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New Spotted Sea Trout Regs

February 24, 2012 at 7:39 pm Leave a comment

More changes are coming to the Speckled (spotted) Sea Trout Fishery on the Outer Banks, effective Monday, February 27, 2012. As you recall we had a major kill off last year and the Division of Marine Fisheries has been working to help the stock recover. We are close but we still need to conserve.

According to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, recreational fisherman may still harvest four (4) speckled (spotted) sea-trout per person per day by hook and line.  There is no change from the limit in the previous proclamation.

The minimum length is still fourteen (14) inches total length. But the most significant change states that DMF have eliminated the limit of fish over Fourteen (14) inches. Previous rules state that only two (2) fish over twenty-four (24) inches could be harvested. Now there is no limit to size over fourteen (14) inch size.

As a community, we have all worked together to help this fishery recover. But the work is not over. When fishing for spotted trout, only take what you can use today and return the rest to be caught again.

Only with aggressive conservation can we save this fishery for future generations.

Until next time, Tightlines

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