Sec. 08.02.03.11. Season and Time for Catching Crabs

A. Commercial.

(1) An individual licensed to catch crabs for sale may remove crabs from commercial gear in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries only during the following time periods:

(a) Trotlines:

(i) Except as provided in §A(1)(a)(iii) of this regulation, between 1 hour before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise during the period May through September;

(ii) Between sunrise and 10 hours after sunrise during April, October, November, and December; and

(iii) Between 2 hours before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, and the day immediately preceding each of those holidays; and

(b) Crab Scrapes:

(i) Except as provided in §A(1)(b)(iii) of this regulation, between 1 hour before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise during the period May through September;

(ii) Between sunrise and 10 hours after sunrise during April and October; and

(iii) Between 2 hours before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, and the day immediately preceding each of those holidays; and

(c) Crab pots, bank traps, channel pounds, collapsible traps, net rings, handlines, dip nets, and pound nets:

(i) Except as provided in §A(1)(c)(ii) of this regulation, between 1/2 hour before sunrise to 7-1/2 hours after sunrise; and

(ii) Between 1-1/2 hours before sunrise to 7-1/2 hours after sunrise on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, and the day immediately preceding each of those holidays.

(2) A person may not catch crabs using a crab scrape from October 31 to April 14, inclusive.

(3) An individual licensed to catch crabs for sale may set or place overboard scrapes only during the following time periods:

(a) Except as provided in §A(3)(c) of this regulation, between 1 hour before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise during the period May through September;

(b) Between sunrise and 10 hours after sunrise during April and October; and

(c) Between 2 hours before sunrise to 9 hours after sunrise on Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, and the day immediately preceding each of those holidays.

(4) Crab pots already on board a boat at the end of the time periods specified in §A(1)(c) of this regulation may be set during a period of 1 hour immediately following those time periods.

(5) Time limits specified in this regulation are not applicable to the fishing of bank traps before May 1.

B. Recreational.

(1) Except as provided in §B(2) of this regulation, a person may not set any recreational crabbing gear or catch crabs for recreational purposes during:

(a) May through September between:

(i) 5 p.m. and 1/2 hour before sunrise in the main Chesapeake Bay; and

(ii) Sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise in tidal tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay; and

(b) April, October, November, and December between:

(i) 5 p.m. and 1/2 hour after sunrise in the main Chesapeake Bay; and

(ii) Sunset and 1/2 hour after sunrise in tidal tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.

(2) Crab pots, dip nets, and handlines. At all times during the recreational season for crabbing, a person may use:

(a) Crab pots on private property that have been registered in accordance with Regulation .09 of this chapter;

(b) Dip nets; or

(c) Handlines.

C. A person may not catch blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries from December 16 through March 31, inclusive.