# Flatties Anyone?



## Duke of Fluke (May 22, 2002)

Well guys the season has been open for over a week. Anyone getting them? I have heard some good reports from Sandy Hook Bay but not much from further south. Now is the time for the shore bound guys as most of the fish are shallow. Let's here some reports. I'm thinking of renting a skiff and fishing shark river next weekend.


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

Some of my boating buds have been down in Great Bay and behind Little Egg Inlet and it has been slim pickings for fluke. Bluefish are everywhere & eating everything.

The only surf guy I know who has landed fluke got three . . . they were in the stomach of a 46lb bass caught Friday evening from the north end of Brigantine.  

Duke, do you give any weight to the theory that the decline of fluke and weakfish stocks is due to striper predation? I know the baymen in the Chessy are saying it about blueclaw crabs.


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## Duke of Fluke (May 22, 2002)

*weakfish decline*

As you know the bunker population has gone way down due to purse seining by both bait boats and processors. Stripers are highly adaptable predators and will feed on whatever is available be it crabs, juvenile flounder, blackfish, or weakfish. Most guys who do a lot of striper fishing will tell you that they find a lot of juvenile weakfish inside the stripers they catch. And if you look at the population cylces for both species you will find that weakfish levels were at an all time high in the 70's and 80's....a time when the striper population was in real trouble. I asure you that was not a coincident. I really think that we need to put more stringent regulations on the menhaden fishery. They are an important prey species, and the decrease in the population has severely disrupted the food chain.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*flatties.....*

Duke,
Try grassy sound. They have been doing good there.


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## Duke of Fluke (May 22, 2002)

Rudde,

I have never fished that area, I only know the northern and southen part of the coast...Grassy sound is in that middle area that I have yet to explore. I might have to check it out.


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