Latest NOAA/NMFS proposal to be effective May 1st.
 

Directly from the document:

" The following measures for the recreational sector would be
implemented under the Preferred Alternative, as well as the other two
principal alternatives considered: The current seasonal prohibition on
the retention of GOM cod (for both private recreational vessels fishing
in the EEZ and federally permitted party/charter vessels) would be
lengthened by 2 weeks, with the resulting seasonal closure of November
through April 15; persons fishing on federally permitted party/charter
vessels would be prohibited from possessing more than 10 cod per day
(caught anywhere), a more restrictive limit than the current limit of
10 cod per day when fishing only in the GOM; and private recreational
vessels fishing in the EEZ and federally permitted party/charter
vessels would not be allowed to retain SNE winter flounder. "

This is all so FCKING PATHETIC. As a kid I used to catch codfish by the dozen......while trolling for striped bass at Sow and Pigs in September for God's sake. Guys would fish for them, and catch them up to 50lbs on effing MIDDLEGROUND in December. April always meant SW shoal and dependable cod fishing....as well as the loss of dozens of jigs to trotlines. How about Crab ledge in May? Now we're reduced to quibbling over 10 puny fish if you can even find them (20 boats gunnale to gunnale on SW bank is NOT finding them)! They should just SHUT THE WHOLE FISHERY for 5 or 10 or 15 years, however long it takes them to undo the fcking mess they and their shortsighted buddies have created. PISSES me off what has been stolen from us, and the sorry part is most guys fishing today (or sitting home 6 months of the year with nothing to do) have no idea what they are missing.