2009 Bay Sport License Info update

[dfran]

I have the question, can you use both the trotline and traps at the same time?  I asked this before but I don't think we came to agreement.

Since there were no changes to the regs. You can still crab with 30 traps and a trotline, just like last year.


Quote from: ILLSWIMHOME on March 18, 2009, 04:50:42 PM

"First we will NOT be making any changes in blue crab recreational licenses this year.  There was a proposal submitted but we have pulled it out of the regulatory process so it won’t be considered this year."

[tugcapt]

I would like to see something from DRN regs, other than her statement that says 1 bushel + 4 doz for a licensed boat.  Please cut and paste or show the exact link, because I can't find it.
What she states is for an unlicensed crabber in an unlicensed boat with a person onboard with a plain old crab license, not a boat license.

This is what I found for LICENSED BOAT

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


OR

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

This is what it says for UNLICENSED BOAT  which is what she stated, but the question was about a licensed boat.

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

This means if a licensed crabber is in the unlicensed boat, with an unlicensed person, they can only catch 1 bushel.

[Weber]

Man, some of you make this more difficult then it needs to be.

The regs were not changed from last year.

Pick up a guideline book and read it, it has the answers that you need.  Don't read into things more then needed.

[Dreampixels]

Man, some of you make this more difficult then it needs to be.

The regs were not changed from last year.

Pick up a guideline book and read it, it has the answers that you need.  Don't read into things more then needed.

Sit tight, it's a yearly thing here. If nothing changes we must at least review the old. I must say though, even the DNR Uniforms will give a wide variety of answers some which seems to be misleading in either direction. If you really want to know the answer then force the issue to Court, then if you lose, keep appealing it until you run out of appeals.

I do not believe the people who wrote them know what they mean when you get to the gray areas. The person on the phone is not the person in the field, their interpretations may also vary.

I do know this, some of our biggest offenders in my area, were also the Defenders......

[tugcapt]

Man, some of you make this more difficult then it needs to be.

The regs were not changed from last year.

Pick up a guideline book and read it, it has the answers that you need.  Don't read into things more then needed.

I guess you read the first post?  The guidebook I have that came with my license says nothing about what she said. 

In the mean time, I guess I will get my wife a regular bay sport and crab license and skip the boat sticker.  I don't think there will be more than a bushel in my boat anyway.

[jimmyjam]

Here we go again....every year, the same thing

[bluecrab]

Yes here we go again but like DP said its good to review last years regs.

Blue

[tattoo]

I

Yes here we go again but like DP said its good to review last years regs.

Blue

It never hurts to brush up on them .

[tugcapt]

Someone could make a killing writing their own book or guide every year that explains each thing.  The guides DNR put out are ok, but if you have a question like this, they don't help and calling and e-mail can get you ten different answers.

I was going to get a boat sticker at first, but got antsy to go fishing and had everything put on my bay sport license.  Now my wife wanted to fish and crab, and my brother may visit from Florida, so I still can't decide it I'm going to get it or not.

[ILLSWIMHOME]

I have the question, can you use both the trotline and traps at the same time?  I asked this before but I don't think we came to agreement.

I sent an email over and got this response today

"Regulations have not changed from last year.  Please visit our web site for all the current information and regulations on recreational crabbing in Maryland."

That was the whole email.

[Weber]

Yes here we go again but like DP said its good to review last years regs.

Blue

Ask your question, and I will give you the answer and tell you what page its on.

Don't make it more difficult then it needs to be....

[Weber]

Someone could make a killing writing their own book or guide every year that explains each thing.  The guides DNR put out are ok, but if you have a question like this, they don't help and calling and e-mail can get you ten different answers.

I was going to get a boat sticker at first, but got antsy to go fishing and had everything put on my bay sport license.  Now my wife wanted to fish and crab, and my brother may visit from Florida, so I still can't decide it I'm going to get it or not.

My recommendation is if you are planning on fishing and crabbing, and plan to have mulitple people on your boat, purchase the bay sport boat license in your name, and a rec crab license in your wifes name.

This will allow you and unlicensed friends to fish and crab off your boat, while allowing you to take 2 bushels home of crabs.

$55, money well spent....

[bluecrab]

2 bushels only if your wife goes too  :-)

[Weber]

2 bushels only if your wife goes too  :-)

Or if someone else has a $5 license....  Thats pretty cheap for another bushel of crabs, now you just have to catch enough to fill two bushels.....

[tugcapt]

Someone could make a killing writing their own book or guide every year that explains each thing.  The guides DNR put out are ok, but if you have a question like this, they don't help and calling and e-mail can get you ten different answers.

I was going to get a boat sticker at first, but got antsy to go fishing and had everything put on my bay sport license.  Now my wife wanted to fish and crab, and my brother may visit from Florida, so I still can't decide it I'm going to get it or not.

I got a bay sport already.  I went fishing over Tuckahoe and had the crab added to my fish license. Then I went out and bought an outboard and thought about breaking out my trotline, and she wants to go, so she needs a license now.  I could always tell her they are sold out and she will have to wait for next year.

Thats why I was thinking of the crab or bay sport for the boat, but the DNR lady said it doesn't cover everyone in the boat.
I don't need more than a bushel, but the trotline thing had me thinking.

[PHILLY JOE]

Man, some of you make this more difficult then it needs to be.

The regs were not changed from last year.

Pick up a guideline book and read it, it has the answers that you need.  Don't read into things more then needed.

I was under the assumption EVERYONE was required to have a license this year. 
Am I correct or that is no longer valid reasoning???

[tattoo]

as stated in an earlier post the rules are the same a 2008 , NO CHANGES. 

[PHILLY JOE]

This is what threw me

An individual under 16 years of age may crab without a license in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and is restricted to the same limits as an unlicensed crabber.

[CaptMoose]

This sticky should have the MD License online retail outlet link:  https://www4.wildlifelicense.com/md/

[tattoo]

good job , ROB. 

[DelawareGramps]

Well, as a newbie now I'm totally confused. Read all of this, and the Md site and while I thought I'm pretty good at reading bureaucratese, The MD stuff just went over my balding head.

Anyway, I wanted to take my grandkids and the wife to try crabbing off a bridge or docks a few times before it gets cold. We'd be using a few crab traps (the rectangular ones that open flat, the round collapsible ones that are more like nets -- I don't know the lingo yet ) and so of course I came here to this enjoyable and informative forum. BUT...After reading here I went to the DNR site and found this:

A recreational crabber may crab without a license 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week from docks, piers, bridges, boats and shorelines using dip nets and any number of handlines.  A property owner may set a maximum of 2 crab pots per privately owned pier at their property.

Great I figured, but then I read on and there were all sorts of things so now I'm not sure at all what I can do. Anyone here can help me out in understanding this? First it says simple crabbing like I have in mind is OK without a license -- but then proceeds to say otherwise....help
PS: I do love the sense of humor here BTW

[DelawareGramps]

Looks like I found my own answer at:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/crab/2007recreationalcrabsummary.html, specifically:

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

So, may I safely presume that the DNR police will not wisk us away if we toss maybe 5 crab traps off a pier near Chester MD? My granddaughter is too young to do hard time...

[lreops]

Apparently you found your answer while I was searching for you, so, not to let my effort go unused, I'll post my findings also;


D. Exceptions. An individual who catches or attempts to catch crabs for recreational purposes in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries is not required to have a recreational crabbing license if the individual:

(1) Uses any of the following gear:

(a) A dipnet;

(b) A handline;

(c) Up to ten collapsible traps or net rings, or combination of ten collapsible traps and net rings; or

(d) A seine which does not exceed 50 feet in length;

(2) Is younger than 16 years old;

[Dr Phildo]

I had a Chesapeake Bay sport license and Sarges still charged me $15 for my crabbing "boat" license.  They said the sport license has nothing to do with the crabbing license unless you purchase the "consolidated" sport license in the beginning.  Too weird... 

[DelawareGramps]

Ireops: Thanks for going to the trouble.Never fails, I search and search and cannot find an answer so I post to a forum. Then, I get antsy and take one more look -- only to find what I was looking for. Sort of like waxing your car causes rain... Anyway, tnx and nice forum...