(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 Fear River). Includes hybrid bass. (B) Limit of 10/person/day or 60/trip, whichever is less. (C) Size limit to change to 12 ½ inches total length. May 22, 2010.
(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) and see Proclamation FF-66-2010. Vermilion snapper season is closed November 1-March 31. Shallow water grouper species (gag, black grouper, red grouper, scamp, rock hind, red hind, coney, grasby, yellowfin, grouper, yellowmouth grouper and tiger grouper) harvest is prohibited January 1–April 30.
(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 three (3) 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 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-2-2010, dated March 26, 2010, has the specific coordinates of the line locations. |