December 29, 2016
JANUARY – APRIL
Summer flounder: Initially 500 pound biweekly (per two week period) landing limit. Adjust limits periodically to maintain a steady biweekly landings rate, landing not more than 25% of the annual quota through March 31. Reduce to 50 pounds per trip once 25% of annual landings is reached or on April 1st, whichever occurs first. The first biweekly period begins Sunday January 1st and ends Saturday January 14th. Each subsequent biweekly period will similarly begin on Sunday and end the second Saturday following. Call-in / Call-out required under biweekly landing limits – Prior to departure and again prior to offloading call EnCon Police at 860.424.3503 24/7 and provide vessel name, Captain’s name, departure date, return date, port of landing and prior to offloading, the hail weight of fluke onboard. Summer flounder license endorsement required to land fluke.
Scup (porgy): Follow federal winter 1 rules: initially 50,000 pound possession limit, dropping to 1,000 pounds when 80% of the period quota has been harvested. No scup license endorsement is required during this period or during winter 2. Note during federal winter 2 (Nov-Dec) the initial possession limit is 12,000 pounds. This limit may be adjusted (increased) based on winter 1 fishery performance.
MAY – OCTOBER
Summer flounder: Initially 75 pound possession limit, adjusting limits periodically to maintain a steady weekly landings rate, landing not more than 95% of the annual quota, cumulatively by October 31. A summer flounder license endorsement is required to land fluke.
Scup (porgy): From May 1 through May 6 a 100 pound possession limit. Thereafter, the possession limit increases to 1,200 pounds. Adjust limits periodically to maintain a steady weekly landings rate, prevent a fishery closure and land 100% of the summer quota by October 31. A scup license endorsement is required to land scup, except under a restricted commercial fishing license when the possession limit is 60 scup without a scup license endorsement. Commercial lobster pot fishermen may, when in possession of lobsters, possess 10 scup. The 60 fish limit may also be adjusted (lowered) in-season in approximate proportion to any adjustment in the primary possession limit. The lower limit will not exceed 10% of the primary limit.
ANNUAL
American lobster: The closed season for lobster is September 8 through November 28.
Atlantic menhaden: 6,000 pound possession limit all year.
Black sea bass: 10 fish possession limit effective Jan 1. The fishery will close when 100% of the annual quota has been landed. A black sea bass license endorsement is required to land sea bass, including from lobster pots.
Bluefish: 1,200 pound possession limit effective Jan 1. Adjust limits periodically to maintain a steady monthly landings rate, to prevent in-season closure and land 100% of the annual quota. To prevent significant change in the character of the fishery, such as large scale targeted net fishing, the possession limit will not exceed 1,200 pounds.
Jonah crab: In the commercial fishery no Jonah crab less than 4.75 inches carapace width may be possessed or sold. Possession of egg bearing Jonah crabs or crabs from which the eggs have been removed is prohibited. Jonah crabs must also be landed whole. Landing claws only is prohibited. Possession of more than two loose claws per body is prohibited. The possession limit in non-trap fisheries is 1,000 crabs. There is no possession limit in the lobster pot fishery. (Connecticut licensing statutes do not allow crabs to be taken by pots other than lobster pots.) In the recreational fishery, there is a 50 crab daily possession limit and possession of egg bearing crabs or crabs from which the eggs have been removed is prohibited. There is no minimum size limit in the recreational fishery.
Smooth dogfish: 200 pound possession limit effective Jan 1. The fishery will close when 100% of the quota has been landed.
Spiny dogfish: 6,000 pound possession limit effective Jan 1. Spiny dogfish are managed under a regional annual quota. The fishery will close when 100% of the regional quota has been harvested.
Tautog: 10 fish possession limit when fishing under a limited access (moratorium) license, and 4 fish when fishing under the new restricted commercial fishing license. Open seasons are the months of April, July, August, and between Oct 8 and Dec 24.
Weakfish: 100 pounds all year.
Winter flounder: 50 pounds or 38 fish unless the fish were taken in federal waters under a federal groundfish permit.
December 29, 2016
JANUARY – APRIL
Summer flounder: Initially 500 pound biweekly (per two week period) landing limit. Adjust limits periodically to maintain a steady biweekly landings rate, landing not more than 25% of the annual quota through March 31. Reduce to 50 pounds per trip once 25% of annual landings is reached or on April 1st, whichever occurs first. The first biweekly period begins Sunday January 1st and ends Saturday January 14th. Each subsequent biweekly period will similarly begin on Sunday and end the second Saturday following. Call-in / Call-out required under biweekly landing limits – Prior to departure and again prior to offloading call EnCon Police at 860.424.3503 24/7 and provide vessel name, Captain’s name, departure date, return date, port of landing and prior to offloading, the hail weight of fluke onboard. Summer flounder license endorsement required to land fluke.
Scup (porgy): Follow federal winter 1 rules: initially 50,000 pound possession limit, dropping to 1,000 pounds when 80% of the period quota has been harvested. No scup license endorsement is required during this period or during winter 2. Note during federal winter 2 (Nov-Dec) the initial possession limit is 12,000 pounds. This limit may be adjusted (increased) based on winter 1 fishery performance.
MAY – OCTOBER
Summer flounder: Initially 75 pound possession limit, adjusting limits periodically to maintain a steady weekly landings rate, landing not more than 95% of the annual quota, cumulatively by October 31. A summer flounder license endorsement is required to land fluke.
Scup (porgy): From May 1 through May 6 a 100 pound possession limit. Thereafter, the possession limit increases to 1,200 pounds. Adjust limits periodically to maintain a steady weekly landings rate, prevent a fishery closure and land 100% of the summer quota by October 31. A scup license endorsement is required to land scup, except under a restricted commercial fishing license when the possession limit is 60 scup without a scup license endorsement. Commercial lobster pot fishermen may, when in possession of lobsters, possess 10 scup. The 60 fish limit may also be adjusted (lowered) in-season in approximate proportion to any adjustment in the primary possession limit. The lower limit will not exceed 10% of the primary limit.
ANNUAL
American lobster: The closed season for lobster is September 8 through November 28.
Atlantic menhaden: 6,000 pound possession limit all year.
Black sea bass: 10 fish possession limit effective Jan 1. The fishery will close when 100% of the annual quota has been landed. A black sea bass license endorsement is required to land sea bass, including from lobster pots.
Bluefish: 1,200 pound possession limit effective Jan 1. Adjust limits periodically to maintain a steady monthly landings rate, to prevent in-season closure and land 100% of the annual quota. To prevent significant change in the character of the fishery, such as large scale targeted net fishing, the possession limit will not exceed 1,200 pounds.
Jonah crab: In the commercial fishery no Jonah crab less than 4.75 inches carapace width may be possessed or sold. Possession of egg bearing Jonah crabs or crabs from which the eggs have been removed is prohibited. Jonah crabs must also be landed whole. Landing claws only is prohibited. Possession of more than two loose claws per body is prohibited. The possession limit in non-trap fisheries is 1,000 crabs. There is no possession limit in the lobster pot fishery. (Connecticut licensing statutes do not allow crabs to be taken by pots other than lobster pots.) In the recreational fishery, there is a 50 crab daily possession limit and possession of egg bearing crabs or crabs from which the eggs have been removed is prohibited. There is no minimum size limit in the recreational fishery.
Smooth dogfish: 200 pound possession limit effective Jan 1. The fishery will close when 100% of the quota has been landed.
Spiny dogfish: 6,000 pound possession limit effective Jan 1. Spiny dogfish are managed under a regional annual quota. The fishery will close when 100% of the regional quota has been harvested.
Tautog: 10 fish possession limit when fishing under a limited access (moratorium) license, and 4 fish when fishing under the new restricted commercial fishing license. Open seasons are the months of April, July, August, and between Oct 8 and Dec 24.
Weakfish: 100 pounds all year.
Winter flounder: 50 pounds or 38 fish unless the fish were taken in federal waters under a federal groundfish permit.