# Flounder Need Help>



## jigmaster (Oct 27, 2007)

After having Gigged for 25plus years I too have noticed a steady decline in both size and quantity but mostly the time it takes to consitantly catch a limit if at all... Back in the day it was the norm to Gig one every 10-15 min in the height of the season.

http://www.floridasportsman.com/2011/05/16/confron_c_0411_flounder/


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## VanStaal (Oct 10, 2011)

Rough Times :/


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## snapperfan (Aug 30, 2009)

If something has a dollar value on it it will be hammered until it's not profitable.


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## Night Wing (May 16, 2011)

In the state of Texas where I live, we've had new flounder regulations starting in 2010.

Before 2010, the recreational size limit was a 14" minimum length with a daily bag limit of 10 fish. Gigging was/is allowed.

Now, the recreational size limit is still 14", but the daily bag limit is 5 fish and gigging is still allowed. There is an exception. During the month of November only, the daily bag limit is 2 fish and no gigging is allowed.


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## jigmaster (Oct 27, 2007)

*Did*



Night Wing said:


> In the state of Texas where I live, we've had new flounder regulations starting in 2010.
> 
> Before 2010, the recreational size limit was a 14" minimum length with a daily bag limit of 10 fish. Gigging was/is allowed.
> 
> Now, the recreational size limit is still 14", but the daily bag limit is 5 fish and gigging is still allowed. There is an exception. During the month of November only, the daily bag limit is 2 fish and no gigging is allowed.


This law affect the commercial Giggers at all?


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## Night Wing (May 16, 2011)

jigmaster said:


> This law affect the commercial Giggers at all?


I never checked the commercial giggers. I "think" their daily bag limit went from 50 fish down to 30 fish.


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## TurtleLA (Mar 21, 2011)

jigmaster said:


> After having Gigged for 25plus years I too have noticed a steady decline in both size and quantity but mostly the time it takes to consitantly catch a limit if at all... Back in the day it was the norm to Gig one every 10-15 min in the height of the season.
> 
> http://www.floridasportsman.com/2011/05/16/confron_c_0411_flounder/


I can't speak for FL, but I consistently gig limits in LA and they are bigger them what I was gigging 15 years ago. Then again we don't have the pressure here from gigging that you probably do. I still think you can do well there. You just have to do more scouting in my opinion. It is sad that TX has a limit of 5 fish. I know guys that gig around Sabine that borders Texas and its not uncommon for them to gig 40-50 fish a night. Hopefully with a new president the NMFS can be restructured so that snapper, grouper, etc limits can be fixed. Sorry I'm getting on a tangent.


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## jhamilton226 (Oct 1, 2010)

It is crazy to see how regulations for sport and recreational fisherman constantly change...as if we where the reason that fish populations are declining world wide...however, not often enough do you hear people question the commercial limits or methods by which they catch their product...I'm not trying to lead a movement against the commercial industry but the fishing communities of the world need to recognize before its too late where the real damage to our fish stocks is occurring and make sensible changes to protect our resources and our ways of life before its diminished to the point of endangerment or gone for good...


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## Rustifaro (Jul 16, 2008)

I have flounder fished Pensacola Bay with rod and reel for over thirty years. This is one of the worse years I have ever had. I've still caught a few but limits are few and far between. Maybe the oil had something to do with it, dunno. I remember when the net ban took effect some folks said it would be limits for all forever - didn't happen.


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## asago (Nov 11, 2008)

Hmm... flounder live on the bottom... Oil sank to the bottom... 

Having said that, I have a friend who a week ago caught and released over 80 fish in a days fishing over a 1/2 mile stretch in the pensacola bay area....


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## frydaddy (Oct 1, 2007)

Like everything else, gotta know where to go. The fish are there, more than ever the last 15 years. I've fished em for over 35 years, just like the snapper, they're there.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

asago said:


> Hmm... flounder live on the bottom... Oil sank to the bottom...
> 
> Having said that, I have a friend who a week ago caught and released over 80 fish in a days fishing over a 1/2 mile stretch in the pensacola bay area....


I hate to inform you but OIL doesn't sink to the bottom. Oil floats until all the volatile solutions are burned off by the sun or evaporated then the tar balls will sink. The tar balls have been on the bottom in the sand for millions of years and caused no harm to the flounder or fish population.
FWC has a web sight that shows the yearly catches for commercial flounder. The average goes up and down from year to year this just happens to be a down year :thumbup:


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