(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 Resource Commission) year-round: 3 per person per day at 18” TL minimum. More Information
(B) Charter vessel (licensed by Coast Guard and holding NMFS Charter Vessel Coastal Migratory Pelagic Permit) limit of 60/trip
(C) Open season through December 31, 2007.
(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 is September 18 – November 30 in the EEZ.
(F)See prohibited species list above; Legal sharks include: sandbar, silky, 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 trip 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 femles 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 sharks less than 54 inches (Fork Length).
(M) Season, areas, or other limits may be set by DMF.
(N) Effective June 1,2007, the minimum size limit for black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras will be 12" TL.
(O) Contact DMF for seasons, areas, or other restrictions.

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THIS WEB PAGE IS EFFECTIVE APRIL 12, 2007 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.