New Jersey Approves Longest Black Sea Bass Season in Over 15 Years

The Marine Fisheries Council voted last week to establish a black sea bass season from May 15 to Dec. 31 with no closures. This marks the longest season in over 15 years. The council applied a 16% quota bump to extend fishing days instead of raising the summer bag limit.

The 231-day season will run without in-season closures for the first time since 2010. Anglers won't toggle between open and close dates. The keeper size will hold at 12.5 inches throughout.

Bag limits will shift three times. From May 15 to June 21, fishermen can keep 10 sea bass. The limit plummets to one fish from June 22 to Sept. 22, then climbs back to 10 fish from Sept. 23 to Oct. 31. Anglers can keep 15 fish starting Nov. 1 through the end of the year.

Peter Clarke, the state's principal fisheries biologist, said the agency received 1,384 public comments since opening discussion. The two most expressed concerns were season length and summer bag limit, with the strongest desire among recreational fishermen being longer seasons and fewer closures.

The council whittled its options to two proposals before voting. One offered 231 days from May 15 to Dec. 31, while the other provided 206 days with seasonal closures and a two-fish summer bag limit. The council voted without opposition for the longer season.

"It gives us the most days in," said Council member Eleanor Bochenek, according to the Asbury Park Press. "If we lose those days we'll probably never get them back."

Most of the for-hire fleet backed the longer season over an increased summer bag limit. "The most critical component is access," said Eric Bogan of the Jamaica party boat at Thursday's meeting.

Some groups wanted the increased summer bag limit over a longer season, particularly dive groups and private boaters who are more active during summer months. Bochenek voiced disappointment that the state did not receive the full 20% increase to the coastwide quota authorized by the ASMFC and MAFMC this year.

The northern region from New York to Massachusetts grabbed a larger portion based on data showing higher discard rates due to minimum sizes between 16 and 16.5 inches. Other states have minimum sizes ranging from 12.5 to 13 inches.