2012 Georgia Fishing Regulations

[3E971]

Hey Folks, the 2012 edition of the fishing Regs has hit the DNR's website, good thing is, there are no changes for Blue Crabs or Stone Crabs compared to last year. Page 40 says that the State of Georgia considers one bushel equals 32 quarts. Daily limit per person is 1 bushel, unless on a boat, in which case you can keep 2 bushels with 2 or more people on the boat...

Download the entire .pdf here:
http://www.georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/uploads/wildlife/fishing/pdfs/regulations/Georgia_Fishing_Regulations.pdf

Stone Crabs
Georgia does not regulate the harvest of stone
crab; however, the harvest of the whole crab
is discouraged. It is recommended that only
one claw measuring at least 2.75 inches from
the elbow to the tip of the lower, immovable
finger be removed. A properly removed claw
should not have meat from the body attached.

Blue Crabs
Areas , Seasons , Hours
Unless otherwise designated, the saltwaters of
Georgia are open year-round for recreational
crabbing at any time of the day.

Gear Traps:
Up to six standard size crab traps
(2 x 2 feet or smaller) may be used recreationally.
Two unobstructed escapement rings (2.375 inch
inside diameter) must be installed on an outside
vertical wall. Each trap must be marked with a
fluorescent green or lime green float bearing the
owner's name and address in one-inch letters.
Traps should be sufficiently weighted to prevent
loss in strong tidal currents. It is unlawful to
place or set crab traps in the channel of any
stream with a lawfully established system of
waterway markers. Disposal of crab traps in
public waters is a violation of State and Federal
laws.

Other Gear:
Subject to other restrictions
outlined in these regulations, legal crabs may
be taken with other legal fishing gear such as
seines, cast nets, hand-lines, and lift rings.

Size and Harvest Limits
It is unlawful to take or possess any crab less
than 5 inches from spike to spike across the
back (other than a "peeler" or a "mature adult
female" crab). Peelers must measure at least 3
inches from spike to spike across the back. No
sponge (egg-bearing) crabs are allowed.
Recreational crabbers may take no more than
one bushel of crabs during any 24-hour period.
No more than two bushels may be taken recreationally
or possessed during a 24-hour period
on a boat with more than one person aboard.

Terrapins in Crab Traps:
Recent studies have investigated the effectiveness of
excluder devices for preventing the capture of
diamond-back terrapins in commercial-style
crab traps. Terrapins that enter crab traps
cannot escape and often drown. To learn
how to build your own terrapin excluder visit
www.terrapinconservation.org.

Saltwater Demarcation Line
This line is established in this state as the separation
point between saltwaters and freshwaters
for commercial fishing and sport fishing. The
saltwater demarcation line is defined below:

• The point at which U.S. Highway 17 crosses
the following bodies of water and their tributaries
shall be the line of demarcation for
them: St. Mary's River, Satilla River, South
Altamaha River, Champney River, Butler
River, Darien River, Little Ogeechee System
(except Salt Creek), North Newport River,
Medway River, Big Ogeechee River, and the
point at which Georgia Highway 25/South
Carolina 170 crosses the Savannah River and
its tributaries. All water seaward of these
points shall be considered saltwater.

• The following streams and their tributaries
are designated as salt water for their entire
length: Crooked River, Little Satilla River,
South Brunswick River, Turtle River, Sapelo
River, South Newport River, Salt Creek (Little
Ogeechee System), and all other rivers, streams,
and tributaries in the six coastal counties
which are not enumerated in this subsection.

• For purposes of crabbing, that portion of
the St. Mary's River and the Satilla River
System (including the Satilla River and White
Oak Creek) which is seaward of the points
at which the Seaboard Coastline Railroad
crosses such streams and that portion of the
Altamaha River System which is seaward of
the points at which I-95 crosses the streams
of that system shall be considered salt water.
It shall be unlawful to place any crab trap
in the waters of this state other than that
described as salt water in Code Section 27-4-1
or by this subsection