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2009 NORTH CAROLINA RECREATIONAL COASTAL WATERS GUIDE FOR SPORTS FISHERMEN April version

**IMPORTANT** CHECK WITH DIVISION OF MARINE FISHERIES FOR MOST CURRENT MINIMUM LENGTHS AND CREEL LIMITS.

(252) 726-7021 OR (800) 682-2632. FOR INLAND WATER LIMITS, CALL WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION (919) 707-0220 OR WWW.NCWILDLIFE.ORG

STATE COASTAL WATERS (Internal & 0-3 miles) EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE-EEZ (3-200 miles)

EEZ restrictions noted in italic are Federal Rules

FINFISH SPECIES (note symbols) Minimum Length Bag Limits (per person) Minimum Length Bag Limits (per person)

Greater Amberjack 28” FL 1/Day 28” FL 1/Day

Bluefish None 15/Day, only 5 greater than 24”

TL None 15/Day

Cobia 33” FL 2/Day 33” FL 2/Day

Wahoo None 2/Day None 2/Day

Dolphin (B) None 10/Day None 10/Day

King Mackerel (J) 24” FL 3/Day 24” FL 3/Day

Spanish Mackerel (J) 12” FL 15/Day 12” FL 15/Day

Tuna (H); Bluefin (J), Yellowfin and Bigeye Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna

27” Curved FL

Yellowfin tuna

3 per day

Yellowfin tuna

27” Curved FL

Yellowfin tuna 3 per day

Sharks (excluding spiny & smooth dogfish)(J) (L) 1/Vessel/Day 54” FL (F & H) 1/Vessel/Day

Sharks, Atlantic Sharpnose & Bonnethead (F) None (F) (F & H) 1/Day

Blue Marlin (H) 99” LJFL 1 per vessel per trip, either blue

marlin or white marlin

99” LJFL

White Marlin (H) 66” LJFL 66” LJFL

Sailfish (H) 63” LJFL 1/Day 63” LJFL

Red Drum (channel bass, puppy drum) 18” – 27” TL (D) 1/Day UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS

Flounder (Internal)

14” TL Western Albemarle

and Pamlico sounds and

rivers and south of Brown’s

Inlet

15” TL Eastern Albemarle,

Croatan, Roanoke, Pamlico,

Core and Bogue sounds (O)

8/Day

Flounder (Ocean)

15” TL north of Brown’s Inlet

14” TL south of Brown’s

Inlet (O)

8/Day

15” TL north of Brown’s Inlet

14” TL south of Brown’s Inlet

(O)

8/Day

Spotted Seatrout (Speckled Trout) 12” TL 10/Day 12” TL 10/Day

Weakfish (Gray Trout) 12” TL 6/Day 12” TL 6/Day

Tarpon None 1/Day None 1/Day

Striped Bass (A) (A) UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS

American and Hickory Shad None 10/Day None 10/Day

Alewife and Blueback Herring None NO HARVEST None NO HARVEST

American Eel 6” TL 50/Day 6” TL 50/Day

Scup (North of Cape Hatteras) 8” TL 50/Day 10” TL 50/Day (E)

Black Sea Bass (North of Cape Hatteras) (C) 12” TL 25/Day 12” TL 25/Day

Black Sea Bass (South of Cape Hatteras) 12” TL 15/Day 12” TL 15/Day

Groupers (J &K)

Red, Scamp, Yellowfiin & Yellowmouth

Groupers 20” TL

5/Day (all groupers combined;

includes only 1 speckled hind, 1

warsaw, 1 golden tilefish,1

snowy, and no more than 2

black or gag grouper, individual

or combined) (K)

20” TL

5/Day (all groupers

combined; includes tilefish,

only 1 speckled hind, 1

warsaw, 1 snowy, 1 golden

tilefish, and no more than 2

black or gag grouper,

individual or combined) (K)

Black and Gag Groupers 24” TL 2/Day 24” TL 2/Day

Speckled Hind (Kitty Mitchell) 1/Vessel/Trip None 1/Vessel/ Trip

Warsaw Grouper 1/Vessel/Trip None 1/Vessel/Trip

Red Porgy (Silver Snapper, pinky) 14” TL 3/Day 14” TL 3/Day

Dog, Gray, Cubera, Mahogany, Queen,

Schoolmaster & Yellowtail Snappers 10/Day (species combined;

includes up to 2 red snapper) 12” TL 10/Day (species combined;

includes up to 2 red snapper)

Mutton Snapper 16” TL

Silk & Blackfin Snappers 12” TL 12” TL

Red Snapper 20” TL 2/Day 20” TL 2/Day

Vermilion Snapper 12” TL 10/Day 12” TL 10/Day

STATE COASTAL WATERS (Internal & 0-3 miles) EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE-EEZ (3-200 miles)

EEZ restrictions noted in italic are Federal Rules

FINFISH SPECIES (note symbols) Minimum Length Bag Limits (per person) Minimum Length Bag Limits (per person)

REEF COMPLEX SPECIES Includes

sheepshead, spadefish, gray triggerfish, white

grunt, knobbed porgy and more (see note I &

J)

20/Day 20/Day

Mullet, striped and white 200/Day (species combined)

PROHIBITED FINFISH SPECIES

COASTAL WATERS (Internal waters and Atlantic Ocean out to 3 miles) FEDERAL WATERS (Atlantic Ocean more than 3 miles)

Sharks; (whale, basking, white, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, Atlantic angel shark, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher,

bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapogos, longfin mako, narrowtooth, night, sandbar, silky,

sevengill, sixgill, and smalltail), sturgeon, Nassau grouper, Goliath grouper (jewfish), and spearfish

Sharks; (whale, basking, white, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger,

Atlantic angel shark, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose,

Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapogos,

longfin mako, narrowtooth, night, sandbar, silky, sevengill,

sixgill, and smalltail), red drum, striped bass, sturgeon, Nassau

grouper, Goliath grouper (jewfish), and spearfish.

SHELLFISH

STATE COASTAL AND EEZ WATERS (Internal & 0-200 miles)

Minimum Length Bag Limits (per person)

BLUE CRAB (M) 5” Carapace Width (minimum)

6 ¾” Carapace Width (maximum) (G) 50 crabs/day not to exceed 100 crabs/vessel/day

HARD CLAM 1 “ Thick 100 clams/day not to exceed 200 clams/vessel/day

OYSTER (N) 3” Shell Length 1 bushel/day not to exceed 2 bushels/vessel/day

BAY SCALLOP (N) None ½ bushel/day, not to exceed one bushel per vessel

CONCHS & WHELKS None 10/day not to exceed 20/vessel/day

MUSSELS None 100/day not to exceed 200/vessel/day

SHRIMP

(CAST NET ONLY) None

Closed Shrimping Area

100 shrimp/day (Cast Net Only)

Open Shrimping Area

48 qts. heads on, 30 qts. heads off

SYMBOLS TO LOOK FOR

(A) Albemarle Sound Management Area: contact DMF for seasons, areas or other limits; Atlantic Ocean year-round: 2 per person per day at 28” TL minimum; Other coastal areas

(excluding Inland Waters-regulations set by Wildlife Resources Commission), 2 per person per day at 18” TL minimum and unlawful to possess between 22” – 27” TL in Joint

waters. Moratorium in Cape Fear River system. Season October through April, statewide by proclamation (except Cape FearRiver).

(B) Limit of 10/person/day or 60/trip, whichever is less.

(C) Size limit to change to 12 ½ inches total length this summer.

(D) Unlawful to possess red drum greater than 27 inches total length. Unlawful to gig, spear, or gaff red drum.

(E) North of Cape Hatteras Scup recreational season may change this summer.

(F) See prohibited species list above; Legal sharks include: tiger, blacktip, spinner, lemon, bull, nurse, smooth and scalloped and great hammerhead, blacknose, finetooth,

bonnethead, shortfin mako, blue, thresher, porbeagle, and oceanic whitetip. One (1) Atlantic sharpnose (no minimum size) and one bonnethead (no minimum size) per person

per day may be landed in addition to allowable bag limits for other sharks.

(G) Mature female crabs are exempt from minimum size. Maximum size is effective September through April and applies to mature females only.

(H) In state or federal waters, federal permit required for Highly Migratory Species, excluding Atlantic bonito, little tunny (albacore), and blackfin tuna: (978) 281-9370 or

hmspermits.noaa.gov. Prior to removal from vessel, all billfishes, swordfish and bluefin tuna must be reported at NC HMS reporting stations. DMF website for more details.

(I) Reef complex species: whitebone porgy, jolthead porgy, knobbed porgy, longspine porgy, sheepshead, gray triggerfish, queen triggerfish, yellow jack, crevalle jacks, bar jack,

almaco jack, lesser amberjack, banded rudderfish, white grunt, margates, spadefish, scup, and hogfish, 20 per person per day in combination.

(J) For seasons, bag limits, size limits or closures for tunas, billfishes, and sharks contact NMFS Highly Migratory Species Division (1-800-894-5528 or hmspermits.noaa.gov or

www.nmfs.noaa.gov). For snapper, grouper, and mackerels contact the South Atlantic Council (1-843-571-4366 or www.safmc.net).

(K) Groupers in the management unit include: red, yellowfin, yellowmouth, black, warsaw, snowy, yellowedge, and misty grouper; gag, scamp, speckled hind, red hind, rock hind,

graysby, and coney. The five (5) grouper bag limit in the EEZ also includes blueline, golden, and sand tilefish. No possession of Nassau and Goliath grouper.

(L) It is unlawful to possess Large Coastal and Pelagic sharks less than 54 inches (Fork Length).

(M) One crab pot may be used from private property or private pier, without a license – Reference 15A NCAC 3J .0302.

(N) Contact DMF or visit www.ncdmf.net/procs for seasons, areas, or other restrictions.

(O) The line dividing Pamlico Sound runs from Pt. of Marsh in Carteret County northeasterly to Bluff Pt. In Hyde County. The line dividing Albemarle Sound runs from the western

shore of the mouth of the Alligator River northeasterly to the western shore of the mouth of North River at Camden Pt. Browns Inlet is located in Onslow County and the line

runs through the northeast side of the Inlet. These descriptions are general and Proclamation FF-33-2009, dated March 11, 2009, has the specific coordinates of the line locations.

Total length (TL) is measured from tip of snout with mouth closed to top of compressed tail. Fork length (FL) is measured from tip of snout to middle of fork in tail. Lower jaw

fork length (LJFL) is measured from lower jaw to middle of fork in tail. Curved fork length (CFL) is the measurement of the length taken in a line tracing the contour of the

body from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail. Anglers cannot catch both a federal and state bag limit for the same species on the same trip.

Ocean boundary is defined as water seaward of the COLREGS Demarcation Lines as indicated on National Ocean Service navigation charts.

No one may possess aboard a vessel or while engaged in fishing any fish subject to limits without head and tail attached, except for alewife and blueback herring used for bait

provided not more than two fish per boat/operation may be cut at any one time – Reference 15A NCAC 3M .0101

Morehead City Office (24 hours)

(800) 682-2632 or

(252) 726-7021

Elizabeth City Office

(800) 338-7805 or

(252) 264-3911

Columbia Office

(800) 405-7774 or

(252) 796-1322

Manteo Office

(252) 473-5734

Washington Office

(800) 338-7804 or

(252) 946-6481

Wilmington Office

(800) 248-4536 or

(910) 796-7215

NMFS (Fed. Reg.)

(813) 893-3722

THIS FLYER IS EFFECTIVE April 1, 2009 AND IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND HAS NO LEGAL FORCE OR EFFECT. FISHERY RULES ARE SUBJECT TO

CHANGE. THESE RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO FISH TAKEN FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSE AND INCLUDE HOOK AND LINE. Updated State regulations can be found at

www.ncdmf.net/recreational/recguide.htm and updated Recreational Commercial Gear License information can be found at www.ncdmf.net/license/RCGL.htm.