Brunswick County anglers are fishing the South Atlantic stock of black sea bass, regardless of where that fish came from or is going. Black sea bass have been divided into three different stocks, the Mid-Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico.
The mid-Atlantic stock, all black sea bass north of Cape Hatteras, is classified as “rebuilt” and has much more liberal bag limits than the South Atlantic stock. The South Atlantic stock, considered “rebuilding”, has recently seen the fishery shut down and now allows five fish per person/per day, with a 13-inch size minimum.
Frustrating for anglers is that these fish swim freely between stocks. Tagging studies have demonstrated that many of the fish caught in the winter off southeastern North Carolina spend their summers in waters off Virginia, but changing regulations to reflect that has been a difficult and ongoing process.
Since regulations have changed multiple times in recent years, check http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/recreational-fishing-size-and-bag-limits before you head offshore. Black sea bass are also managed within the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries grouper/snapper complex, so circle hooks are mandatory when fishing with natural bait.
Be the first to comment