The spring recreational fishing season for Maryland's iconic striped bass, better known as rockfish, began last weekend and runs through May 15 with a limit of one fish per person per day and a minimum size of 28 inches.
Striped bass fishing until May 15 is restricted to Chesapeake Bay waters from the Brewerton Channel to the Virginia line, including Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. Fishing is not allowed in any other bays, tributaries, creeks and rivers in order to avoid disrupting spawning activity.
The limits and sites change for the May16-31 and June 1-Dec. 15 seasons.
The state Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers to consider striped bass fishing opportunities to be potentially catch-and-release. For an overview of catch-and-release practices, including tips to minimize harm to the fish, go to dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/cr.
Striped bass fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, and Maryland's coastal bays and coastal tributaries is open year-round with a two-fish daily limit and a minimum size of 28 inches.
Maryland's reservoirs (Liberty, Piney Run, Tridelphia, Conowingo, Broadford Lake, Jennings Randolph and Rocky Gorge) are also open to striped bass fishing year-round with an 18-inch minimum size, two-fish-per-day creel limit, with only one of the two being longer than 30 inches.
For detailed information on sport fishing species, and fishing regulations and licenses, go to eregulations.com/maryland/fishing.