2018 Flounder Regs Update

[mchottie]

Photo of: Commercial boats in harbor
PUBLIC NOTICE
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Fishing and Boating Services

2018 Summer Flounder Season, Size Limit and Creel Limit — Effective April 1

The secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, in response to the action taken for summer flounder at the February 2018 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meeting, pursuant to the Code of Maryland Regulations 08.02.05.12F, announces the season, catch limit and minimum size for the summer flounder fishery for April through December 2018. Effective 12:01 a.m. April 1, 2018:

The season is open April 1-Dec. 31, 2018.
Recreational anglers may keep up to four summer flounder per person per day.
The recreational minimum size for summer flounder is 16.5 inches in all Maryland state waters.
The commercial hook and line minimum size for summer flounder is 16.5 inches in all Maryland state waters.
The commercial minimum size for summer flounder caught by gear other than hook and line is 14 inches.
All other rules remain the same.
This replaces the public notice for this fishery that was effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Mark J. Belton
Secretary of Natural Resources

[Big Mike]

That's 1/2 inch closer to the monster 8" flounder I usually catch

[mchottie]

most call them dinks, they prefer to be called "length challenged"

[Mark]

Is there a reason the season is called "summer flounder" when it runs from spring into winter?

As if fishing regulations weren't confusing enough...

[Slobber Bob]

Is there a reason the season is called "summer flounder" when it runs from spring into winter?

As if fishing regulations weren't confusing enough...

Because the species being regulated is the summer flounder.

[Mark]

Because the species being regulated is the summer flounder.

Really! I didn't know that. Thanks.

In fact, I just looked it up and found out that there is a winter flounder too.

And then there are flukes.

For some of us it's good to fish C&R.

[mchottie]

[Mark]

Michael,

Please tell me there are not distinct regs for right-eyed and left-eyed summer flounder.

And what about winter flounder? Given our weather this March, I guess they're to be avoided entirely.

[Redfish12]

Mark, there are other species of flounder too like gulf, southern, window pane, etc... The easiest way to tell them apart is that fluke/summer flounder have a large mouth with teeth and winter flounder are typically smaller, are right eyed, and have a much smaller mouth. I hope to catch some winter flounder this summer in Massachusetts!

[Mark]

Mark, there are other species of flounder too like gulf, southern, window pane, etc... The easiest way to tell them apart is that fluke/summer flounder have a large mouth with teeth and winter flounder are typically smaller, are right eyed, and have a much smaller mouth. I hope to catch some winter flounder this summer in Massachusetts!

Thank you. I honestly didn't know there were so many flounders. I've never targeted them and have caught only a few locally while fishing for stripers. None were near the legal limits mentioned above.

In fact the last one I caught was this one that hit a Clouser Minnow last September about a foot off the shore at Hog Island near Goodhands Creek:

P1010987.jpg

It was so small that someone in a boat nearby said, "Looks like you caught a nice perch over there."

[ronaultmtd]

That's 1/2 inch closer to the monster 8" flounder I usually catch

Too Funny...last summer I caught several 15 inch flounder...and a few 8 inch flounder...all while I was fishing for speckled trout...one nice flounder I even called you to ask what the size limit was...and it was 1/2 inch undersized...so it should be a 17” or so this year...

[nhunter344]

Is it normal for DNR to post regulation changes so late into the year? Also, I could've sworn I heard rumors that there were some striped bass changes going into effect this year but can't find anything official. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

[mchottie]

Is it normal for DNR to post regulation changes so late into the year? Also, I could've sworn I heard rumors that there were some striped bass changes going into effect this year but can't find anything official. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

I created a new thread due to this exact reason. I'm not sure if anyone here specifically targets flounder (I know a few guys in Souther VA but not sure they're members here) and this is WAY late notice with opening day April 1st!

Hopefully someone see's this and knows the rules beforehand.

[Redfish12]

Striper reg change https://www.fishtalkmag.com/blog/mar...lations-update

[Crotalus]

Striper reg change https://www.fishtalkmag.com/blog/mar...lations-update

Dropping the size limit to 19"? I'm sure a lot of us would limit out more often if it passes, but I'm not sure that's a good thing.