# Rockfish Regulations for MD vs VA



## Green Cart (May 14, 2002)

Maryland Chesapeake Bay rockfish dates are April 19 through December 15 while Virgina Chesapeake Bay rockfish dates are May 1 through June 15 and October 4 through December 31. Reciprocity is not going to help Virginia rockfish fishermen. What is to stop Virginia fisherman from buying non-state Maryland fishing license so that they can fish between June 15 and October 4? Am I missing something?


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## oldsalt (May 6, 2003)

They will just have to fish on the Maryland
side of the line on VA closed dates,If they got the MD license


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

So whats your point? If I want to buy a Fla fishing license an fly down to fish for cobia in th spring before I can catch them here I can. Whats th difference?


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## Green Cart (May 14, 2002)

My point is that fishing regulations are unnecessarily too complicated and non-uniform. My second point which I did not make before is that what is the dividing line on Chesapeake Bay for Maryland and Virginia license? I could not find the definition of the dividing line.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Good point on th line. Went all over th MD site an th best I could come up with from their data collection map was a line from Pocomoke Sound east to Chincotegue Bay. Don't know if thats th line or not.


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## Don Burke (Feb 28, 2003)

As near as I can tell, a holder of a Virginia saltwater license can fish in the Maryland portion of the bay if he observes Maryland rules.

If you're in Maryland and have a valid license, the rules of the issuing state do not appear to be an issue as long as you are observing Maryland rules.

Has anyone here found anything in writing that says otherwise?


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## Green Cart (May 14, 2002)

Don,

I agree with you on the reciprocity rule, but I am still curious as to what is the dividing line on Chesapeake Bay. I just e-mailed my question to both MD and VA DNR, and I will get back to it here.


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## Salty (Jan 10, 2000)

MD and VA do have a recip agreement- so good in VA = good in MD (except fresh I think). 

I'm not sure about the actual bay, but there is a line on the Potomac, right on the VA shoreline- so technically the entire Potomac belongs to MD. The political VA-MD boarder runs roughly from Smith Point to around Crisfield, along the boarder of Sommerset and Accomack counties.


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

That is correct, but does not apply to freshwater though.


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## Don Burke (Feb 28, 2003)

Green Cart,

I suspect you'll get an answer that goes with the state line. However, it will be nice to have a definitive statement.

The line doesn't affect if your license is valid, just what rules you have to observe.

Salty,

There are a bunch of reciprocity issues relating to the Potomac. For the most part, either state license is valid off either bank, although when the saltwater licenses and the D.C. license get thrown into the mix, it gets pretty confusing.

I haven't found any Virginia-Maryland freshwater reciprocity other than the Potomac. Virginia-North Carolina reciprocity is pretty extensive due to some shared lakes.

Don


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## Green Cart (May 14, 2002)

I just heard from Virginia DNR who said:

"MD/VA line runs roughly from Smith Pt. on the western side of the Bay to Smith Island and then through Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds. Use NOAA chart 12220 to see the specific path."

I verified that on ADC's Regional Map of the Chesapeake Bay. 

VA DNR said that the VA saltwater license is good in the MD bay area regardless of the specific fishing seasons and referenced me to:
http://www.mrc.state.va.us/recfishh&l_licensing.htm 

VA DNR opened a bag of worms which I had forgotten about. Be careful when using a boat. He said:

"You could fish in MD for stripers during their open season, but if returning through VA waters during a VA closed season you can not stop in VA waters to fish - if you did your boat could be inspected and stripers in possession would be considered a violation. In that scenario, if you transported them from MD waters to a VA dock without stopping your fish would be considered legal at the dock."

I am not going to get involved with other reciprocity such as Potomac River and fishwater (SMILE)!


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## Don Burke (Feb 28, 2003)

Green Cart,

That sounds like the same rules we have when the ocean season is open, but the bay season is closed.

If you're on your way home with ocean caught stripers, one bucktail in the wrong stretch of water could cost you a bunch.


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## Green Cart (May 14, 2002)

Don Burke

Yeah! I started this topic because I combined fishing regulations for MD, VA and Delaware on one page using EXCEL. I broke down the rockfish regulations by bay and ocean for MD and VA (Delaware Bay and ocean are one and the same) and added Potomac River regulations. I got stumped when I started thinking of the Chesapeake Bay dividing line which I had forgotten a long time ago. So when I asked this question, I answered it myself after getting feedback from Pier and Surf.

Flounder regulations (GROAN) are similar to rockfish regulations; i.e. a set of rules by bay and ocean along with Potomac River rules.

Weakfish (gray trout) is 14"-10 limit in MD, 12"-7 limit in VA, and 13"-8 limit in Delaware. I ain't going to remember all that so that is why I prepared the spreadsheet to put in my tackle box to use for a quick reference.


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

that is a good idea green cart may have to do that too.


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

Don't forget that the Potomac river is covered by seperate regulaions put in place by the Potomac Rivers Fisheries Commission. I don't know what the specific regulations are on the Potomac I just know that they are not the same as either MD or VA. I do know that any of the three saltwater fishing licenses are valid in any of the areas.

Tom


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## freswaterjim (May 17, 2003)

Can a person purchase one license to fish both md &va.ches bay and which one should he by the va or the md or is there no difference??


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## Sea Critter (Jun 6, 2003)

Cdog said:


> *So whats your point? If I want to buy a Fla fishing license an fly down to fish for cobia in th spring before I can catch them here I can. Whats th difference?  *


I'm almost thinking it would be a better idea to have a federal saltwater fishing license. Freshwater licenses would naturally remain under jurisdiction of the states. The federal government can then disburse funds to the states based on specific needs to protect endangered species by specific geographic location.

After all, it isn't like most fish species observe state lines... so these "re-districting" games are better suited for capaigns and elections than fishing regulations.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

The states would never let a federal license come into effect--they'd lose all that revenue they get from us. And given the looming budget crisis in most states, there's no way they'll give up a penny.

I hold a Va. license only and fish Md. all the time (I live here). Never had a problem in six years. Most regulations between the two states are pretty similar, except on stripers. The fisheries biologists decided that the circumstances for this fish require a different management approach between the two states, hence the different laws.

Although I hold a Va. license, I obey the Va. laws when I'm in Va. and the Md. laws when I'm in Md. Never had a single problem.


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