This has been the winter of Nor’easters! Even the first day of spring was like a February day! Seems like one right after the other.
This makes it a tough go for working outside on the boats and gear. Good time to work on the rods and reels, make up some new rigs, and most important… Change Your Fishing Line! I can’t stress that enough, don’t miss out on a fish of a lifetime because you didn’t think it was necessary to change the line!! Monofiliment breaks down in the sunlight and the braid slowly frays out each time it goes in and out through the guides, so be aware! Don’t Cheap out!!! Ha! Ha!
New regulations are going to be coming out for 2018. Though not etched in stone yet, recreational Fluke fishermen are getting a break this season. It’s looking like 4 Fluke at 19 inches. Season opening May 4th right through September 30th . A little good news in the regulation department is always welcome, because it’s usually bad news due to inaccurate assessments of the stocks. The Black Sea Bass regulations that are on the board for 2018 are not etched in stone either, but here they are: July 3rd through August 31st 3 fish at 15 inches. Then it goes from September 1st through December 31st 5 fish at 15 inches. Once again the assessments of Black Sea Bass stocks are very inaccurate. Last season they were everywhere, it was hard not to catch them. There was in certain areas, an abundance of new juvenile Black Sea Bass. I noticed the same thing about 8-10 years ago, and we saw the results of that last season! I agree regulations are necessary, simple because there are more people on the planet, but in this day and age accuracy of the stock assessments should be better, not worse. Recreational anglers on their own boats must be good stewards of the sea as well! We all can’t take the fish stocks for granted any more, that way we’ll have plenty of fishing fun in the future!!
Just want to mention the passing of Frank Tuma Sr. Rest in Peace my friend and thanks for all the great stories and being the class act you were. You and Perry Duryea are up there looking for Swordfish together again!!
Tight Lines, Captain Skip
