Alabama Administrative Code › Title 220 - ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES › Chapter 220-3 - MARINE RESOURCES DIVISION › Section 220-3-.30 - Saltwater Fish Creel, Bag, Possession And Size Limits

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) Individuals fishing in the waters of the
			 State of Alabama are limited to the following daily bag limits and possession
			 limits for recreational purposes:
Spotted seatrout
6
Red drum
3 No person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the
							 State of Alabama shall possess a red drum in federal waters
Red snapper
2
Gray snapper
10
Vermillion Snapper
10
Flounder
5 (Commercial limit is 40 per person and 40 per
							 vessel)
Sheepshead
10
Spanish mackerel
15
King mackerel
3
Greater amberjack
1
Striped bass when caught in areas under Marine
							 Resources Division jurisdiction as provided in Rule
							 220-2-.42
2
Grouper
4 fish in aggregate (No more than 2 red grouper and
							 no more than 2 gag grouper included in aggregate)
Cobia
2 (Commercial limit is 2)
Florida pompano
3 (Commercial limit is 3)
Gray triggerfish
1 (Commercial limit is 16 per vessel)
Tripletail
3 (Commercial limit is 3)
Atlantic sharpnose shark
1
Bonnethead
1
All other shark species
1
Recreational and commercial harvest of the following species is
				prohibited: Atlantic angel shark, Atlantic manta, Basking shark, Bigeye sand
				tiger shark, Bigeye sixgill shark, Bigeye thresher shark, Bignose shark,
				Caribbean reef shark, Caribbean sharpnose shark, Dusky shark, Galapogos shark,
				Largetooth sawfish, Longfin mako shark, Narrowtooth shark, Night shark, Sand
				tiger shark, Smalltooth sawfish, Smalltail shark, Sevengill shark, Sixgill
				shark, Spotted eagle ray, Whale shark, White shark, Nassau grouper, and Goliath
				grouper (Jewfish).
Recreational and commercial harvest of the following sharks is
				prohibited, with the listed exceptions: Sandbar (unless the fisherman possesses
				a NOAA Fisheries sandbar shark research permit) and Silky (unless the fisherman
				possess a Federal Atlantic commercial shark vessel permit).
There is a 20-fish aggregate bag limit for reef fish species
				(as defined in 50 CFR 622 Table 3 of Appendix A) for which there is no other
				bag limit.
(2) It is
			 unlawful to have in possession for commercial or recreational purposes fish
			 taken from Alabama waters smaller than those stated below, provided that in the
			 recreational possession limit of three (3) Red drum, one (1) Red drum may
			 exceed the maximum size and in the possession of six (6) spotted seatrout, one
			 (1) may exceed the maximum size. In addition, no lesser amberjack or banded
			 rudderfish may exceed the maximum length.
Spotted seatrout
15 inches total length but not over 22 inches
							 total
Red drum
16 inches total length but not over 26 inches
							 total
Red snapper
16 inches total length (recreational)
13 inches total length (commercial)
Gray snapper
12 inches total length
Vermilion snapper
10 inches total length
Lane snapper
8 inches total length
Flounder
14 inches total length
Sheepshead
12 inches fork length
King mackerel
24 inches fork length
Greater amberjack
34 inches fork length (recreational)
36 inches fork length (commercial)
Lesser amberjack
14 inches to 22 inches fork length slot limit
Banded rudderfish
14 inches to 22 inches fork length slot limit
Striped bass
16 inches total length When caught in areas under
							 Marine Resources Division jurisdiction as provided in Rule
							 220-2-.42
Gag grouper
24 inches total length (recreational)
24 inches total length (commercial)
Black Grouper
24 inches total length
Red Grouper
20 inches total length (recreational
18 inches total length (commercial)
Yellowfin Grouper
20 inches total length
Scamp
16 inches total length
Cobia
33 inches fork length
Florida pompano
12 inches total length
Gray triggerfish
15 inches fork length (recreational)
14 inches fork length (commercial)
Tripletail
18 inches total length
Tarpon
60 inches total length (requires permit)
Atlantic sharpnose and Bonnethead shark
no minimum size
Great hammerhead shark
78 inches fork length
Smooth hammerhead shark
78 inches fork length
Scalloped hammerhead shark
78 inches fork length
All other shark species
54 inches fork length (recreational)
30 inches dressed length -head and tail removed
							 Commercial - no minimum size
Yellowfin tuna
27 inches curved fork length
Bigeye tuna
27 inches curved fork length
(3) It
			 shall be unlawful to use any snag line, trot line, long line or other hook and
			 line device containing more than five (5) hooks in any waters of Alabama under
			 the jurisdiction of the Marine Resources division as provided by Rule
			 220-2-.42; provided, however,
			 from 12:01 a.m., January 1 to 12:00 midnight April 30 of each year, trotlines
			 may be used to take legal species other than saltwater gamefish in those waters
			 in the Marine Resources Division jurisdiction east of the Mobile Ship Channel
			 and north of a line running from Mobile Ship Channel Marker 78 eastward to
			 Blakely River Channel Marker 2, and then due east to the shoreline. For the
			 purpose of this provision, "trotline" means any setline which is less than 300
			 feet in length with no more than 50 hooks tied at various intervals along its
			 length. A float, no smaller than 6 inches in diameter, marked with the license
			 number of the owner shall be attached to each end of the trotline (the license
			 number shall be at least 1 inch in height and colored to be a definite contrast
			 with the color of the float).
(4)
			 It shall be unlawful to possess in Alabama any species of saltwater fish or
			 seafood product taken in Federal waters or the waters of another state
			 unlawfully in violation of any applicable Federal or other state creel,
			 possession, or size limit.
(5) Any
			 vessel or individual required to possess a federal permit to harvest or retain
			 marine aquatic species must possess such permit to possess or land such marine
			 aquatic species in Alabama.
(6) All
			 finfish shall be maintained with head and fins intact through landing. Sharks,
			 swordfish and tuna species may be landed in the form permitted by the Federal
			 Fisheries Regulations.
(7) Any
			 finfish possessed in Alabama and harvested in federal or waters of another
			 state that does not have a size, bag or creel limit must abide by Alabama size,
			 bag and creel limits for that species.
(8) Hook requirements for certain saltwater
			 species: Anglers fishing for, retaining, possessing, or landing gulf reef fish
			 species (as defined in Rule
			 220-3-.46) must use non-stainless
			 steel circle hooks when using natural bait. Anglers fishing for, retaining,
			 possessing, or landing sharks must use non-offset non-stainless steel circle
			 hooks when using natural bait
(9)
			 Possessing, taking, or attempting to take flounder harvested in the waters of
			 Alabama for commercial or recreational purposes from November 1 through
			 November 30 of each year is prohibited.
Author:
Christopher M. Blankenship
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, §§
										9-2-4,
				  9-2-7,
				  9-2-8,
				  9-2-12.
Penalty:
As provided by
				  law.