Virginia Saltwater Fishing

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) has voted to increase the 2011 commercial and recreational harvest levels of both scup (porgy) and summer flounder, welcome news for a beleaguered Atlantic Coast fishing community.

Following input from the Scup Monitoring Committee, the MAFMC, which met jointly today with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) management boards, voted to increase the total allowable catch for scup (porgy) from this year’s 17.09 million pounds of quota to a catch of 24.1 million pounds in 2011. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) had recommended an acceptable biological catch as high as 51.7 million pounds, which would’ve represented a near 200% increase in quota if enacted.

Council members heard various recommendations from the monitoring committee, in addition to public comment from recreational and commercial fishing interests who traveled to Philadelphia to attend today’s meetings, but voted on a more precautionary 41% increase in total allowable catch for next season. For the recreational sector, the total allowable catch of 24.1 million pounds will result in a 4.4-million-pound harvest for the year.

On the summer flounder front, the MAFMC voted to increase the total allowable catch from this season’s 25.48 million pounds to an increased quota of 33.95 million pounds in the year ahead. The new total allowable landings for 2011 represent the highest allowable catch debated by the MAFMC today.

Recreational fishermen are hopeful that this increase in quota means improved summer flounder regulations for 2011, but that still rests in the hands of the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) for 2010.

“The recreational fishermen won’t know what this means in terms of regulations until November at the very least,” said Capt. Adam Nowalsky, chairman of the Recreational Fishing Alliance’s New Jersey Chapter (RFA-NJ). “As anglers have come to recognize year after year, now we have to wait for this season’s landings information to come through from MRFSS to forecast how that compares to the 2011 recreational allowable landings.”

“Some of the reasons for this success should go to the science that was contributed by the grassroots efforts of the local fishing community,” said Ray Bogan, legal counsel for the RFA. “There has been an extraordinary contribution by the anglers, which makes up a significant portion of the scientific effort in the summer flounder assessments,” he said.

Bogan noted that private funding through the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, United Boatmen, and RFA, along with non-federal inshore survey analysis by the North East Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) have helped lead to improved summer flounder assessments, which in turn has led to improved access for anglers.

A letter from Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) to the New York council members overnight was distributed amongst MAFMC members, in which the senator urged council members to provide increased access to summer flounder and scup resources for both recreational and commercial fishermen.

“As the Council knows, these species are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring,” Sen. Schumer said in his letter, adding “Fishermen have patiently waited for these stocks to rebuild and were promised relief when they were healthy again. Now is that time.”

“The scup biomass is rebuilt by around 200% and yet it seems that our quota is going to be raised only marginally,” said Capt. Paul Forsberg of the Viking Fleet out of Montauk, NY, who attended today’s meeting. “How high must the biomass go before we can achieve maximum sustainable yield?”

Despite pleas from fishermen to increase the porgy quota by 55% to a total allowable catch of 26-1/2 million pounds, a 9-8 council vote put the porgy limit at a more modest 41% increase.

For details on recent MAFMC actions, visit www.mafmc.org

source: RFA

This is a simple recipe for serving 2 of Virginia’s most famous seafood products; fresh flounder and Chesapeake Bay blue crab meat.

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh flounder fillets (skin on)
1 lb Chesapeake Bay lump backfin crab meat
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup crab seasoning
1 lemon (juice and pulp only)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chopped parsley
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Line a baking dish with olive oil and place fillets in dish, skin side down.
2. Mix egg, melted butter, mayonnaise, crab seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and onion.
3. Blend in crab meat.
4. Spread stuffing over fillets and bake at 400 for 5 minutes, until juices begin to boil.
5. Move to broiler, watch closely, broiling until stuffing begins to brown lightly.

Serving suggestions:

This dish is excellent with sliced garden tomatoes, fresh steamed vegetables or rice and a Virginia Chardonnay.

The 2010 “Flounder Bowl” fishing tournament allows Virginia’s finest flounder anglers to gather together to compete for bragging rights for the year. This year’s tournament is scheduled for June 26, with a captains meeting June 25.

The Flounder Bowl is hosted by the Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman’s Association but it is the many businesses who sponsor this event which make it such a great time. These businesses are providing a guaranteed First Prize award of $5,000.

They also make it possible to provide free food, drink and music for participants at both the captains meeting and at the weigh-in. The sponsors provide for team buckets given out at the captains meeting and they are also providing various prizes which will be given away at the weigh-in. Each team will find door-prize tickets in their team buckets which will give them chances to win these prizes.

The Flounder Bowl will be held out of Dare Marina and Yacht Sales (www.daremarina.com). Boats will be allowed to fish from any port but the fish must be brought to Dare Marina for weigh-in.

This is a team tournament with an entry fee of $100 per boat with up to 4 anglers. Additional anglers will cost $25 each. Winners will be determined by the combined weight of the team’s top three fish. Cash prizes will be paid through six places.

To give everyone a chance to win, teams not placing in the top six will be entered in a “Lucky Dog” drawing. The team drawn will win an additional cash prize. There will be a prize for the heaviest flounder caught by a child and a prize for the heaviest flounder caught by a woman in the tournament.

Teams will be given the option of entering a “Big Fish Calcutta” for an additional $100 entry fee. This is a 100% payout to the team, that has entered the Calcutta, which weighs in the single heaviest fish. There is a special Sponsors’ Challenge Division where teams entered by the tournament sponsors will compete with each other for the special Sponsors’ Trophy. The winning sponsor will get to keep this trophy until next year’s tournament.

Currently, the Sponsors’ Trophy is in the possession of Paige II Charters. The 2009 Flounder Bowl had a total cash payout of $10,900 plus donated merchandise prizes. The winnings are expected to be larger this year. This is your chance to fish with and against some of the best flounder anglers in the state. There will be food, drink, music, and multiple chances to win. Come on out and join the fun!

For many anglers, Spring flounder fishing along the Eastern Shore of Virginia is an annual event that marks the beginning of the saltwater fishing year. As waters warm, flounder enter and begin to feed in the inlets, creeks and coastal bays of the region.  A few flounder sometimes arrive in March but the main thrust of fish is usually in April, with the surge of incoming fish continuing into May.

Spring time flounder fishing success in Virginia is dictated factors such as by wind, water temperature and water clarity. A basic rule of thumb is that flounder start biting when water temperatures reach 50 degrees, with the best springtime fishing usually in water between 60 and 70 degrees.

Experienced flounder anglers seek conditions when the tide will be high in the mid morning thru afternoon hours. The theory is that the cold ocean water comes in and flows up onto the flats were the sun can warm it a significant amount in just a few hours. When the tide changes, warmer water flows into the channels, triggering the flounder to feed aggressively. This phenomenon doesn’t always happen but when conditions are right, flounder fishing can be excellent.

Top baits for spring fishing include several of the natural prey species of summer flounder. These include frozen silversides, live minnows, squid strips and fresh cut strips of fish if available. Favorite fish for making cut strip baits include small croakers, perch, bluefish or other suitable fish. Finding these species in the early season is not easy, but some anglers set aside catches of early season fish specifically for use as flounder strip baits.

Related Links

How to Clean and Fillet Flounder

Virginia Fishing Guides

2010 may shape up to be a good year for flounder fishing in Virginia. After a harsh winter, anglers have had several days of mild weather in the early season. Catches of flounder along Virginia’s eastern shore came as early as the second weekend in March. More mild weather is expected to improve catches as the season progresses.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has voted to lower the size limit for flounder this year.  The new regulations set the new size limit at 18.5 inches, down from 19 inches, but reduce the bag limit from five to four flounder per day for the rest of the year.

In Virginia’s Potomac River tributaries the minimum size limit, closed season, and possession limit will be the same as established by PRFC for the mainstem Potomac River.

The VMRC has voted on flounder size regulations for the 2010 season.  The new regulations set the flounder size limit at 18.5 inches, with a creel limit decreased to four fish per day, with no mid-season closure.

VMRC also voted to reduce the daily limit of six weakfish to one fish a day for recreational anglers, and to reduce the commercial harvest to 100 pounds per day or trip, whichever is longer. These actions were taken in order to meet mandated Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission harvest reductions.  The reductions were a result of data that shows the species has been highly depleted on a coastwide basis. The catch reductions will take effect May 1, 2010.

When cleaning fish it’s important to decide if you will scale or skin the fish as well as choosing to fillet the fish or simply gut and remove the head, tail and fins. Smaller fish may not be suited for filleting but most larger fish can easily be filleted in order to provide high quality boneless meals. Skinning the fish and trimming any dark meat can further raise the quality of your meal.

Prior to filleting fish, select the proper knives and check their edge. Sharpen and clean the blade if needed. For very large fish, a thick blade may be necessary to cut the skin. Once the tough outer skin is cut, it may be necessary to switch to a flexible fillet knife. Never use a knife to scale fish, instead use a fish scaler or an old kitchen knife that is dull and no longer useful for cutting.

To fillet fish, first scale the fish well (if using the skin-on method) and rinse thoroughly. Lay the fish out flat and make a cut along the top side of the fish, from the head to the tail. Follow the skeleton, cutting as close to the bones as possible. Make vertical cut just behind the gills, angled to match the gill plate. Continue slicing downward, working from top to bottom until the fillet is free from the carcass. Repeat the process for the remaining side of the fish.

If the fish will be skinned, lie the fillet down flat, skin side down. Using a SHARP fillet knife, make a cut from the tail section towards the front using a slicing motion. Continue working forward, parallel to the skin. A clean skinning process should not be wasteful, but will leave a thin layer of dark meat on the skin.

Fish should always be kept cold! Store fish in an iced cooler and clean them right away after your trip. Fillets will be best if rinsed, placed in zipper bags and placed back on ice immediately after cleaning.

For small panfish, filleting may not be practical. Just as with filleted fish, scaling is the first step of the process. While holding the fish firmly with one hand, use the tool to remove all scales. You must run the scaler or knife from tail to head in order to get the scales off. The skin should be smooth when all scales are gone.

Next, cut the fish’s head off. make the cut at the back of the fish’s gills. Cut through at this point. Make a cut from the belly back to the vent, avoiding all organs. Remove all organs, saving the roe if any is found. Cut off the tail and fins. Rinse the fish and place on ice immediately.

Don’t want to waste anything? You can use kitchen shears and remove the gills from the head, then rinse the head, skeleton, skin and scraps of dark meat for use in making a delicious fish stock. Any parts not used can be added to a compost pile. Fish scraps are excellent sources of minerals and other nutrients for your garden.

Vacuum bags are an excellent choice if you plan to freeze part of your catch. Vacuum bags work by removing air from freezer storage bags. You simply place your food in the freezer bag, seal the bag, and use the vacuum tool to air from the bag. Removing excess air cuts down on freezer burn.

Several types of bags and vacuum devices exist, ranging from inexpensive hand pumps to large models for bulk freezing. One of the most popular options is an economically priced, hand-held vacuum sealer which removes air from the specially designed food bags. To purchase a manual or electric vacuum pump and bags, shop online or visit major grocery stores and mass retailers. The average cost of a kit is very affordable and refills of quart or gallon size bags are available.

These pages have specific tutorials and other information on cleaning fish, shelllfish and other seafood:

Cleaning and Filleting Flounder

Cleaning and Filleting Tautog

Cleaning Black Drum Fish

Cleaning Scaling and Gutting Pan Fish

Fillet Knives and Other Kitchen Accessories

Freezing Fish and Other Seafood

Atlantic coast states from Massachusetts through Virginia have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum XX to Amendment 13 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow. Please note that some states will also be conducting hearings on other ASMFC proposed species management actions.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
September 30, 2009; 4:30 PM
Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station
30 Emerson Avenue
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Contact:  Melanie Griffin at (617) 626-1528
* The meeting will begin with public comment related to Lobster Draft Addendum XV; comment will be gathered on Scup and Black Sea Bass Draft Addendum XX immediately following lobster

Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife
October 1, 2009; 6:00 PM
URI, Narragansett Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium
215 South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Contact: Jason McNamee at (401) 423-1943
* Public comment will also be gathered on Shad Draft Amendment 3 and Striped Bass Draft Addendum II

Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection
October 6, 2009; 7:00 PM
Marine Headquarters (Boating Education Center)
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, Connecticut
Contact: David Simpson at (860) 434-6043
* Public comment will also be gathered on Shad Draft Amendment 3 and Striped Bass Draft Addendum II

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

September 24, 2009; 7:00 PM
Marine Resources Headquarters
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York
Contact: Steve Heins at (631) 444-0435
* Public comment will also be gathered on Striped Bass Draft Addendum II

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
October 5, 2009; 7:00 PM
Marine Enforcement Office
Route 9, Mile Marker 51
Port Republic, New Jersey
Contact: Tom McCloy at (609) 292-7794

* Public comment will also be gathered on Shad Draft Amendment 3 (8:00 PM)

Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
October 13, 2009; 5:30 PM
Tawes State Office Building, C1 Conference Room
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland
Contact:  Carrie Kennedy at (410) 260-8235
* Public comment will also be gathered on Weakfish Draft Addendum IV

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

September 28, 2009; 6:00 PM
2600 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor
Newport News, Virginia
Contact: Jack Travelstead at (757) 247-2247
* Public comment will also be gathered on Shad Draft Amendment 3 and Striped Bass Draft Addendum II

Draft Addendum XX proposes changes to the transfer provisions for the commercial fisheries for both black sea bass and scup summer period (May 1-October 31) managed under the Commission’s plans.  The current FMP does not provide adequate guidance for Commission-only state-by-state quota management. As a practical matter, states routinely under harvest or slightly overharvest their state-specific allocations due to delays in reporting, inconsistencies in the data collection processes, unanticipated changes in catch rates, and implementation delays in trip limit changes or fishery closures. The FMP requires that each state deduct overages from the following year’s quota when they occur. The Draft Addendum proposes a process to reconcile quotas to address states’ unintended minor overages.

Specifically, the Draft Addendum proposes to establish clear policies and administrative protocols to guide the allocation of transfers from states with underages to states with overages. It also proposes to automatically reconcile a state’s overage in its entirety in a year where the coastwide quota or fishing period (e.g., scup summer period) quota was not exceeded. The proposed options would allow Commission staff to streamline and coordinate the transfers of quota as well as allow for quota transfers to reconcile overages after year’s end.

Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on Draft Addendum XX, either by attending public hearings or providing written comments.  Copies of Draft Addendum XX are available via the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News.  Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM (EST) on October 9, 2009 and should be forwarded to Toni Kerns, Senior FMP Coordinator for Management, 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at tkerns@asmfc.org (Subject line: Draft Addendum XX).

source: ASMFC press release