The truth about commerical flounder fishing
If you read my blog about the lame excuses some commerical fishermen have for the fall of the flounder fishery, you know they are for the most part blaming everyone but themselves. I'm a recreational angler only of course and I will be the first to admit we have a part in all of this. However, historically speaking, commercial fishermen collectively tend to do the opposite and ignore their huge stake in the issue. The data in this chart provided by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department shows commercial versus recreational landings. As you can see they have been over the last 10 years just below recreational in reported harvest. There are under 100 commercial finfish license holders reporting taking flounder and they are right in the ballpark with recreational harvest which is done by 800,000 plus rod and reel anglers and giggers. There is basically one commerical flounder fisherman for every 8,000 recreational anglers on the coast yet their impact is similar and in some years in the past has exceeded the recreational take.
So, what do you think? Are you glad they're proposing cutting the commerical bag from 60 to 30?
So, what do you think? Are you glad they're proposing cutting the commerical bag from 60 to 30?
Go ahead and blame the commercials! That's what you recreational anglers always do.
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Its hard to argue with the numbers isnt it. As much as I disagree with the state on some issues their science is usually spot on.
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Chester, you wrote what was it seven years ago in Flounder Fundamentals this was occuring that flounder were not a game fish and should be. Now look what has happened. You called it on the commerical side of things having a huge impact. I'm glad their limit is being cut in half. If were not going to make them a game fish right now at least this will lessen the impact.
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60 TO 30 Is a good start.
Make it 5 like the rest of us and I'l call it fair.
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Lets see
comm. permit $4500-$6000
annual fee $360+wholesale lic. $561
Super-combo +$64
Rec gigger/super combo $64
Where a rec. pays just for a reg. lic.
we pay an extra ammount for those fish we take. The way I look at it that lic. just pay for them. Mine license will be passed on to someone else in my family. Comm. permits are like guns, you dont sell them just acquire more. Everyone wants the finfish permit to be bought up and done away with. Hell I just like punchin fish and will keep mine valid and active. Fair would be everyone paying the same ammount, there is a fee I pay for gigging extra fish its called a permit. Trey Trey
Stick em' in da head they sell better!!
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How many fish do you take annually?
What is the average size?
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Another truth about commercial flounder fishing.....When I asked TPWL about why they were not proposing a size increase to let the flounder have another year or two of spawning, they said "restaurants want PLATE SIZE flounder". Thanks to the commercial floundermen, we can all go order flounder that you could hold up to the light and see through. No thanks, I think I'll pass.
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If they didn't cut the commercial's side of things I doubt recs would be taking it so well. For the most part most guys I know are content with the proposed changes and agree something needs to be done.
But if we don't focus on re-opening our passes and restoring wetlands, we'll have to be farm raising all species in the future.
It boggles my mind that put so many resources in doing what healthy bays could do themselves.
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I would agree that in a perfect world with plentiful flounder, a person should be able to pay more and get what they pay for. The problem is that we don't live in a perfect world and flounder are not plentiful. If any fishermen want to leave the privilege of letting their children catch flounder, both commercial and recreation limits will have to change. At least for a while.
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Is'nt it amazing how there were enough Flounder to go around with the old 12 in. limit but not enough with the 14 inch rule. Males hardly grow over 15 inches. Guess when you take all the females Shit Happens. Thank you TPWD. It looked good on paper I guess. Let's put the blame where it belongs. Do those fools ever fish. Maybe if they spoke to the Fishermen now + then.(at the fishing holes even) Guess you don't need to when you have a Daygree.
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