I was reading up on the NC coastal fishing laws.......it says Flounder unlawful. Why? Its one of the better tasting fish. and the other fish, the limits seem small to me. And no black sea bass!

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MRIP has way overestimated recreational catches again... been doing that for a decade or more. So that closes fishing seasons and raises the minimum length and lowers possession limits on most saltwater fish when the seasons finally do open.

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I always thought Flounder rules!
(RIP Stepehen Furst.)

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Yep, we have to buy it.

www.thecoastlandtimes.com/2023/01/01/atlantic-ocean-flounder-season-runs-from-through-january-31/#:~:text=North%20Carolina%20Marine%20Fisheries%20Proclamation,pound%20offload%20limit%20per%20trip.

"North Carolina Marine Fisheries Proclamation FF-6-2023 opens the Atlantic Ocean commercial flounder season at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. The proclamation sets a 35,000-pound offload limit per trip. Properly licensed vessel Captains can possess landing limits for other states, but it is unlawful to offload those fish in North Carolina.

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Ok what kind of fish should I keep for decent eating?

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NCDMF is why.
The recreational anglers get nothing but a short season.
Google NCDMF recreational flounder

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I always thought Flounder rules!
(RIP Stepehen Furst.)

Best post of the day. You beat me to it.

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The Flounder rule goes back several years and stems from Commercial Overfishing of Southern Flounder. We have both Southern Flounder and Summer Flounder (proper name Fluke). The recreational anglers pay the price of Total Overfishing even though Commercial was the driver. Now it gets more complicated. Even though the overfishing was Southern Flounder, both Southern and Fluke were closed. The reasons were that they are found together, but more ridiculous was that Recreational fishermen can't tell them apart.

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"what kind of fish should I keep for decent eating?"

When they show up, spot and croaker. I dislike cleaning small fish, but I make an exception for spot and croaker.

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So there will be no local flounder on restaurant menus?

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So there will be no local flounder on restaurant menus?

No that’s the whole stupidity of the rule. Commercial fishermen can still catch flounder.
Recreational anglers are NOT allowed to keep any flounder they catch other than a short fall season.

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Ok what kind of fish should I keep for decent eating?

Puppy drum are good, but a little difficult to clean. I have a serrated filet knife dedicated to the first cut into a puppy drum. Speckled trout are good. Both are plentiful in the sound now. Mullet/whiting are good. There are other good options depending on when you’ll be down.

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So there will be no local flounder on restaurant menus?

No that’s the whole stupidity of the rule. Commercial fishermen can still catch flounder.
Recreational anglers are NOT allowed to keep any flounder they catch other than a short fall season.

Short season plus the 1/day limit blows. You need a crew fishing for them if you plan on having a flounder dinner for more than a couple. Stupid.

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We went to Ocean Blvd in Kitty Hawk last night and they had flounder as the fish of the day. Two of us got the flounder and it was REALLY good. It was the thickest piece of flounder I have ever seen here. Normally the filet is 1/2 in or less thick. These fillets last night were about 1 in think or a bit more.

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I’ve got a good friend who’s a retired marine biologist, literally “wrote the book on NC marine fish” and he’ll launch into a rant over the flounder stupidity.

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"what kind of fish should I keep for decent eating?"

When they show up, spot and croaker. I dislike cleaning small fish, but I make an exception for spot and croaker.

Fried spot with hot sauce is a breakfast treat when I'm on Hatteras during the summer.

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I’ve got a good friend who’s a retired marine biologist, literally “wrote the book on NC marine fish” and he’ll launch into a rant over the flounder stupidity.

Please tell him to weigh in on the issue. I have watched the public hearings at NCDMF and I could not listen to the flat out lies being told about how bad the recreational fishermen are to the flounder population.
On the same note last year my son and I were stopped no less than 3 times soundside in Hatteras fishing by marine police and NCDMF looking for flounders while trout fishing.

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Okay with all due respect to you all, in the Seafood Industry there is much identity crisis. You have to deal with Trade, Local and Made up Names. Although Flounder is a specific real fish, the term Flounder has been a universal trade name in commercial fishing and restaurants in recent years. "Flounder" is part of the Flatfish Family. The Flatfish Family is worldwide and generally a highly desirable food fish. Flatfish exhibit the unique physical trait of having both eyes on one side of the fish. Their are Right and Left Handed Flatfish. One side with eyes is dark skinned and the other side is White. Okay true Flounder in Restaurants excluding imported foreign species will be either Northern Winter Flounder generally called Yellowtail (not to be confused with true Yellowtail) or Blackback, Fluke (Summer Flounder) or Southern Flounder. Our Local Recreational "Flounder" is either Fluke or Southern. Interesting Fact: Halibut is a Flatfish. If you have a 1" thick Flounder Fillet in a restaurant it is probably Fluke. Delicious.

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“ Halibut is a Flatfish”

Ate a lot of it when I was on the West Coast and it is very good. I’ve probably tried at least 25 kinds of fish and I would put it in the top five. My favorite is rockfish, but it is disgustingly expensive now. It was so plentiful when I was growing up in Elizabeth City that I do not remember anyone ever buying it from a fish market. It was just given away by and to everyone.

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Federal regulations for Fisheries of the Northeastern United States specify in 50 CFR Part 648.4(a)(7) that “any vessel of the United States that fishes for or retains black sea bass in or from the EEZ north of 35°15.3’ N. lat., the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, must have been issued and carry on board a valid National Marine Fisheries Service Black Sea Bass Moratorium Permit, except for vessels other than party or charter vessels that observe the 100 pound possession limit established pursuant to §648.145.”I.

Does this mean charter boats can keep black sea bass???? Im confused.

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Black Sea Bass opened on May 15th closes Dec. 31st. There is a two week Closure in October. The Charter Boats North of Hatteras can keep 15 per person, 13" Size. You have to understand Sea Bass North of Hatteras is controlled by the New England?Mid Atlantic Fishery Councils, below Hatteras is the Southeast Region of NMFS. However each state within the Northern Zone can set their own Rules for Closure because of Pound Limitations. Above the Virginia Line, Sea Bass had a February Season and they have a 12.5 Size.

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Its supposed to be a very hot summer. Does this mean the sharks will flock around the boats again I think online it said 2015 was a bad year for sharks versus charter boats. Oh AND I SAW ORCAS ARE TEACHING EACH OTHER HOW TO RAM BOATS OFF THE COAST OF SPAIN. They are smart. I just like being out on the water. In high heat the fish wont bite right?

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ORCAS

youtu.be/BL5wmqRUXkQ

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So far Sharks have not been a problem. The biggest problem is weather. Since April 1st we have canceled more Offshore trips than we've run. All about wind and sea conditons. I refuse to take people out and get beat up. If you can't stand, why, why ,why? Hatteras is affected by winds differently than OI.

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So far Sharks have not been a problem. The biggest problem is weather. Since April 1st we have canceled more Offshore trips than we've run. All about wind and sea conditons. I refuse to take people out and get beat up. If you can't stand, why, why ,why? Hatteras is affected by winds differently than OI.

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