Hello,

Can someone help clarify the State water vs. Federal waters rules on fishing for and landing Bass, etc. ?

I am aware that Fed waters start 3 miles offshore but would like to know more about it.

Thank you

asI understand it , catch all you want but don't get caught with it in your boat, fed waters catch an release only.

Go with the law in whichever state you plan to land your boat in.

I believe it is against the law to even target them. Someone told me once that if you were out on Stellwagon and were stopped and asked what you were fishing for to definitely make sure you didn't say stripers. Tell em you're fishing for bluefish but not stripers. I don't fish for them out there anyways but someday you never know you might see fish breaking on top and find a big slob under them.

You can rec. fish out there, but not Commercial!! There is a some talk abiut opening the EZ up to commercila but it has not happened yet. I hope it never does!! I do it Comm. But I do it insure. There are alot of boats out there and they do get fish out fish out there but they take there chance every day. They caught they wil pay thur the nose.

I'd have to say 50-75 percent of the comm. bass guys up here fish atleast 3-8 miles out past the eez. all in fed waters...no one around to stop them an they don't give a schitts. then they wonder why comm. get a bad rep.

It is illegal "to fish for, land or posses" in the eez. But remember you were blooo fishn right?

Guys,
Don't get caught with a bass in Federal Waters, its illegal and the fines cqan be hefty.
Its illegal to fish for them or to possess them in Federal waters, commercial or recreation, doesn't make a difference.

It is completely illegal to posess or even fish for stripers in the EEZ. Yeh the commercial guys even admitted to saying the hell with that at a A6 meeting last fall. Two guys said they go beyond the 3 mile EEZ right to Diadoti's face. One of the guys said he goes out past 12 and to hell with the laws. There are supposedly some loose interpretations in the sense that you can catch them off of Race Point and run them across to Marshfield (a lot of guys - especially charters do just that) or running from the Islands back in. But it is illegal to fish bass in the EEZ.

There is talk about removing that restriction but last I heard it was still talk.

Oh yeh, all those 'Tucket guys fishing the tail of the Great Point Rip are in the EEZ...

Exactly where are the boundaries of the EEZ? Most rec fishermen have never even heard of the EEZ.

The EEZ boundrey is 3 miles off the coast. If you look at a Gov't chart you will see parabolic lines in ring forms along the coast and around the islands.

From the beach it would be an awfully long cast to reach it. From a boat I'll bet many people don't even know that they are outside 3 miles many times.

Thank god they are there. I live over on Nantucket and when we go offshore for big'uns we cruise over the offshore rips and on a calm day you can see herds of giant bass pouring back and forth over the rips. An awesome sight to behold !

Good thing nobody took my advice.Geez was I wrong!

what they want to do is push it[eez] out to 12 miles, that way they don't have to chase anyone , not that do anyway.

50 CFR part 697.7 prohibitions (b)(1)(2)(3)(4)

(b) Atlantic striped bass fishery. In addition to the prohibitions set forth in §600.725 of this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to do any of the following:

(1) Fish for Atlantic striped bass in the EEZ.
(2) Harvest any Atlantic striped bass from the EEZ.
(3) Possess any Atlantic striped bass in or from the EEZ, except in the following area: The EEZ within Block Island Sound, north of a line connecting Montauk Light, Montauk Point, NY, and Block Island Southeast Light, Block Island, RI; and west of a line connecting Point Judith Light, Point Judith, RI, and Block Island Southeast Light, Block Island, RI. Within this area, possession of Atlantic striped bass is permitted, provided no fishing takes place from the vessel while in the EEZ and the vessel is in continuous transit.

(4) Retain any Atlantic striped bass taken in or from the EEZ.

Cape - if they trip on it then they might do something about it unless they are conducting a specific operation which usually involves intel. The times have changed though, they gots bigger problems these days and fish are are sitting pretty low on the enforcement priority list.

So if I understand it correctly, You target bloooos, catch bass, release bass, no problems.:cool:

Thank you for regulation code. Where does one find that ?

Staying in tonight. Pretty much that the body needs a break. But tomorrow looks like a winner. Higher pressure, onshore winds, west current 7:30 - 1:00pm.

:happy: :happy: :happy:

And an unbelivable moontide this week ?!

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

I am not normal :blush:

Correction:

West current 7:30-1:30 AM !!!!!!!!!!!

SJ how can anyone prove otherwise. Those Darn bass keep biting my bait, where the heck are those lovely blooofish?

Pasngas,

Do you know where I can find the codes online ?

The bloos offshore are the best eating of all the choppers



:angel:

BW -

Heres a link but be forwarned. This is not easy to use and makes absolutlely no sense if you have never dealt with CFR's. Even if you have its still convoluted...

This is fed. fisheries in general there are more.....

www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/50cfrv4_02.html

Thanks again my friend.

May the giant offshore bluefish grace your table

BW a Fishy story ~

I was hooked into a nice Blooo near the Haulover one fall when something hit it ran like a bazzzilllion miles and hour then broke me off(7000C3 40lb mono). Didnt see it but I think it was the lockness sea monster or mabey a Tooona....;)

We get bitten off a lot from sharkies. I think we all know what that feels like.
Now a bazzzillion miles an hour sounds like a tuna. When was that ?
Up to 60-70 lb Bluefins showed up at the Oldman during the hot summer two years ago. White marlin off the south beaches.

Gwhites spotted on the surface in close a bunch of times.

Makes a nice dip off the beach in 'Sconset REAL inviting hmmm ?

But it is those amazing offshore bluefish that get me going.

Three years ago..... seems like yesterday - flying time sucks.