22 Miss. Code. R. 3-07-7.1 - Recreational Bag, Possession and Size Limits
A. It is
unlawful for a recreational fisherman to possess any fish in excess of a one
(1) day bag limit of the following named species as prescribed:
1. Fifteen (15) Spotted Seatrout
(Cynoscion nebulosus)
2. Three (3) Red Drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus)
3. Two (2)
Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)
4. Three (3) King Mackerel
(Scomberomorus cavalla)
5. One (1) Greater Amberjack (Seriola
dumerili)
6. Two (2) Red
Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
7. Fifteen (15) Spanish mackerel
(Scomberomorus maculatus)
8. Ten (10) flounder (Paralichthys
sp.)
9. Five (5) Hogfish
(Lachnolaimus maximus)
10. Three (3) Tripletail (Lobotes
surinamensis)
11. Fifteen
(15) Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
12. Ten (10) in aggregate:
i. Gray Snapper (Lutjanus
griseus)
ii. Mutton
Snapper (Lutjanus analis) - may possess (5) within the (10)
fish aggregate
iii. Yellowtail
Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)
iv. Schoolmaster (Lutjanus
apodus)
v. Cubera
(Lutjanus cyanopterus)
vi. Dog (Lutjanus
jocu)
vii. Mahogany
(Lutjanus mahogany)
viii. Queen (Etelis
oculatus)
ix. Blackfin
(Lutjanus buccanella)
x. Silk (Lutjanus
vivamus)
xi. Wenchman
(Pristipomoides aquilonaris)
13. Four (4) in the grouper aggregate:
i. Misty Grouper (Epinephelus
mystacinus)
ii. Snowy
Grouper (Epinephelus niveatus)
iii. Yellowedge Grouper (Epinephelus
flavolimbatus)
iv. Red
Grouper (Epinephelus morio)
v. Yellowfin Grouper (Mycteroperca
venenosa)
vi. Black
Grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci)
vii. Gag Grouper (Mycteroperca
microlepis) - may possess two (2) within the four (4) fish grouper
aggregate
viii. Scamp
(Mycteroperca phenax)
ix. Yellowmouth (Mycteroperca
interstitialis)
x. Rock
Hind (Epinephalus adscensionis)
xi. Red Hind (Epinephalus
guttatus)
14.
One (1) per vessel within the four (4) fish grouper aggregate:
i. Speckled Hind (Epinephelus
drummondhayi)
ii. Warsaw
Grouper (Epinephelus nigritus)
15. Twenty (20) in reef fish aggregate:
i. Gray Triggerfish (Balistes
capriscus) - may possess one (1) within the twenty (20) reef fish
aggregate
ii. Vermillion Snapper
(Rhomboplites aurorubens) - may possess ten (10) within the
twenty (20) reef fish aggregate
iii. Lane Snapper (Lutjanus
synagris)
iv. Almaco Jack
(Seriola rivoliana)
v. Goldface Tilefish (Caulolatilus
chrysops)
vi. Anchor
Tilefish (Caulolatilus intermedius)
vii. Tilefish (Lopholatilus
chamaeleonticeps)
viii.
Blacklined Tilefish (Caulolatilus cyanops)
ix. Bluelined Tilefish (Caulolatilus
microps)
16.
Five (5) in aggregate:
i. Lesser Amberjack
(Seriola fasciata)
ii. Banded Rudderfish (Seriola
zonata)
17.
Three (3) - Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares)
18. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen
to possess more than four (4) of the following shark species in aggregate per
person per day (small coastal sharks):
i.
Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae)
ii. Finetooth (Carcharhinus
isodon)
iii. Blacknose
(Carcharhinus acronotus)
iv. Bonnethead (Sphyrna
tiburo)
19. It
is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess more than one (1) of the
following shark species per person per day and no more than three (3) of the
following shark species in aggregate per vessel per day (large coastal and
pelagic sharks):
i. Blacktip
(Carcharhinus limbatus)
ii. Spinner (Carcharhinus
brevipinna)
iii. Bull
(Carcharhinus leucas)
iv. Tiger (Galeocerdo
cuvieri)
v. Lemon
(Negaprion brevirostris)
vi. Nurse (Ginglymostoma
cirratum)
vii. Scalloped
Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini)
viii. Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna
mokarran)
ix. Smooth
Hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena)
x. Shortfin Mako (Isurus
oxyrinchus)
xi. Porbeagle
(Lamna nasus)
xii.
Thresher (Alopias vulpinus)
xiii. Blue (Prionace
glauca)
xiv. Oceanic
Whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus)
20. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen
to possess any of the following species of sharks (protected Species of
Sharks):
i. Sand Tiger (Odontaspis
taurus)
ii. Bigeye Sand
Tiger (Odontaspis noronhai)
iii. Whale (Rhincodon
typus)
iv. Basking
(Cetorhinus maximus)
v. White (Carcharodon
carcharias)
vi. Dusky
(Carcharhinus obscurus)
vii. Bignose (Carcharhinus
altimus)
viii. Galapagos
(Carcharhinus galapagensis)
ix. Night (Carcharhinus
signatus)
x. Caribbean
Reef (Carcharhinus perezi)
xi. Narrowtooth (Carcharhinus
brachyurus)
xii. Caribbean
Sharpnose (Rhizorionodon porosus)
xiii. Smalltail (Carcharhinus
porosus)
xiv. Atlantic
Angel (Squatina dumerili)
xv. Longfin Mako (Isurus
paucus)
xvi. Bigeye
Thresher (Alopias superciliousus)
xvii. Sevengill (Heptranchias
perlo)
xviii. Sixgill
(Hexanchus griseus)
xix. Bigeye Sixgill (Hexanchus
vitulus)
xx. Sandbar
(Carcharhinus plumbeus)
xxi. Silky (Carcharhinus
falciformis)
21. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen
to possess more than one (1) Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops
atlanticus) per vessel per day.
Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305, 49-15-307 and 50 CFR 622.38.
B. The
practice of "finning", that is, removing only the fins and returning the
remainder of the shark to the sea is unlawful.
Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
C. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen
to possess any of the following named species of fish under the lengths
prescribed:
1. Spotted Seatrout - fifteen (15)
inches (total length).
2. Red Drum
- eighteen (18) inches (total length).
3. Cobia - thirty-six (36) inches (fork
length).
4. Greater Amberjack -
thirty-four (34) inches (fork length).
5. Red Snapper - sixteen (16) inches (total
length).
6. Mutton Snapper -
eighteen (18) inches (total length).
7. Vermillion Snapper - ten (10) inches
(total length).
8. Lane Snapper -
eight (8) inches (total length).
9.
Gray, Schoolmaster, Cubera, Dog, Mahogany, and Yellowtail Snapper -twelve (12)
inches (total length).
10. Red and
Yellowfin Grouper - twenty (20) inches (total length).
11. Gag and Black Grouper - twenty-four (24)
inches (total length).
12. Scamp -
sixteen (16) inches (total length).
13. Gray Triggerfish - fifteen (15) inches
(fork length).
14. Spanish Mackerel
(Scomberomorus maculatus) - twelve (12) inches (fork
length).
15. King Mackerel
(Scomberomorus cavalla) - twenty-four (24) inches (fork
length).
16. flounders
(Paralicthys sp.)- twelve (12) inches (total
length).
17. small coastal sharks -
twenty-five (25) inches total length.
18. large coastal sharks - thirty-seven (37)
inches total length.
19. Lesser
Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish - may possess fish between fourteen (14) inches
(fork length) to twenty-two (22) inches fork length.
20. Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus
obesus) - twenty-seven (27) inches as measured from the tip of the
upper jaw to the fork of the tail along the contour of the middle of the body
(curved fork length).
21. Yellowfin
Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - twenty-seven (27) inches as
measured from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail along the
contour of the middle of the body (curved fork length).
22. Blue Marlin (Makaira
nigricans) - ninety-nine (99) inches as measured from the tip of the
lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
23. White Marlin (Tetrapturus
albidus) - sixty-six (66) inches as measured from the tip of the lower
jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
24. Sailfish (Istiophorus
platypterus) - sixty-three (63) inches as measured from the tip of the
lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
25. Hogfish (Lachnolaimus
maximus) - fourteen (14) inches (fork length)
26. Tripletail (Lobotes
surinamensis) eighteen (18) inches total length
27. Sheepshead (Archosargus
probatocephalus) fourteen (14) inches total length
28. Swordfish (Xiphias
gladius) - forty-seven (47) inches as measured from the tip of the
lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
29. Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops
atlanticus) - seventy-five (75) inches fork length.
Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
D. However, recreational fishermen
not fishing in Mississippi waters may transport and land fish that meet the
minimum size and creel limits of the waters in which they were legally caught.
Said recreational fishermen must possess a valid saltwater sportfishing license
as may be required in the waters where the fish were caught. In the absence of
minimum size or creel limits in another jurisdiction, Mississippi law will
prevail. This rule does not apply to Red Snapper caught outside of Mississippi
territorial waters.
Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
E. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen
to possess more than one (1) Red Drum exceeding thirty (30) inches total length
for a single day's catch.
Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
F. It is unlawful for any fisherman to remove
an Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) over the length of
forty (40) inches from the water unless the intent is to harvest within the
limits defined in Sections 100 and 102 of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
G. The recreational fishing season, bag
limit, and size limit for Red Snapper shall be set by the Executive Director.
The recreational opening order for Red Snapper shall include language
establishing the size limit, bag limit, and season structure for the
corresponding season. In the event that the size and bag limit is not listed in
the opening order, the established limits listed above in Chapter 07 will
apply.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.