The recreational black sea bass fishing season in North Carolina waters north of Cape Hatteras will open for eight months beginning May 1.
During the season, which wraps Dec. 31, the size limit for black sea bass is no shorter than 13 inches in total length, specifically the snout to to the tip of the tail, excluding the filament at the end of the tail.
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The bag limit is 15 fish per person, per day.
State regulations on the black sea bass recreational fishery apply to waters within three nautical miles from shore.
Those regulations are, at the moment, different from those covering federal waters, which extend from 3 to 200 nautical miles off shore, because of delays in the federal rulemaking process that would align regulations in federal and state waters, according to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
“The Division anticipates this change will occur later this year,” according to a release.
In federal waters north of Cape Hatteras, the size limit for black sea bass is a minimum of 15 inches and the bag limit is five fish per person, per day. The recreational season within federal waters is May 15-Sept. 8.
Recreational fishers who catch black sea bass in state waters must adhere to the state’s size limit, regardless of harvest location.
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Next year, the state’s recreational black sea bass season north of Cape Hatteras will open April 1, extending the season by 53 additional days compared to this year.
The recreational black sea bass fishery south of Cape Hatteras, which is managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, has the same size limit as the fishery north of Cape Hatteras.
The bag limit is 7 fish per person, per day.
The black sea bass season south of Cape Hatteras begins April 1 of each year and closes when the quota is met. That season remains open.
For additional information, contact Chris Batsavage at 252-241-2995 or Chris.Batsavage@deq.nc.gov.
