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Additional Rules
Vessel Monitoring Systems are required onboard all vessels with federal commercial permits for Gulf reef fi sh,
including charter vessels/headboats that also have a commercial reef fi sh permit.
Entangling nets may not be used for directed harvest of reef fi sh.
Reef Fish taken under recreational bag limit may not be sold.
Commercial vessels are prohibited from retaining reef fi sh caught under the recreational size and bag/
possession limit when commercial quantities of Gulf reef fi sh are on board.
Reef fi sh as bait, except sand perch or dwarf sand perch, is prohibited.
Reef fi sh gear is limited to no more than 3 hooks in a special management zone off Alabama. Nonconforming
gear is restricted to bag limits, or for reef fi sh without a bag limit, to 5% by weight of all fi sh onboard.
Vessels with shrimp trawls or entangling net gear onboard may not exceed the recreational reef fi sh bag limits.
Stressed areas for reef fi sh begin at the shoreward boundary of federal waters and generally follow the 10
fathom contour from the Dry Tortugas to Sanibel Island; the 20 fathom contour to Tarpon Springs; the 10
fathom contour to Cape San Blas; the 25 fathom contour to south of Mobile Bay; the 13 fathom contour to Ship
Island, Mississippi; the 10 fathom contour off Louisiana; and the 30 fathom contour off Texas. In designated
“stressed areas” use of roller trawls and power heads is prohibited.
All fi sh except for bait and oceanic migratory species taken from federal waters must have heads and fi ns intact
through landing. Legal size fi sh within bag limit may be consumed at sea.
A state may regulate vessels that are registered in that state and that are fi shing in federal waters for species for
which there are no federal fi shery management plans or applicable federal regulations.
Vessels participating in the reef fi sh fi shery must possess dehooking devices and use non-stainless steel circle
hooks when using natural baits. Circle hooks are not required when commercial fi shing for yellowtail snapper,
south of a line extending due west from 25° 09’ N latitude of the west coast of Monroe county, Florida.
Operators of vessels with Gulf of Mexico reef fi sh commercial or charter vessel/headboat permits must comply
with guidelines for proper care and release of incidentally caught smalltooth sawfi sh and sea turtles and
possess onboard specifi c gear to ensure proper release of such species.
352
Additional Rules
Vessel Monitoring Systems are required onboard all vessels with federal commercial permits for Gulf reef fi sh,
including charter vessels/headboats that also have a commercial reef fi sh permit.
Entangling nets may not be used for directed harvest of reef fi sh.
Reef Fish taken under recreational bag limit may not be sold.
Commercial vessels are prohibited from retaining reef fi sh caught under the recreational size and bag/
possession limit when commercial quantities of Gulf reef fi sh are on board.
Reef fi sh as bait, except sand perch or dwarf sand perch, is prohibited.
Reef fi sh gear is limited to no more than 3 hooks in a special management zone off Alabama. Nonconforming
gear is restricted to bag limits, or for reef fi sh without a bag limit, to 5% by weight of all fi sh onboard.
Vessels with shrimp trawls or entangling net gear onboard may not exceed the recreational reef fi sh bag limits.
Stressed areas for reef fi sh begin at the shoreward boundary of federal waters and generally follow the 10
fathom contour from the Dry Tortugas to Sanibel Island; the 20 fathom contour to Tarpon Springs; the 10
fathom contour to Cape San Blas; the 25 fathom contour to south of Mobile Bay; the 13 fathom contour to Ship
Island, Mississippi; the 10 fathom contour off Louisiana; and the 30 fathom contour off Texas. In designated
“stressed areas” use of roller trawls and power heads is prohibited.
All fi sh except for bait and oceanic migratory species taken from federal waters must have heads and fi ns intact
through landing. Legal size fi sh within bag limit may be consumed at sea.
A state may regulate vessels that are registered in that state and that are fi shing in federal waters for species for
which there are no federal fi shery management plans or applicable federal regulations.
Vessels participating in the reef fi sh fi shery must possess dehooking devices and use non-stainless steel circle
hooks when using natural baits. Circle hooks are not required when commercial fi shing for yellowtail snapper,
south of a line extending due west from 25° 09’ N latitude of the west coast of Monroe county, Florida.
Operators of vessels with Gulf of Mexico reef fi sh commercial or charter vessel/headboat permits must comply
with guidelines for proper care and release of incidentally caught smalltooth sawfi sh and sea turtles and
possess onboard specifi c gear to ensure proper release of such species.
352