New Jersey Sets Slot Limit in 2022 Fluke Regulations

Garden State fluke fishermen will have a longer season and a lower minimum size in a new slot limit for 2022.

by Jimmy Fee

New Jersey Fluke Regulations for 2022:

Fluke (Summer Flounder)
May 2 to September 27
2 Fish 17 to 17.99 inches
1 Fish 18 inches or larger

 

Summer Flounder fishermen in New Jersey will be getting a longer season in 2022. Fluke fishing will be open on May 2 and close on September 27. The longer season will provide more opportunities for backwater fluke fishermen, particularly in the southern part of the state.

The limits themselves are somewhat more complicated. For 2022, fishermen will be allowed to take two fluke between 17 and 17.99 inches, and one fluke over 18 inches. This is different from 2021’s regulations, when fishermen were allowed to keep 3 fluke over 18 inches.

This was one five of the regulations proposed, four of which were aimed at an increase in the fluke harvest between 15.9% and 16.5% over last year. With the longer season and the ability to keep two fish in a smaller size slot, it’s estimated that the new regulations will provide a 16.5% increase in fluke harvest.

The special regulations for Island Beach State Park shore fishing (2 fish at 16 inches) and Delaware Bay (3 fish at 17 inches) will remain status quo.

How do you feel about the new fluke limits for 2022? Comment Below. 

 

50 on “New Jersey Sets Slot Limit in 2022 Fluke Regulations”

  1. Dean

    Been a long time coming. Take less of the breeders and 17” fish has plenty of meat

    1. John

      I agree completely. Keeping only one large fish will help the breeding stock as they try to get past the Commercial draggers in the fall.
      The commercial draggers, with the new electronics, have been mowing down schools of fluke like a corn combine harvester. It’s about time they gave the recreational fisherman a break! (Excuse me, that’s “fisherperson”)

  2. Thomas Ruggieri

    My objective is to catch a couple doormats during the season. So, when I’m lucky enough to catch 2 decent fish in the same trip one must go back??? I’ll get my fillets at the seafood store. Forget the $100 fare.

  3. Steve

    This is the dumbest regulation ever. You gonna tell me that people on a private boat are going to throw back 3 or 4 nice fluke because they are too big?? There’s no way. Let the poaching begin

    1. John

      This country was built on honesty and this attribute is disappearing with each subsequent generation.

      1. Lou

        This is great..we got to keep at least 1 fish on a shore outing Lou c

  4. Frank

    Some went out and caught 50 fish or more and could keep zero fish. Now you have a better chance of bringing home some filets.

  5. Mark Chamberlain

    Except they open the season while they spawn and shut it down too early

    2. Ken

      One slot fish 16 to 18 and 12 over 18 would make more sense to me.

  6. Leon

    Makes sense. Mortality rate on returned fish is about 1/3. Not good. But also keeping the breeders is not good. Good day when I can bring home 2 17″ fish vs nothing in recent years. Bottom line, need to do something to turn around the very poor fluke fishing in our area.

    1. Gary Southward

      hi there there is a fluke mortality study done by a reputable university take a look at it its on the net its VERY interesting mortality for this species is EXTREMELY high its good to know what is a lethal hook placement when fishing This way you dont throw back a fish that will die anyway Basically if its bleeding at all THEY DIE if the gill is hooked THEY DIE Unfortunately we end up killing many more than we take with the large size limit 16 inches would have been a better idea But trust me if the state is giving us this they are handing commercial HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of POUNDS of additional quota

  7. Mr.Frantastik

    I live in the part of the state where it’s common to catch 3-8 lb fluke every trip so I guess I’ll only be taking home one fish

  8. stan s

    another dumb law passed by the nj fishing commission. It doesn’t surprise me a bit. Year after year these same guys pass laws that hinder the rod & reel fisherman while the commercial guys get free passes. I wonder if they have to take a stupid test to get their jobs

    1. Paul

      One of the strangest state Regulation I have heard and probably not the last unless recreational fisherman come together and make a public statement about our frustrations with these hair brain rulings. The state wants and needs the tax revenue generated from all the angler purchases but then pushes you to fish elsewhere other than NJ and therefore spend your money in another state. Completely confusing message!

  10. Rick Harbina

    Why continue to catch the breeders and release the smaller fish which have a high mortality rate when the weather and water are at there warmest. Suggest 2 at sixteen to eighteen , with a bonus fish over 22 inches, tag required.

  11. Dan Bias

    We gave up many ages of year class fish just to gain 1/2” smaller size limit .
    We already could have 17 1/2” .
    So to keep fish under 17 1/2 “ we gave up the opportunity to keep fish from 17 1/2” to 30” by 66 %

    And we will get charged heavy mortality on the larger throw backs .

    While we pushed hard to lower the size limit to hopefully take more male fish .
    They more than doubled the commercial catch quota
    No way recreational fisherman can help make this fishery more sustainable if they just let the commercial harvest of those larger fish fill the nets .

    .

    .

  12. Bob

    Typical Jersey … over regulation with confusion means more fines reaped. Who’s really doing the catching?

  14. Michael Pacinda

    there will no fish in years to come….by catch …..2 flounder ….3 fluke now blues……..before long killies….spearing…we cant feed the whole world from our country….. also when caught doing a dirty deed make em pay not a slap on the wrist….

  15. Bernie Jr.

    More confusion, they just make it harder for the recreational fisherman.

  16. Steve Stempinski

    It is a stupid regulations. The avid freshmen who spends a lot of money to fish wants to catch the prize fish. The 3 over 17.5” makes it simple and sensible. NY is allowing 4 fish over 18.5”. Where is the coordination of the two states.

  17. Carmine m melito

    I’ll make sure to have a ruler that measures 17.99″ !I
    How about this, “you catch it you keep it” Maybe a four fish bag? No guessing about release mortality.

  19. William Schwanda

    I would like to see the commercial fishermen keep all the dead flounder in their net go towards their quota and not throw back the dead under sized flounder.

  20. John

    Send the big breeders back, gently. But should be some regulation for gut hooked.

  21. John boy

    I think you should have the option of taking 2 slot fish. I’m not paying $5 plus for fuel to catch three 24″ fish and throw 2 back

  22. BERNARD KIBITLEWSKI

    Where can I buy a ruler that has .99 ???? Obviously the whole process of these regulations lacks COMMON SENSE

  23. Cj

    They set regulations like the crane in the arcade ! Keep trying but the claw is not strong enough to pick up the toy! They make a simple matter complicated.

  24. Alan

    I wonder how many fish are going to die trying to fill that one inch slot.
    The first option was 3 fish at 17 1/2. I’d like to know why it was not chosen

  25. Gary

    Not a fan of this new regulation and will definitely hurt the party and charter boats. I like the reduction in size but should have been 2 fish 17 to 20″ and one over 20″

  26. Louie

    North East Pa to Sandy Hook & back. Bait, Launch fee, fuel for the small boat and the Sub, plus meals. Many good memories. Been doing it since 9 years old when my folks announced a day fishing! It was often Barnegat light. It has gotten pricey for a maybe fish. Add 60 years… Looks more & more like NJ only wants the trawlers.

  29. Craig

    So commercial guys can take 14” fish 12 months a year and we get scraps, typical corrupt New Jersey

  31. peter okeefe

    anybody who believes the recreation fisherman can effect the atlantic ocean fluke by catching less is a gullible fool.40 million square miles of gods creation and some guys with fishing poles is gonna somehow effect it?? meanwhile foreign boats make huge “donations” and are exempt from all the so called “rules” to protect species?? I just cant believe some of these comments. Where is your outrage? The tip off is NY and new jersey have conflicting rules. STUPIDITY!!

  32. Rich Accurso

    while Iam happy for you fishermen in the Garden State;Ican’t see why Long Island regs are only redused 1/2 INCH .Our limit is 3 @ 181/2 inches give me a break .New Jersey is one regulation ,but New York is another .WHY?????

  33. GARY A NEUMANN

    I thru back many 17 inch last year thanks for the change

  34. Tom

    I fish on a party boat in Belmar and the price continues to rise over$100 now you limit the poundage of fluke that we can take.
    Your only going to hurt the party boat business buy this stupid rule.

  35. Bob

    Unless we address the issue of over harvesting by commercial fisherman numbers of all fish will be in steady decline.

  36. Fred

    Nobody standing there with a fishing pole in their hand is going to make a difference in the fish population. Commercial fishing needs to be restrained more.

  37. Andy

    Next year will not find 17-18 inch fish should have taken 17.5

  38. Jerry

    Its well known that larger fluke are almost always females. The size limits should spare fish over 17 inches and allow for harvesting smaller fish. This law is run by politicians and not biologists.

  39. Tom Stonehouse

    Commercial draggers take EVERYTHING , bycatch is all dead as it goes back into the water. And the State thinks private fishermen are going to actually accurately their one fish? And then return it if it’s a 1/4 inch shy. Now that’s funny. !

  40. G W

    Here is a scenario for you. You’re going out for a day of flounder fishing, up before the sun. Gonna cost you at least $125. You get to the fishing grounds and in the first half hour you catch a nice 19″ flatty. In the box it goes! Now for the rest of your day you’re praying for fish to be in the ridiculous inch slot. Stupid. But wait! around 10am you haul in a 28″ 7lb monster. Holy moses what a catch! Wait til they see this back at the dock. Smiles all around….but wait, you can’t keep that, you already have your fish over 17.99″. Can’t get caught with both, watcha gonna do? This is where you start thinking about how commercial fishing is ruining everything n you paid over $100 to be here , and recreational fisherman don’t make a difference etc.etc and then a law gets broken. Slot fish laws don’t work. Min. size with a bag limit is the only way.

  41. Capt Drew

    I have fished the New Jersey waters my entire life from when there was no size limit or retention limit and we would only keep what we could eat to now being a 1 inch slot limit and one fish over 18 inches unfortunately the New Jersey regulations favor the commercials and not the recreational fishermen who contribute more to the economy than anyone I threw back many 16 inch flounder this year that would’ve made a wonderful meal i’m hoping this ridiculous slot limit will be changed to next year

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