Summary of 2007 Recreational Crab Regulations
EMERGENCY REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED FOR THE 2008 CRAB SEASON. Click here to view proposal.
Recreational Crabbing Reminders
A new crab trap is showing up at Maryland sport fishing retail stores under the name of CRAB ALERT. This trap is designed so that when a crab grabs the bait, a spring-loaded trap door closes automatically. Please be aware that a crab trap that automatically closes, without a manual force, is illegal to use in Maryland. Using illegal methods to catch crabs has a maximum penalty of $500 for the first offense.
According to Maryland regulation, a collapsible crab trap is defined as a manually operated, portable device having a flat bottom not more than 1 square foot, and not more than four articulated sides, each with an area not more than 1 square foot. The trap shall be designed so that failure to apply manually exerted tension on the closing mechanism allows the crabs to escape. In other words, a crab trap must allow crabs to enter and exit the trap until the user pulls the line up to retrieve the trap. This pulling of the line manually closes the sides on the trap.
SEASON: April 1 - December 15, 2007
- The current license structure and fees are:
- $2 for a holder of a Chesapeake Bay Sportfishing License
- $5 for a resident
- $10 for a non-resident
- $40 Chesapeake Bay Special Pleasure Boat Sport Fishing License (CBSPBL)
- A new license for a Recreational Crabbing Boat established at a fee of $15
- The $40 CBSPBL is valid as a Recreational Crabbing Boat License. The complimentary fishing license issued to the boat owner of a licensed sportfishing boat is valid as the owner's individual recreational crabbing license.
- Closed Wednesdays - except handlines and dip nets or pots at private piers
- Recreational crabbers may set recreational crabbing gear and crab from boats:
- during Apr, Oct, Nov and Dec
- during May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sept
- Recreational crabbers may not set recreational crabbing gear and crab from boats on Wednesdays except handlines, dip nets and pots at private piers.
- Recreational crabbers may not set a trotline, traps/rings within 100 feet of a trotline.
- Minimum Size (No minimum size for mature females):
- The minimum size for soft crab is 3 1/2 inches during the entire season.
- INDIVIDUAL CRABBING
- A license is required of an individual who uses the following gear or takes the following quantity of crabs:
- Trotline (1200 feet of baited line maximum allowed) floats must be the same size, color and shape
- 11 to 30 traps or rings
- Up to 10 eel pots for own bait
- More than 2 dozen with a limit of 1 bushel of hard crabs
- More than 1 dozen with a limit of 2 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- A license is NOT required of an individual who uses only the following gear and takes the following quantity of crabs:
- 10 or fewer traps and rings
- dipnets
- handlines
- No more than 2 dozen hard crabs
- No more than 1 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- OWNER OF PRIVATE SHORELINE PROPERTY
- Creel limits vary depending on whether the crabber is licensed or not - see Individual Crabbing information above.
- 2 crab pots from a private propoerty or pier or within 100 yds of shore and attached by line
- Two cull rings required in upper chamber
- One measuring at least 2 3/16"
- One measuring at least 2 5/16"
- Turtle Reduction Device no larger than 1¾" x 4¾"
- CRABBING FROM A BOAT
- A recreational crabbing boat may be licensed
- The fee for a Recreational Crabbing Boat License is $15
- The owner of the licensed recreational crabbing boat is also issued a complementary statewide Individual Recreational Crabbing License
- The Chesapeake Bay Special Pleasure Boat Sport Fishing License (fee of $40) is valid as a Recreational Crabbing Boat License.
- CRABBING GEAR
- If the boat is licensed for recreational crabbing by either the Recreational Crabbing Boat License (new at a $15 fee) or the Chesapeake Bay Special Pleasure Boat License or at least one person in the boat possesses an individual recreational crabbing license:
- 1200 feet of trotline (baited portion)
- Maximum 30 crab traps or rings
- Handlines
- Dipnets
- CATCH LIMITS FOR A LICENSED BOAT:
- Without any persons in the licensed boat who also possess an Individual Recreational Crabbing License;
- 1 bushel of hard crabs
- 2 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- Owner of the licensed boat in the boat with unlicensed crabbers;
- 1 bushel of hard crabs
- 2 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- If 2 or more licensed persons are in the licensed boat;
- 2 bushels of hard crabs
- 2 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- CATCH LIMITS FOR AN UNLICENSED BOAT:
- Without any licensed persons in the unlicensed boat;
- 4 dozen hard crabs
- 1 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- One licensed crabber in the boat alone or with unlicensed crabbers;
- 1 bushel of hard crabs
- 2 dozen soft crabs and peelers
- If 2 or more licensed persons in the unlicensed boat;
- 2 bushels of hard crabs
- 2 dozen soft crabs or peelers
- Special Note: A person less than 16 years of age is exempted from needing a license but, unless they purchase a crabbing license, they are restricted to the same limits as an unlicensed crabber.
* Fisheries Service Regulatory Clarification Notice on Crab Bushel Limits
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service was recently notified of different interpretations of the regulations regarding allowable catch limits for recreational crabbing from a licensed boat. Before the sport crabbing season gets into full swing, we would like to clarify the regulations.
A person who buys a Recreational Crab Boat License or a Consolidated Bay Sport Boat License receives a boat decal and a complimentary, portable recreational crabbing license that they may carry with them. The person may take their license with them and crab from shore or on another boat or, obviously, they may simply crab off the boat which has their license decal affixed to it. In each of these instances, the license can be used to catch one bushel. The person may NOT allow other individuals to use their boat with the affixed decal to catch a bushel at the same time that they are using their complimentary, portable license to catch a bushel at a different location. The boat decal and the portable license count as a single license for one person. With this single license, a person is allowed one bushel.
The second misinterpretation is that the complimentary, portable license of the boat owner counts as one licensed crabber and other unlicensed crabbers on board are covered by the boat license decal and therefore, the boat is allowed two bushels. This is not correct. Persons aboard a boat with a decal cannot catch two bushels from this boat, UNLESS other individuals on board, in addition to the boat owner, have a recreational crabbing license issued to them.
Even if there are more than two recreationally licensed crabbers on board any boat, there cannot be more than two bushels on board at any one time.
Summary:
- 1 Boat Decal (including the complimentary portable license that comes with the decal) = 1 Crabbing License
- 1 Boat Decal = 1 Bushel of Crabs
- 1 Boat Decal + 1 Additional Recreational License = 2 Bushels of Crabs
- 1 Boat Decal + any additional number of recreational licenses still = 2 bushels
- Possession of soft crabs and peelers by anglers and charter boats: No limit for possession of soft crabs and peelers for use as bait for the purpose of sportfishing.
- Click here to view the recreational crab regulations for the ocean and its bays
If you have any questions, please contact Customer Service.
*This page was Last updated: 03/21/2007 *