Fluke Size Limit to Remain at 17.5 Inches

New Jersey's 2013 recreational summer flounder fishery will open May 18 and run through Sept. 16, the state Marine Fisheries Council decided Thursday.

The council chose one option out of several presented, which all complied with management quotas determined by federal fisheries agencies.

The size limit will remain at 17.5 inches, the same as in 2012, and anglers will be able to keep five fish per day.

The council had the option of extending the season for a longer period into the fall, though anglers would have had to contend with an 18 inch minimum size limit.

Overall, New Jersey's recreational summer flounder quota was reduced by 15.2 percent from last season.

Richard Herb, acting council president, said at the Thursday meeting that there is a chance that the federal government will allow New Jersey's managers to extend the season at a later date. That decision could come at the council's May meeting.