2019 Massachusetts Fishing: Black Sea Bass, Scup and Fluke

On the Warer reports :The Division of Marine Fisheries has revised the 2019 recreational fishing limits for black sea bass and scup. The rules for fluke remain unchanged. Rules take effect April 13.

Black Sea Bass

Massachusetts black sea bass season will open one day earlier in May to maintain a Saturday opening date. However, the projected increase in harvested fish resulted in the closing of fishery four days earlier in September.

Scup

The northern region of Massachusetts-New York is given additional harvest opportunities in 2019 to achieve the coastwide harvest limit of 7.37 million pounds. Massachusetts selected to eliminate the closed season of January-April and increase the possession limit aboard for-hire vessels during the “bonus season” (May-June in Massachusetts) by five fish.

Fluke

Although the coastwide recreational harvest limit is being increased to 7.69 million pounds (up from 4.42 million pounds), revised catch estimates indicate the fishery is already operating at this level, so its status quo for 2019.

* Possession limits are per person per day unless otherwise noted.

Author: michael mcstay

Michael McStay serves as the Senior Editor and CEO of NockedUp, a platform dedicated to outdoor enthusiasts in Massachusetts. An avid fisherman, hunter, and hiker, he has a deep passion for the outdoors and values the importance of sharing knowledge and information related to Massachusetts' natural environment. If you have any thrilling outdoor news to share, or if you would like to provide feedback or suggest story ideas, we encourage you to contact us via text at 339-309-8721 (Join NockedUp Massachusetts Outdoors—it's free and simple! Stay in the loop and never miss another post or update).