South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

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Rudderfish, Banded

Rudderfish, Banded

Seriola zonata
Recreational
All areas are open for recreational fishing.
Commercial
All areas are open for commercial fishing.

Fish less than 11 inches long have dark band from eye to first dorsal fin and six prominent bars on body; larger fish are bluish, greenish, or brown; soft dorsal base about twice the length of the anal fin; tail-lobe white tipped.

Nearshore and offshore over hard bottom, generally in shallower water than other amberjacks; young associated with weed lines or floating debris and may follow sharks and other large fish.

Regulations

NC, SC, GA, FL

  • Season is currently open.
  • 20 Aggregate Limit
  • 10 Bag Limit

  • Notes:

    No minimum size limit.

    Must be landed with head and fins intact.

    If you are bringing fish back to the U.S. from the Bahamas by water, please see Bringing fish back from the Bahamas.

    Commercial regulations for South Atlantic Federal Waters

    OPEN effective January 1, 2018

    Size Limit: None

    Trip Limit: No trip limit.

    All species must be landed with head and fins intact.

    Recreational and commercial fishermen are required to use dehooking tools when fishing for snapper grouper species.

    The use of non-stainless steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is required for all species in the snapper grouper complex when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits in waters North of 28 degrees N. latitude.

    After the commercial quota is met, all purchase and sale is prohibited and harvest and/or possession is limited to the recreational bag limit. This prohibition does not apply to fish harvested, landed, and sold prior to the quota being reached and held in cold storage by a dealer. Quotas are given in gutted weights.

    Commercial snapper grouper vessels must have onboard NMFS approved sea turtle release gear and follow smalltooth sawfish release protocol. See the Handling and Release Protocol from NOAA Fisheries or call 727-824-5312.

    Annual Catch Limit (ACL) – This species is managed under an ACL. See current information on Commercial ACLs (quotas) from NOAA Fisheries.

    For more information on management of South Atlantic federal fisheries, please visit SAFMC or NOAA Fisheries.

  • Gear Description: In waters North of 28 degrees N. latitude the use of non-stainless steel circle hooks (offset or non-offset) is required for all species in the snapper grouper complex when using hook-and-line gear with natural baits. Use of a dehooking device is required. These devices reduce mortality of released fish. Allowable gear includes vertical hook-and-line including hand-held hook-and-line and bandit gear, and spearfishing gear without rebreathers.

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