# MD and DC Striped Bass Regulations



## Gone Fishing (Jun 19, 2000)

Does anybody have links to this info? 

Thx again


----------



## Wrong Way (May 29, 2003)

Here


----------



## Gone Fishing (Jun 19, 2000)

MD Bay Striped Bass:

Apr 17, 2004 - May 15, 2004
1/person/day
May not possess striped bass while fishing
between 12:00 midnight and 5:00 a.m.

How about for DC? I having a hard time finding this info. Does DC govt use the internet yet?


----------



## m.j. (Mar 5, 2004)

Here is a link to DC's fishing regs.

http://dchealth.dc.gov/services/adm...sheries_wildlife/licensing_regactivities.shtm


----------



## CrawFish (Sep 23, 2003)

*DC REGUALTIONS!!*

Fishing from either side of the Potomac River from Woodrow Wilson Bridge to Little Fall (just above American Legion Bridge) requires a DC fishing license ($10 Non resident, 7 for resident). Last year rockfish season opens May 3rd and before that is catch and release. The DC rangers dress like civillians and ticket people for not having DC license, from experience, always thought that VA license covers that part of the water, but not.

Hope this helps and Good Luck!!


----------



## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

Dang did not know you couldnt have a striper in the cooler after 12pm..... so say at 7:37 pm i catch a keeper striper i have to quit fishing at 12 if i want to keep it??

I knew there was a reason that I always have caught and released them things....

Bleh 

Tiny


----------



## Rugger (Sep 30, 2002)

Out of curiosity, why would I produce ID to give to a DC ranger who is in Virginia?


----------



## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

Hey Tinybaum when that rule comes into effect all you have to do is take your cooler with rockfish and put it in the car. As long as you have it in there before 12 you are good. I know it sounds kind of crazy but that is the only way to stay legit with that regulation.


----------



## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

But even though it is in your car it is still in possession.....I would think....

There i do thinking again


----------



## shaggy (Jun 18, 2003)

Tiny is right on this one, in car or not, you cannot have in your possession, and in your car is still in your possession. Thing is Rangers don't know when they look in the cooler in your car at 3am whether it was caught before or after midnight. SO if you got one, leave the premises and head home by the witching hour, and save yourself some money. Same way on AI. We fish three days, if we catch two on the first day, well then, rest of trip for two days is catch and release. Two in possession, not two per day, just two.

Have Jeep will travel.


----------



## Wrong Way (May 29, 2003)

I've had my car checked at the Narrows before as well. The rule does suck for those who arrive late and want to fish into the night. What happens if you take a camping/fishing trip? I guess the rule doesn't take that into account. I'll be sure to ask a ranger next time I see one.


----------



## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

I know it sounds crazy and easy to get around but that is all you have to do. I have done it at the choptank pier many times. That is why we always end the pool at 1145 so everyone can bring their rockfish back to the car and continue fishing it they please. That is why I usually bring two coolers, one for the car and one for the pier. Plus it is an integrity check, which we all know not all fisherman are honest


----------



## Hat80 (Sep 22, 2002)

*If you are camping*

that is considered home. I did it at Brezzy Point all the time. Catch your limit on the pier and take it to the campsite. Next day your good to go. When I say camping I mean the whole 9yards. Don't let them come to your site and find just a puptent, thats not a fixed campsite in their eyes.....Tightlines


----------



## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

FL are you sure?? have you talked to a ranger about this.......


----------



## Rugger (Sep 30, 2002)

I'd love to see a ranger try to establish probable cause for a clean search on a cooler already in my car if they didn't actually see me place it in the car-- there's no PC to believe that I used it for fishing, thereby denying them the right to perform a search. While Tiny is right that if they search your car and find a striper in it you're in violation, you would need to give them permission to perform such a search so you really can't get busted unless you allow them to bust you on this one.


----------



## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

Its just like anything else you deny them the right to search your car, then that gives them PC. Just like if you refuse to take a breathalizer then that is enough PC to make you blow in the tube......or if you refuse to let them search your car when pulled over......While telling them "NO you cant search my car" would be nice.....it will bite you in the [email protected]@ I believe


----------



## shaggy (Jun 18, 2003)

Rugger, while you may be right to refuse them to look in your cooler, most of the Rangers at Narrows and Matapeake know, don't ask me, 'cause I would rather you (and yes I have given the ones I know permission to) look in the cooler in my Jeep, 'cause right now I am fishing "legally", and would rather continue doing so. It does pay off to "be cooperative" with the guys with the badges, "cause about two years ago, left license at home in tackle box and only brought my back pack with some extra gear, and low and behold, one of the "regulars" comes up, whom I have cooperated with, no license, yet since he knew me and knew I had a license and fished by the regs, my warning, please bring it next time.

Also, if you say no, right or wrong they wonder why, and also, they have plenty of time to sit and watch without you knowing. That said, and YOU don't know they are watching, catch one take to car and place in cooler, they now have probable cause to search, and God forbid you have too many, because I guarantee they won't go easy on ya and give the max they can for each violation, read, NO WARNINGS. Then, they know you, on the opposite side that they know me, and can you ever be watched without even realizing.

My attitude, obey the law, cooperate, and some day it may save a tiny fine, instead of turning a minor violation into the max they can give you.

If you got nothing to hide, don't act like you do, let them have permission, if you got something to hide, say no and leave, mostly for your own good, too many rods, let a non licensed friend reel in a fish, forget your license oh well, you were the jerk, who acted guilty, and they do have a job to do. Who would you worry and look for more, the guy who cooperated with ya or the one that said, get me a search warrant and then you can look?

My two cents, work with them, and they'll work with you.

Have Jeep will travel.


----------



## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

Well let me recant a little bit. I speak from experience on choptank pier only. Rangers are nice there but thourogh. As long as you get it off the pier and in your car before 12 they are ok with it. I have had a ranger look in my car there when I left and all he was looking for was that they were of size to keep and that was 3 am. I mean think about it if you know you are going to be fishing after 12 are you not supposed to keep any rockfish the whole time?? You know when you are at your house with the fish after 12 you are still in possesion of it!! The man can follow you and give you a ticket!! I mean you could break it down a million and one ways. Most and I say most rangers aren't out to get you. Nope, most fisherman do that job themselves by keeping under/over sized, out of season, etc fish. The law says you can't keep rockfish after 12 so I don't keep any after 12. But the ones I catch before I keep as long as I am within my limt and are of keeping size. My .02


----------



## Rugger (Sep 30, 2002)

Shaggy, I'm not implying that anyone should be taking stripers after midnight or breaking the law-- what I'm saying is that if I drag my cooler back to the car before midnight, there's no way that I would allow a ranger to search my car or anything in it. The reality is that I'm always generally cooperative with law enforcement, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to allow a ranger to nail me for something which he has no right to nail me for-- especially since I didn't break the law in the first place. That's just common sense. And Tiny, denying the officer the permission to search does not give him PC to search. Sure they might try to screw with you, but as long as you aren't breakign the law in any way so what? Bottom line, there's no way I'm eating a fine for having a striper someplace where the rangers have no right to look for one.


----------



## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

ehh well they wouldnt ask to search if they didnt have evidence that you had done something illegal


----------



## Hat80 (Sep 22, 2002)

*Wrong Tiny,*

If your at the Narrows or at Matepeake and the DNR see a cooler in your car they will ask you to go with them, open your car and let them look inside the cooler. The point Rugger is trying to make is, legally they can't *make* you open your car.....Tightlines


----------



## Tinybaum (Mar 8, 2004)

Well for then to see in my truck they will either have to break a window to see through the tint or open the leater cover to see in.. Im not to worried about it......i dont keep that many fish anyway. And a cooler in your car counts as enough evidence for them to ask....

They arent going to be like ok everyone we need to look in your cars.....extra cooler in your car is suspicious in their eyes.....


Stay on the honest path then you dont have to worry about it


----------



## Anthony (Jul 3, 2002)

I remember at the first choptank clean-up the DNR ranger came down around 11:30pm and asked how we did. We told her that there were some catfish, some croaker, some spot, and a keeper striper. She told us to make sure that the rockfish was in the car before midnight and we are good to go. I was hoping that they would get rid of that rule eventually, the chesapeake bay on the MD side is the only place where that rule takes place. Oh well, rules are rules.


----------



## Hat80 (Sep 22, 2002)

*Wrong again,*

a cooler in your car is *NOT* evidence for them to look, they can ask. They need PC to hold you and then a warrent to search your car. PC is me or anyone else calling them and saying so and so is keeping illegal fish. With that said, I have fished with alot of the P&S members on this board. Everyone of them are stand-up fisherman and would never keep a fish illegally.

The DNR officer the hits the Kent Island area and I call each other by our first names. He knows I don't keep fish and I'm legal, still everytime he sees me he looks. It's his job and I for one am glad he's doing it. You see if you keep illegal fish while I'm on the pier or surf, I tell you one time. If you don't listen I'll make that call and be there to point the finger at you when the man gets there.

This whole thread has been a misunderstanding and has turned into a pissin in the wind contest. The bottom line is help the man out, he's there to protect our fisheries and protect the honest fisherman.....Tightlines


----------



## catman (May 28, 2001)

*Drop The Dime*

Ditto everything that Hat has said. Every P&S gay & gal I know does it buy the book and like Hat said you get one warning, the second time the dime is dropped. With all that's been said let's just have an enjoyable season and share eachother's friendship with many croaker filled nights. 

Catman.


----------

