There didn't seem to be a downslide to their population. Spotted seatrout are similar to two other species, but are easily distinguished by their spots. While the shoulder-to-shoulder sunrise conditions may seem familiar to Cape Cod Canal regulars, the scene above took place a long way from Bourne, on the sod banks of Townsends Inlet in Avalon, New Jersey. At the time, I remember feeling like the luckiest angler on the planet. If you were flounder fishing they were a pain in the arse. Most times, weakfish will hit your bucktail on the drop. Weakfish. Fortescue is an community in Downe Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. I have spoke with many avid fishermen that fished mainly for weakfish. I hope they do not repeat the same mistake with flounder or with weakfish in the future. The weakfish stock was allowed to be reduced to the point that predation is now a factor! To say "entire" makes you sound like, you work for pew. I don't know what happened to the bay but can say it is nowhere near like it used to be. Weakfish can still be caught... just have to know where to find them... You shouldn't have to be an elitist weakfisherman to catch one or two fish. I though they seemed bigger though, you should of put something down to show the size relation. In Cape May co. NJ we seen a dramatic drop in the weakfish in the spring of 2002. i have an idea... instead of fishing liscence how about we take the 15million ocean city just stole from the taxpayers for beach replenishment and use that money towards a fish nursery instead!!!!!!! I attended the weakfish hearing and I reviewed all the minutes from the weakfish board. It should be noted that recreational fishing groups,commercial groups and letters from prominent politicians pressured the ASMFC into not significantly reducing the weakfish harvest years back. You shouldn't have to be an elitist weakfisherman to catch one or two fish. (page 28). (page 6) and What Do Fish Tell Us? The issue is not "what happened" to the weakfish. The Spotted Weakfish (Cynoscion nebulosus) is a popular gamefish commonly found in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico as well as in the South-eastern United States—from Maryland to Florida. Did You Know? There were fish getting mauled by big blues while floating on the surface. ", The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those. It has a silvery-white belly, and the back is dark olive/green which gives the fish an iridescent look. Have never made a comeback. Another article, Angler Survey Needs YOU! Not because they were wiped out by recreational/commercial fishing. The weakfish have been in decline especially since the mid-2000s and the reason for that has been speculated to be predation, not enough spawners, just a multitude of hypotheses but there hasn’t been a really definitive reason for why that is the case. Charlie Crist’s office. The sad truth of the matter, is the fisherman before us were stupid...People have evolved and gotten smarter. A half dozen species inhabit the coastal regions of North America. There were thousands of weakie floating....some still alive, but most dead....off in the distance there was a comm. Maybe” they were cut by the editor , explain later. Then one year they were gone. I saw something very disturbing a few years back while fishing out of TI. We had a bunch of big weakfish in Oregon Inlet from April through July. The weakfish stock was allowed to be reduced to the point that predation is now a factor! I mean whats does it prove. I believe the mystery of why the weakfish did not show up for the 2002 season has been solved: management is portrayed by two articles in this issue, What Happened to Weakfish? I'm all for giving the net boats unrestricted access to where ever they want to go and let them catch anything and everything then can get their nets under: Dip nets, that is. The weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, is a marine fish of the drum family Sciaenidae. Those numbers seemed to be almost constant year after year. Weakfish are a highly cyclical species, and right now, from New Jersey to Massachusetts, we seem to be in a cycle where weakfish numbers are down, but the ones around are of massive proportions. What Happened to Weakfish? They were all over the place in incredible numbers. Biggest over 14 pounds, but lots in the 4-8 pound range. Fish are maturing to a reproductive age. The issue is "what is happening" to the weakfish. I mean whats does it prove. Don’t neglect the north side of the bay. We would actually leave an area because you couldn't keep a bait on the bottom. Then they disappeared from these waters. That you can limit out? The overwhelming majority of big weakfish with the bigger weakfish genes were wiped out by the 2 HUGE boats that tie up next to Lower Township toll bridge. This is a complete disgrace, and can't be allowed to happen. Changing the recreational limit will not do a damn thing as far as numbers go, right now very few are caught. MOLLY MURRAY THE NEWS JOURNAL Delaware’s state fish -- the weakfish -- is in trouble and the reason isn’t what you’d expect. Someone is getting these fish. Everything is cyclical, we'll see if they rebound. F.P. Each year, the fishing in Delaware Bay has been poorer and poorer. JavaScript is disabled. Trophy weakfish are often lazy feeders that sit in holes and wait for meals. THE fall run of saltwater species seems to be in full swing with some terrific fishing being offered in New York’s marine waters, including a late season surge of weakfish in the New York Big… Say what you will, but I know what I saw, and I even scooped up a few fish. Granted they are 8 to 12 inches long but it is drop and reel. I agree that the bass are eating them up like reese's peanut butter cups. It has a sleek body that can grow to about 3 feet in length. They can be caught on bloodworms, shedder crabs and other natural baits at 55 degrees, but to effectively catch weakfish on artificial lures, the water must be warmer than 57 degrees. They bring big money on the Asia market today. The weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) is a marine sport fish but is usually less than 60 cm (2 feet) long. The weakfish is the state fish of Delaware. The money requested would come from Obama’s stimulus package through the state Legislature. when the weakfish were plentiful the boats were so thick you could walk across the bay on them and most people caught and killed as many as they could and the netters would line up at the mouth of the bay with their nets blocking every path in or out. If, New Jersey had a salt water license it would make it possible for New Jersey to apply and receive the stimulus money that is available. To me the smooth and spiny dogs are like a rodent infestation in the ocean. Predation was not the cause of the weakfish decline,very poor management was the cause. boat dumping these fish over, and there were 3-4 boats bitching and complaining on the radio, 2 of the boats were near the comm boat, and from what I heard they dumped because there were other fish in the area and those were bringing a higher dollar at the time. Fred remember how thick the oyster cracker was in the back? It is imperative to the rebuilding of the weakfish stock that we use state of the art hatcheries. I’ve been going there for the same two weeks for 12 years now, and this was without-a-doubt the worst two weeks I’ve ever experienced there. We usually have a lot of smaller weaks (what you'd call spikes), but this was the first good run of tiderunners that I can remember. Predation was not the cause of the weakfish decline,very poor management was the cause. The Chesapeake Bay is an important spawning area for weakfish. The waterway which at one time hosted some outstanding fishing for weakfish and summer flounder is a mere shell of itself. We either support a saltwater license that will make the saltwater hatcheries a reality in NJ or we do not support a saltwater license knowing that the weakfish may never return to your favorite spot without your help. In Cape May co. NJ we seen a dramatic drop in the weakfish in the spring of 2002. there's plenty of spikes around, just not many adults. The weakfish is the state fish of Delaware. There were fish getting mauled by big blues while floating on the surface. delaware bay ? You cannot restore what you cannot remember. This fishery needs a 5 yr moratorium period. Look at Florida!! It is not like they have totally disapeared. The area was named for John Fortescue, a local property owner at the time of American independence. A proposal to secure almost $150 million in funding for this effort has been submitted to Congress, as well as to Gov. where exactly were all these weakfish netted in feb/2002 ? "If we ever forget we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under. 1 Answer Active; Voted; Newest; Oldest; 0. The most glaring fact, is the warning issued by the Atlantic Marine fishery biologist prior to the collapse of the weakfish stock. The story was missing a couple of very important facts. I thought I saw on another post that there would be no more SW license debates? In 1985, the ASMFC developed and adopted a coastwide Weakfish Fishery Management Plan (Plan) in an attempt to protect the species from overfishing but it was inadequate to stop the weakfish decline. The first step is a NJ saltwater license. JavaScript is disabled. They just did not make an appearance at all. This fishery needs a 5 yr moratorium period. I attended the weakfish hearing and I reviewed all the minutes from the weakfish board. The weakfish are gone for the most part, and unless something is done they'll never be back. It also has dark spots on its back, yellow-colored fins, and two large canine teeth in its u… ", The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those. On valentines day 2002 six sink net boats rounded what they thought" were blue fish,unfortunately for us sportfishermen it turned out to be hundreds of thousands of pounds of eight to ten pound weakfish. However, tide is not actually as important as the current. They where reduced to the point they could not make a come back. Much larger s Why do people feel the need to kill all the fish they catch??? who are willing to work and give to those who would not. They rebuilt the redfish and spotted sea trout in the south we can do the same with the weakfish. Sand seatrout, or white trout, Cynoscion arenarius, and the smaller silver seatrout, Cynoscion nothus, look much like spotted seatrout but have no spots at all.The weakfish, Cynoscion regalis has spots on its body, but none on the fins or tail. Weakfish recruitment is excellent...natural "hatcheries" are alive and well. Say what you will, but I know what I saw, and I even scooped up a few fish. That you can limit out? This weakfish was caught last year in Buzzards Bay by an angler targeting black sea bass. Quick shut it down, Benny can't get one. The Fishermen magazine published a story recently about what happened to the weakfish in the Delaware Bay. Back then, I spent an insane amount of time fishing for weakfish and striped bass and lucked into my first speck one fall evening. (page 8), emphasizes the critical role of fisheries data and encourages anglers to submit their catch data for use in improving marine fishing opportunities in New Jersey. There is no doubt in my mind that the entire Cape May co.NJ weakfish population was killed on valentines day 2002. weakfish, like just about every fishery has a cycle,..How long has it been since we have seen whiting, Cod, a Decent mackeral bite the stocks will rebound I say as little management as possible, protect the waters,and wetlands and improve water quality and ALL fisheries will return... i have an idea... instead of fishing liscence how about we take the 15million ocean city just stole from the taxpayers for beach replenishment and use that money towards a fish nursery instead!!!!!!! Hand tied striper, flounder, Tog, Kingfish and Seabass rigs. Although spawning may take place closer to estuaries or in lower estuaries (as opposed to offshore), larval weakfish recruit to upper estuarine habitats but move down the estuary as they grow. And so to all those fishermen casting swimming plugs into the setting sun at Lobsterville I offer up this memory. We know this because if they weren't, they you wouldn't be seeing the abundance of spikes out front every year. I have spoke with many avid fishermen that fished mainly for weakfish. But because they are not successfully completing a south-north migratory pattern each year. Weakfish, (genus Cynoscion), any member of a group of fishes in the croaker family, Sciaenidae (order Perciformes). The same way the blowfish did yeserday. The community is located on the state's southern coast, on Delaware Bay, surrounded on three sides by marshland.It has a population of about 400. They were removed from the … Such was the fervor created by weakfish fishing in May. April 26, 2017 CCA happened weakfish. Bad information and lies to promote his agenda. I realize you need all four species to complete the slam however the weakfish requirement is the key to you pulling off this feat. The excellent people who protest against all hunting and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife are ignorant of the fact that in reality, Open for the 2013 Season, Fisherman's Hours, Live SPOT now in stock, Booking Back Bay Live Lining Trips, Join Guatemala Dave to discover the worlds best Sailfishing, Bulkheads, Docks, House Pilings, and Boat Lifts, http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_7c8a3e48-9129-11de-b2f5-001cc4c03286.html, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Weakfish can live for 17 years, but most do not live past 9 to 12 years. there at the bottom of there cycle i suspect in 3-4 years people will be asking what happened to the craokers and ther will be guys that blame it on the comm. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The action of the dropback sparks an aggressive mindset in the weakfish as the bait flutters tantalizingly downward. guys and guys blaming it on pollution and other guys blaming it on no forage for them,,,for all we know the bass could be eating them or could simply be more aggresive and territorial to a dergree that the weakies don't want ot be anywhere near them,, IMO its a natural cycle and they will return sooner ot later. The weakfish are gone for the most part, and unless something is done they'll never be back. Weakfish are another sciaenid species that uses a variety of coastal and estuarine habitats throughout their life. Kill as many damn dogfish as possible and that may help. 6 comments for “ Spring weakfish Cape May County,NJ ” Jon February 26, 2009 at 2:42 pm I remember that! Its popularity as a target by both recreational anglers and commercial fishers is due to its abundance in the said waters, the relative ease to catch the fish, and the excellent flavor of its flesh. Every fall in October you can catch all the weakfish you want along the beach in 20 feet of water. 0 Comments Add a Comment. Weakfish appear to be abundant again, and we should be protecting them… I’m back from Montauk today, which was, I have to admit, a little disappointing. BUCKTAIL WILLIE said: Doggies while a problem are NOT main reason for weakfish problem. Weakfish, also known as squeteague, were once common in this region, so popular a sport fish that up until 1987, they were part of the annual fall Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. A forum community dedicated to bass anglers and enthusiasts. It should be noted that recreational fishing groups,commercial groups and letters from prominent politicians pressured the ASMFC into not significantly reducing the weakfish harvest years back. Does this prove that your a good fisherman? Are these blitzes and super large schools sadly no more? If your an older guy hopefully you've learned from your mistakes.. Remember the 2002 weakfish season when every sharp weakfish angler in Cape May co. NJ was asking the same question about the weakfish? The problem is that these spikes migrate south every year, but are not returning north as a larger fish each successive year. There's probably 100 different factors why they are not reaching maturity from dogfish to jertskis in the back to power plants. My point here is we have the opportunity to help rebuild the weakfish via saltwater hatcheries. 0. I saw something very disturbing a few years back while fishing out of TI. Weakfish were overfished, by both commercial and recreational fishers, beginning in the mid-1970s through the 1980s. thus the cycle argument wins. Reply. Why do people feel the need to kill all the fish they catch??? With my affinity for weakfish, it didn’t take much for its southern cousin to win me over. I'm sure none of us helped weakies in the past but fish and their cycles are weird. With weakfish, the expectation has shifted so markedly that today on Vineyard shores there is an expectation of none at all. As water movement changes direction, weakfish face into the current, waiting for an easy meal to pass by. "It may not be popular but I'm darn proud to say I'm a hard working, honset, tax paying , first one out last one in comm fishermen." Weakfish are members of the drum family, which includes spot, red drum, black drum, spotted seatrout and Atlantic croaker. Posted What Happened to Weakfish? The name “weakfish” comes from the fish’s fragile mouth, which tears easily when hooked by anglers. This is a complete disgrace, and can't be allowed to happen. I believe I know exactly why the weakfish did not show up in the spring of 2002 and have not shown up since in any numbers in Cape May co.NJ. Weakfish have always had cycles of abundance and then near disappearing. My largest was caught in OC, though, on a pink spotted mirrolure; about 8.5 pounds. A forum community dedicated to bass anglers and enthusiasts. When the bass population was low, weakies were up, now the opposite. They just did … I … Nobody can explain the blowfish. The albies... (Continue Reading) I don't agree with what you are saying but at least you are involved and that means a lot. "If we ever forget we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under. Could it be a combo effect of over-fishing, breeding habits, and artificial interference? They just vanished. I know what happened to the weakfish, it is not a mystery to me. Source: Brett Boston of the Wildlife Foundation of Florida. Nobody knows why. With the World Record falling in New York in 2008 and the Rhode Island state record being broken in 2007, the odds of hooking a teen-sized weakie are the best they’ve been in decades. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. There were thousands of weakie floating....some still alive, but most dead....off in the distance there was a comm. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Fred, What happened to the blowfish ? Water temperature is critical when hunting weaks. Come join the discussion about fishing guides, bait, safety, gear, tackle, tips, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Anglers aren’t out there reeling in … who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Once the water temperature rises above 75 degrees for three days, the weakfish will feed almost exclusi… Smooth doggin in september half the doggies I cleaned were packed with half digested 5-7 inch weakfish. boat dumping these fish over, and there were 3-4 boats bitching and complaining on the radio, 2 of the boats were near the comm boat, and from what I heard they dumped because there were other fish in the area and those were bringing a higher dollar at the time. To think that you can artificially propagate these fish and restore them to some mythical level of where you think they should be is a waste of money and time, and probably ultimately damages not only the weakfish fishery but others as well. What happened to the weakfish? It’s not easy finding weakfish most years, so you need to optimize your time. Come join the discussion about fishing guides, bait, safety, gear, tackle, tips, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Get out early and hit every known weakfish spot. Its easy I will tell you where all the weakfish went....its simple.......WE ATE THEM. Does this prove that your a good fisherman? Larger weakfish are hiding on the backside of that hump, so you always want to be in contact on or near the bottom once you go over the hump. This thread almost made me puke. The speckled trout season was a bust as only three specs have been caught to date.What happened to the specs?? A “bluefish blitz,” a sight once as common as it was exciting to see, was where blues would chase along the shoreline after such prey as shrimp and bait-sized weakfish, anchovies, jacks, almost anything, in a frenzied chase through the surf zone with bewildering speed. The Chesapeake Bay is an important spawning area for weakfish. Very recently you used to be able to go to any channel edge or bridge and wack them one after another all summer on fin-s, bucktails, and shedder. Weakfish feed on both sides of the tides, so what anglers really want to find is moving water. They did not just disappear! The entire population wiped out by 6 net boats who made a bad set thinking they were blues? New Jersey saltwater fishermen have a choice to make. This is the reason there are no big weakfish today. Weakfish bite best when the water temperature holds at or above 59 degrees for three days. Do you think someone in China cares if you lose your big fish? The name “weakfish” comes from the fish’s fragile mouth, which tears easily when hooked by anglers. "In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when conserved by sportsmen. Additional names for the weak fish include sea troutand gray trout, and it can be found along the east coast of North America, the Bay of Fundy, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Nova Scotia.