Anglers to get jump on fluke, porgy, sea bass

Long Island anglers who want a head start on the fluke, porgy and sea bass seasons should get their wish in the next few days. Many local open boats plan to use their Recreational Set Aside (RSA) allotments over the next two weeks to target these popular species.

RSAs, which skippers of both commercial and recreational vessels can purchase at auction from the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry trade group based in McLean, Va., are unused poundage allowances of specific fish species that were set aside for research purposes. Sales of these allotments are supposed to help fund additional fisheries research. Some argue, however, that the program privatizes a natural resource and provides skippers both the incentive and opportunity to cheat by not reporting every fish taken.

Despite the potential pitfalls, most local anglers seem happy with the opportunity to do a little preseason fishing legally. That's not much of a surprise when you consider the RSA regulations are generally more relaxed than the in-season rules.

This year's RSA fluke stipulations establish a 17- to 20-inch slot limit with anglers allowed to take home four fish each. That size fluke seem to be in good supply. The porgy set aside limits are 11 inches and a generous 40 keepers. Black sea bass enthusiasts can keep 25 fish with a minimum size limit of 12 1/2 inches, the same as during the regular season for that species.

"The paperwork and cost of purchasing the RSAs are a pain in the neck,'' said Capt. Neil Delanoy of the Captree open boat Laura Lee, "but it lets our customers get a jump on the season and put a few extra fillets in the freezer. We have 18 vessels at this port that plan to use RSAs over the next two weeks. Our boat will target fluke three days a week and porgies and sea bass on the other trips.''

At Orient Point, Capt. Mike Boccio of the Prime Time III, a charter vessel that sometimes sails as an open boat, agreed that RSAs offer anglers additional opportunities to target popular species. He plans to work Peconic Bay, around Shelter Island and Greenport, sailing as an open boat for the next two weeks.

"It should be interesting because we catch a lot of doormat fluke in the spring,'' Boccio said. "It's likely that many anglers will fill their fluke limits, but their biggest fish will have to be weighed immediately and then tossed back over the side. Can you imagine the look I'm going to get when a pool winner has to release his 10-pound trophy?''

Because not all boats have RSAs, anglers should call ahead before making their plans for an open or charter vessel.E-mail:

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