Section 70. Potomac River tributaries spring trophy-size striped bass recreational fishery

A. The open season for the Potomac River tributaries spring striped bass recreational fishery shall correspond to the open season as established by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission for the mainstem Potomac River spring fishery.

B. The area open for this fishery shall be those tributaries of the Potomac River that are within Virginia's jurisdiction beginning with, and including, Flag Pond thence upstream to the Route 301 bridge.

C. The minimum size limit for this fishery shall correspond to the minimum size limit as established by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission for the mainstem Potomac River spring trophy-size fishery.

D. The possession limit for this fishery shall be one fish per person.

E. It shall be unlawful for any person participating in the Potomac River tributaries spring trophy-size striped bass recreational fishery to fail to obtain an Individual, Private Vessel, or Charter-Headboat Spring Recreational Striped Bass Trophy Permit.

F. It shall be unlawful for any spring recreational striped bass trophy permittee or any charter boat striped bass permittee to fail to report trips where striped bass are caught, whether harvested or released, or the possession of any trophy-size striped bass, as described in this section, on forms provided by the commission within seven days after the trip occurred. It shall be unlawful for any permittee to fail to report trips where striped bass are targeted but not successfully caught by the 15th day after the close of the Potomac River tributaries spring trophy-size striped bass recreational fishery. The report requirements shall be as follows:

1. Any individual spring recreational striped bass trophy permittee shall provide the permit identification number; the commission permit identification number of the recreational vessel the individual is fishing from, if applicable; the date of any harvest; the water body where the trophy-size striped bass was caught; the number of individuals on board; and number of trophy-size striped bass kept or released.

2. Any private vessel or charter-headboat spring recreational striped bass trophy permittee shall provide the vessel's commission permit identification number; the date of any harvest; the number of individuals on board; and the number of trophy-size striped bass kept or released. Any such permittee must report all trips made by the vessel to which the permit applies where trophy-size bass are caught or targeted even if the permittee was not on board the vessel during every such trip.

3. Any permittee who did not participate in the Potomac River tributaries spring trophy-size striped bass recreational season shall notify the commission of his lack of participation by the 15th day after the close of the Potomac River tributaries spring trophy-size striped bass recreational season on forms provided by the commission.

G. It shall be unlawful for any permittee, as described in 4VAC20-252-50 H and 4VAC20-252-60 G, to fail to report either the harvest of trophy-size striped bass or no harvest activity within 15 days of the closing of the Potomac River tributaries spring trophy-size striped bass recreational season.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 13, Issue 08, eff. December 6, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 08, eff. January 1, 1998; Volume 17, Issue 12, eff. January 26, 2001; Volume 20, Issue 10, eff. January 5, 2004; Volume 31, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2015; Volume 31, Issue 17, eff. April 1, 2015; Volume 33, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2017.

Statutory Authority

§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.