Beginning on Monday, August 1, recreational fishermen may again retain cod in federal waters of the Gulf of Maine. The bag limit is one cod, per person, per day.
This increase from last year's zero possession limit is due to a slight increase in the biomass of Gulf of Maine cod, which allowed an increase in the recreational harvest limit.
Current recreational regulations for Gulf of Maine cod and haddock are:
Gulf of Maine Haddock
Bag Limit: 15
Size Limit: 17 Inches
Open Season: May 1-Feb 28; Apr 15-30
Gulf of Maine Cod
Bag Limit: 1
Size Limit: 24 Inches
Open Season: Aug 1-Sep 30
We also want to remind recreational fishermen of the transit regulations:
If you fish inside and outside of the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area on the same trip, or if you fish outside the regulated area and then transit the regulated area, you must comply with the most restrictive (larger) minimum fish size for all cod and haddock on board.
For cod, the larger minimum size is 24 inches, and for haddock, the larger minimum size is 18 inches.
Minimum Fish Sizes (total length in inches)
Cod
Inside Gulf of Maine: 24
Outside Gulf of Maine: 22
Most Restrictive: 24
Haddock
Inside Gulf of Maine: 17
Outside Gulf of Maine: 18
Most Restrictive: 18
If you fish for cod and haddock exclusively outside the Gulf of Maine Regulated Mesh Area, you must remove all bait and hooks from fishing rods, and any cod or haddock on board must be gutted and stored before transiting the Gulf of Maine.
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