Spotlight Interview: Brook Koeneke
Periodically, MyJerseyShore.com puts the spotlight on an individual who helps make the Jersey Shore the special place it is. This month’s interview is with Brook Koeneke, captain of the Duke O’ Fluke fishing boat out of Somers Point, NJ.
Where did you grow up?I was born and raised in Wildwood, NJ.
When did you get your first boat? My first boat was a Barnegat-style duck boat I bought with my savings for $10 when I was 12 years old ( it needed work!). It was powered by two oars; an old, three-horsepower outboard motor came two years later.
How did you get started with the Duke O’ Fluke? I was one of the captains on the Flounder Pounder boat in Margate 14 years ago and learned that the Duke O’ Fluke was for sale. A deal was made that Fall and the Duke became mine.
How many people can you take on your boat? The boat is licensed for 49 passengers, but we don’t like to carry more than 40 for fishing.
What’s the biggest fish ever caught on your boat? A 9.75- pound flounder in 1997.
Has the weak economy affected your business? Not yet, but we won’t know for sure until the season kicks into high gear just after Father’s Day.
What’s the key to being a good fisherman? It obviously takes patience, willingness to experiment with different techniques, learning the habits of the species being sought, and accumulating the right tackle. It’s also helpful to seek advice and information from reliable sources and experts!
How has fishing changed in the past ten years? The main thing I see changing is that it is becoming clearer as time passes that the Federal Government is doing a terrible job of managing our fisheries. There are several wealthy special-interest groups spending money to influence certain members of Congress to meddle in the affairs of the Federal fishing regulatory-agencies to the detriment of both commercial and recreational fishing interests. These special-interest groups do not have any legitimate purpose attached to their efforts, but they have caused a significant negative impact on government efforts to manage our fisheries. In my opinion, the regulatory system is broken and there seems to be no effort on the government’s part to fix it!
For more information on the Duke O’ Fluke go to DukeoFluke.com