Atlantic Stock Assessment, I wasn't sure if SC or other states were going to follow suit.
 

witler

Eight Pointer
Makes no sense, Va. has a daily limit of 4, SC has a daily limit of 10. Since we are closing Flounder fishing, did anyone tell the fish not to swim North or south.
Seems like we are breeding flounder for our two neighbouring states.
 

JohnBoat

Banned
Makes no sense, Va. has a daily limit of 4, SC has a daily limit of 10. Since we are closing Flounder fishing, did anyone tell the fish not to swim North or south.
Seems like we are breeding flounder for our two neighbouring states.

Well neither of them allow gillnets or trawling inshore. Which may explain the higher limits for them. They might be pissed at us that their flounder swim here only to be harvested in nets. VA has much higher size minimums than we do as well. So really, NC is probly the one hurting their fisheries, not the other way around.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Size minimums on flounder:

Maryland- 16.5 inches
Virginia- 16.5 inches
NC- 15 inches
SC-15 inches
Georgia- 12 inches
Florida- 12 inches
 

HotSoup

Old Mossy Horns
A 12" flounder is see thru! The only thing we can do on the rec side is to let our legislation know how we feel.
 

Starfan

Eight Pointer
What really sucks is for the older people like my dad. He’s 71 and keeps a place at the coast just to flounder fish. They’ve had that place for 40 years and he said because of the closure that he don’t care if they keep it or not.
 
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jbaldwin

Six Pointer
Hearing rumors that SC is looking to lower limits. Have a buddy in DMF down that way. Or what ever they call it in SC.
 

EazyE02

Button Buck
Aren't they also doing a limit change for spots, blues, and kingfishes as well? I know blues had one, but they made changes if I am not mistaking... Wonder if this will hurt some piers along the coast? I think it will have a impact.. I love fishing for flounder of the surf and pier.. But I only get to go once a year to fish the coast..
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
Think they are closing it for the rec. fisherman in Aug but the commercial can still harvest till end of the year.....explain that one.
 

Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
Think they are closing it for the rec. fisherman in Aug but the commercial can still harvest till end of the year.....explain that one.

Recreational landings for 2019 will have already reached whatever the magic number they came up with was by the time the MFC meets in August, so it will close until the next season.
 

Soilman

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
In NC, it is fast coming to the point that it isn't worth the time, effort or money for a rec fisherman to bother putting his boat into salt water. Kinda wonder if that isn't someone's plan. Four trout and 1 redfish, and that is only if you are extremely lucky enough to catch your limit. Mismanagement and corruption.
 

JohnBoat

Banned
In NC, it is fast coming to the point that it isn't worth the time, effort or money for a rec fisherman to bother putting his boat into salt water. Kinda wonder if that isn't someone's plan. Four trout and 1 redfish, and that is only if you are extremely lucky enough to catch your limit. Mismanagement and corruption.

NC fisheries management is not based off science or facts. It's based on politics. Hence the corruption and mismanagement.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
well why don't we just let everybody commercial and rec kill all they want.
Problem solved.
wouldnt that work?

The ocean is big and those fish don't need no stinkin protection. You can't fish out the resource. LOLZ.
 

Soilman

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Ain't saying they shouldn't be protected. I'm just saying I paid my money in license, taxes in equipment, etc. to have the fisheries managed to a degree that I CAN keep some when I get the chance to go. We have been ripped off, is all I'm saying.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
well why don't we just let everybody commercial and rec kill all they want.
Problem solved.
wouldnt that work?

The ocean is big and those fish don't need no stinkin protection. You can't fish out the resource. LOLZ.

That would only work for state waters. No way that would be allowed in federal waters.
 

cheapdate

Eight Pointer
I really thought when we were finally able to get the saltwater rec fishing license passed that the rec fisherman would get at least some consideration from the DMF and or the General Assembly. Boy was I wrong. Can anyone tell me what the recreational saltwater license money is spent on. They used to give away DMF fish towels at the boat ramps. Haven't seen one of those in a while.
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
Rec. fisherman have never caught enough flounder in any given year to warrant a season closing in Aug and the comm. not catching there limit and can fish till end of year....that tells me that someone setting the limits rules to screw the recs.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
is it against the law to intentionally catch a flounder with a rod and reel and let them go during the "closed" season?
or is just too much to ask for a rec guy to throw back a 15 inch flounder?
 
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