Scott's Daily Fishing Reports February 1999
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Looks like tomorrow is the big day. Several anglers bought worms and clam chum to attempt to sneak in a fishing trip for Winter Flounder on opening day. Other anglers geared up for the opening day of Striper fishing in the back bays.
The $100.00 Scott's Bait & Tackle gift certificate for the first keeper Striped Bass caught off of Graveling Point at the end of Radio Road, goes into effect tonight at midnight.
If anyone you know hasn't voted for the Fluke, Mike Shephard of the Atlantic City press set up a Phone Survey at 609 272 7274. Just give the phone number to your friends and have them dial away, but have them do it before Wednesday to be sure that the vote is counted in some way. G'night all...Sea ya
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If Scott's Bait & Tackle has sent you an E-mail in the past 10 days, we have sent you a "WORM". A worm is another term for VIRUS, but it does not pose any threat to your system. You can only get the worm by having received an E-mail from us, not by visiting the sight. The sight is on a highly virus protected host. My virus protection software expired 30 months ago, and the "HAPPY99.EXE"is pretty new and I'm sure you haven't seen or heard the last of it. The worm is named "HAPPY99.EXE". If you have accessed this file, did you recall seeing fireworks???, you have activated the "worm". It is a clever program that automatically attaches itself to E-mails without the senders knowledge. In other words, I didn't know that I was passing it on until a good, now even better friend =), Bill Mc Clinchy, of the famous vessel Top Banana, filled me in, after I sent it to him. Thanks Bill.
To check your machine to see if it is infected, search your hard drive, or hard drives, for the file HAPPY99.EXE
Not sure how to do it???
Left Mouse Click START
Select PROGRAMS
Left Mouse ClickWindows Explorer
Left Mouse Click Tools
Select Find
Left Mouse Click Files or Folders
In the Named box...type the file name you are searching for.
If the file name shows up in the bottom box...
Left mouse Click on it once to highlight it
Right mouse click to bring up a menu
Select delete.
This will remove the file to your recycle bin.
If If If you ran the HAPPY99.EXE, then there are 3 other files to delete. Locate them the same way you found the HAPPY99.EXE file using the above steps.
Delete the following files...
First: SKA.EXE
Second SKA.DLL
Third: If and only if those two above files are present:WSOCK32.DLL
If they are not present, then the HAPPY99.EXE file was not activated and your system was not effected.
Now, search for WSOCK32.SKA Do not delete it.
Right Mouse Click on it and Rename it to WSOCK32.DLL
If that all went well, then you have done it. To run a test, send an E-mail to your own address. Yup, you can do that. See if the attached file HAPPY99.EXE comes through. If not, your clean.
Sometimes, there may be a complication with deleting the file WSOCK32.DLL because it is in use. If this happens to you, then you have to turn off a file that may be using it. Press CTRL ALT DEL all at once, one time. This will bring up a menu. Select active programs and turn them off by selecting END TASK. For a more technical explanation of what this thing is, go to this sight: http://www.avp.com/happy/body_happy.html
Sorry everybody for the inconvenience. Sea Ya
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Many anglers continue to count down the days to the opening of Winter Flounder season. Several anglers were in to pick up the new saltwater regulations. Ha. I don't expect to see the new State Saltwater Digests with the 1999 regulations until almost May. However, we can go by last years posted regulation on Flounder which is a 10" fish and an unlimited catch. Bloodworms are in stock for grand opening of the fishing season next Monday. Winter is over already??? Sea ya
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This evening, the Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA), held a meeting to discuss many topics. The one topic on most anglers minds at this time, is the pending Summer Flounder proposal. Of the 21 clubs who voted, 11 chose the 15 1/2" some season,10 fish option and 10 clubs chose the 16", 10 fish, no closed season option. Therefore, the official position of the JCAA, at this time, is to go with a 15 1/2", 10 fish, some season, which is likely to be the May 15 to October 11 option.
The even balance of the club means that the public opinion at the March 4 meeting will probably carry more weight. The Fishermen Magazine surveys and the Scott's B&T poll with help from Fishermen's Headquarters counter survey may help the committee make a decision based on public opinion. Sea ya
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Sea ya
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One week left until the official start of the Striper Season. If the weather cooperates, anglers will line up along the bank at Graveling Point especially if someone actually catches a few nice Bass. Sea ya
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Sea ya
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The next couple of weeks are last of a dormant fishing season. Last year, the first Striped Bass was caught on Graveling Point, one week from today. Two weeks from now, you will be able to put a fresh Striper on the dinner table if your lucky enough to find a keeper anywhere. The Spring Graveling Point Stripers are usually schoolies. Last year, the length seemed to get a little closer to keeper size. Anglers talked of a lot of fish just missing the keeper size by 1/2 to 2 inches. Many anglers threw plenty of keeper size fish back too, which is always a good thing. One week....Hmmmm...Winters almost over??? We will see.
Sea ya
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As far as a fishing report goes, it was the wind and cold temperatures that kept most anglers indoors watching the Daytona 500 race. Things are quiet!
Sea ya
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Nice Bloodworms came in just in time this morning; we were almost out. We are ready for those anglers who are searching out the early Stripers and Perch. Sea ya
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Still blah on the new fishing news. I'll be sure to tell if something good breaks. Sea ya
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Perch anglers are out and about by boat and by land. Boating anglers haven't reported much back and a few reports from the Beach Haven West area tell fish tales of a few White Perch right before sunset. Action is not too exciting yet.
Other anglers are starting to actually fish Graveling Point. Soon we will here of the first catch and release Striper from that area. I believe it to be around the last weekend in February before the first Striper is caught.
As we have done in the past few years, we will offer a $100.00 Gift Certificate to the first keeper Striped Bass caught off of Graveling Point or Pebble Beach which are both very popular fishing areas at the end of Radio Road in Mystic Island. Contest starts March 1, after it is legal to keep Striped Bass. Stripers caught from other areas do not qualify for the gift certificate, but we will take your picture and put it on the web so you can e-mail it to all of your friends. Sea Ya =)
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Sea ya
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I'm now going to go work on the Ballot page. I hope to get it on the WEB tonight. Sea ya
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The committee was made up of a cross section of the recreational fishery, which included small charter boat vessel captains as well as the large head/party boat captains, individual fishermen, members representing several fishing clubs and a bait & tackle shop operator. We, the recreational advisors did have a difference of opinion, but were a very civil group and did not have any yelling and shouting matches that has gone on at so many of the fisheries meetings in the past. For that, I applaud the group. Thank you.
The commercial fishery has it's own set of guidelines it must meet and our job is completely independent of that. I will "say" it again. The commercial fishery decision is completely separate from the recreational fishery decision at this point. The recreational fishery must reduce the harvest of Fluke by 40% for the 1999 season. Therefore, Mr. Bruce Halgren shaped the data into a few workable tables below.
| Size | Possession limit | Percent of savings | Savings required from season a closure |
| 15" | 6 | 17.6% | +22.4% |
| 15" | 8 | 15.2% | +24.8% |
| 15" | 10 | 14.8% | +25.2% |
| 15 1/2" | 6 | 31.4% | +8.6% |
| 15 1/2" | 8 | 29.9% | +10.1% |
| 15 1/2" | 10 | 29.7% | +10.3% |
| 16" | 8 or 10 | 44.5% | 0% or no closed season |
Possible combinations of Size and Season
| Start date | 15" 6 fish |
15" 8 fish |
15" 10 fish |
15 1/2" 6 fish |
15 1/2" 8 fish |
15 1/2" 10 fish |
| April 1 | Sept. 12 | Sept. 9 | Sept. 9 | Oct. 6 | Oct. 4 | Oct. 2 |
| April 15 | Sept. 13 | Sept. 10 | Sept. 9 | Oct. 7 | Oct. 4 | Oct. 3 |
| May 1 | Sept. 15 | Sept. 11 | Sept. 11 | Oct. 10 | Oct. 6 | Oct. 6 |
| May 15 | Sept. 17 | Sept. 14 | Sept. 13 | Oct. 15 | Oct. 11 | Oct. 10 |
| May 29 | Sept. 21 | Sept. 18 | Sept. 17 | Oct. 27 | Oct. 20 | Oct. 19 |
| June 1 | Sept. 23 | Sept. 19 | Sept. 18 | Oct. 31 | Oct. 23 | Oct. 22 |
| June 15 | Oct. 1 | Sept. 27 | Sept. 26 | Jan. 31 | Jan. 31 | Jan. 31 |
The people representing the Delaware Bay area swear that if the size limit is pushed up another 1/2" to a 15 1/2" size limit that you might as well just close the season altogether, because that will reduce the keep able fish in their area to zero. A little extreme, but conversation around the room believes this to have a some creditability, but not to the extreme of zero. They chose a season of May 1 through Sept. 11, 15" size limit and a bag limit of 10 fish.
A representative from the Jamaca II represented the Manasquan area and other head boats in his area with an opinion of a season of May 15 through October 11, 15 1/2" size limit and a bag limit of 10 fish.
The New Jersey Beach Buggy Association hinted at and the New Jersey Fishing Tackle Trade Association according to Dave Showell have the same opinion of a no closure, 16" size limit and a 10 fish bag limit.
I, Scott Albertson, a representative of a bait & tackle shop hold the opinion of a no closure, 16" size limit and a 10 fish bag limit, as well. The reason I feel this way, is that anglers will be able to fish for Fluke at any occasion they choose rather then by restrictions of a legal season. For our local area, the 16" size limit will still allow anglers to catch a decent quantity of Fluke on a regular basis.
The recreational committee will meet again on the March 4 date when we will give a final collective decision to the State Summer Flounder committee. At that point, they will make a final decision on the Summer Flounder Fishery.
Tomorrow, I am going to set up a ballot page for all of you fine people out there to vote your opinion. If enough people vote, I will collect the data and include it with a report at the March 4th meeting. It will be based on the two most popular choices discussed at the meeting and the option of a no closed season and the currently selected option of the Marine Fisheries council which is represented below in the table in red.
Summer Flounder Fishery Options
| May 1 | September 11 | 10 fish at 15" |
| May 15 | October 10 | 10 fish at 15 1/2" |
| January 1 | December 31 | 10 fish at 16" |
| May 29 | September 18 | 8 fish at 15" |
That's enough for tonight. Thanks for being out there to "talk" to. Sea ya
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Sea ya
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Enough babble...Fishing is still in it's February mode. Nothing new to report... Sea ya
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Rumor has it that a few White Perch are being caught up at the Mill Creek in Beach Haven West. If you go there, please make sure that you clean up a little of some other guys garbage so that the place doesn't get trashed like last year. Grass Shrimp are definitely the bait choice.
Sea ya
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Sea ya
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Felt like March outside, with a fine hard cold rain for the whole day. An angler called wanting to know if there have been any Stripers at Graveling Point yet?(cabin fever worsens). Do have a fish story to tell...One of our good customers had an occasion to be out on Brigantine Beach toward the end of last week and he saw a lot of birds working the surf and on closer observation could see Striped Bass rolling in the waves. His closest fishing rod was 30 miles away. Now, if that won't strike some cabin fever into your bones....seeing something like that, then nothing will. Sea ya
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