Shortened recreational flounder season to be held with restrictions in place

KURE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Some fishermen in the Cape Fear are getting ready to start a shortened recreational southern flounder season this year.

Wilmington resident Jeremy Wyman said flounder is one of his favorite fish to catch and eat, but new restrictions in place this year are, in a word, confusing, for many.

“You’re going to have all kinds of people bringing fish back from different places and you know, and the other thing is, you know, people are getting irritated, they’re just gonna skin their fish and go home with them,” Wyman said. “So, there, there’s better ways, I think, to deal with this.”

In May, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality canceled the full recreational southern flounder season due to fishermen exceeding the limit by 127,000 pounds.

Since flounder is such a popular fish to catch, this year’s season will consist of only two weekends: September 1st, 2nd, 7th, and 8th.

Captain Branden Jones is with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

He said these restrictions aim to protect the species from being overharvested.

“That’s 1 fish per person per day, with a 15-inch minimum size limit. So that, those regulations apply to inland waters and joint waters by hook and line only,” Jones said. “But possession of any flounder in coastal waters, caught by hook and line, that’s going to be unlawful possession.”

But for Wyman, he said there’s got to be a better way to educate people.

“They’re talking about one flounder, southern flounder. They need to educate the people on each fish, put up the posters, put it out when you buy your license.”

If you’re planning to fish, make sure you know the rules, or else you can risk getting fined.