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On behalf of my colleagues at Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service, welcome to another highly anticipated fishing season on Maryland’s Atlantic coast. Our biologists have been busy for the past couple of months stocking trout in inland waters and in the Chesapeake Bay with the monitoring of anadromous fish spawning and our hatchery operations. Now, with the arrival of May, attention turns to Maryland’s coast. The Maryland DNR has an entire team that works on our coastal fishery resources. Anglers wishing to obtain the latest information on fisheries management at the Maryland DNR can access that information through a variety of means, including:
• Subscribing to email updates on tidal, recreational fishing information at http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/emailcontact.asp
• Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MDDNRFisheriesService
• Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/mddnrfish
• On the Maryland DNR Fisheries website at http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/
• Follow the proceedings of the Maryland DNR Coastal Fisheries Advisory Committee at http://dnr.maryland.gov/ fisheries/management/index.asp?com=cfac
If you have any questions, always feel free to contact Keith Lockwood, our recreational fisheries liaison via email at [email protected] or by phone at 410-260-8289.
Licensing & Saltwater Registration Update and Reminders for Recreational Anglers
DNR has launched an all new licensing system. The new system is called COMPASS. It is a web based system, and it replaces the multi decade old system formally known as COIN. The COMPASS website is located on the MD DNR website at https://compass.dnr.maryland.gov/dnrcompassportal
The new system will provide greater flexibility for license and registration transactions for our fishermen. Because of the license and registration requirements in Maryland, anglers do not need to register with NOAA. This saves Maryland anglers $15 a year.
Anglers will need to go through an initial enrollment by providing a baseline of information. Once enrolled, anglers can easily log in to purchase licenses, register and reprint licenses. An email account is required to enroll, and anglers have an option to receive email updates from the DNR on a range of activities. By purchasing a Maryland saltwater fishing license, anglers are automatically registered in the National Saltwater Angler Registry. Certain anglers that are exempt from purchasing a fishing license will still need to register with the State of Maryland. License exempt anglers can register for free online through COMPASS, or call the telephone help center for assistance at 1-855-855-3906. The call center is open 7 days/week from 7 AM until 7 PM. Exempt anglers will need to register if they are: passengers on a boat with a pleasure boat fishing decal, waterfront property owners (fishing from their property) and their family, anglers fishing in a free fishing area, and anglers in possession of a Virginia or Potomac River Fisheries Commission saltwater fishing license.
Species Management Updates
Thanks to its diverse and high quality fishery resources, Ocean City is a great fishing destination for Maryland’s residents and visitors from other states. From the great inshore action for flounder, striped bass, bluefish and other species to world class offshore fishing for marlin, tuna, dolphin, and sharks, it’s no wonder fishermen travel from all over to come to Ocean City. For this week’s update we’ll focus on two important inshore species that you can catch right now.
Summer Flounder
Clearly the most popular species in Ocean City, flounder can be caught by fishermen of all ages and abilities. From shore, boat or surf there is no more highly pursued fish than the summer flounder. For those that have followed flounder management over the years, they know how variable the seasons and creel limits have been in the past. The good news is that thanks to a coastal stock rebuilding plan, good data and cooperative management, flounder stocks are in much better condition now than in years past. The 2011 summer flounder stock assessment update indicated summer flounder are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The summer flounder stock is considered to have reached its biomass target in 2010, and the stock is considered rebuilt, ahead of the rebuilding deadline of January 1, 2013. The total annual quota is divided between the recreational fishery (40%) and the commercial fishery (60%). Recreational bag/size limits and seasons are determined on a state-by-state basis using a technique known as conservation equivalency. Maryland came in under its quota in 2011. As a result, and because the stock is healthy, regulations will be allowed to ease this season. The 2012 minimum size drops a full inch to 17-inches with a daily creel limit of 3 fish per person, per day. The season length has also been expanded. The season began on April 14th and will run through December 16th. Some of the largest flounder of the year are caught during the late-April through mid-May period. Overall, the outlook for the 2012 summer flounder season looks very bright.
Tautog
Tautog (also known as blackfish) is yet another popular species for recreational fishermen. They can be caught inshore on rocky structure such as jetties and bridge pilings, and on the near shore wrecks and artificial reefs. Coastwide, they can be found throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Because of their affinity for structure, they can be very tricky to catch. Stronger lines and terminal tackle are recommended to wrestle them out of the structure they inhabit. Beginner anglers can catch them, but often they are pursued by advanced anglers with specialized gear. They are excellent as table fare. Tautog are a member of the wrasse family. They exhibit slow growth, a low reproductive rate, and with their tendency to congregate around structure they can be susceptible to being overfished.
The 2011 tautog stock assessment update indicated spawning stock biomass has remained at low levels for the last decade. The current coastwide fishing mortality is estimated to be well above the tautog management plan’s target. Overfishing has occurred since 2005.
The Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for tautog focuses on reducing fishing mortality to help boost the abundance of the fish. The plan also outlines a number of research and monitoring needs that are essential to ensuring better management of the tautog stock. In order to end overfishing and initiate stock rebuilding, the tautog fishery management plan required Atlantic coast states to implement measures to achieve a 39% reduction in fishing by January 1, 2012. In order to comply with the plan, Maryland proposed and adopted the following season for 2012:
• April 2nd through May 15th / 4 fish per person per day / 16 inch minimum size
• May 16th through October 31st / 2 fish per person per day / 16 inch minimum size
• November 1st through November 14th / 4 fish per person per day / 16 inch minimum size
DNR may extend the tautog season further into November based upon late breaking developments in the Atlantic Coast stock assessment. However, under current regulations the season will close from November 16 through December 31, reopening on New Year’s Day 2013 with a four fish limit.
That is the latest update from the Maryland Department of Natural Resource’s Fisheries Service. If you have a question you would like answered, feel free to send them to me.
Enjoy the start of the season and until next time….tight lines