Culling tag regulations

[fishinjim]

Are puncturing cull tags now illegal on the Potomac/Upper Bay?
After two years of discussion, I still can’t tell if this is a recommended measure to be decided by tournament directors, or an absolute law.

[LDS922]

In order to get a tournament permit for Potomac/Bay from MD DNR the TD/club/trail/etc needs to agree that all participants will abide by their list of 'recommendations' which includes the non-piercing tags. You need to get a permit if you have more than 5 participants and launch from a MD ramp. There are actually 2 options...The normal 5 bass @ 12" limit requires all the rules to be followed. The other option is a 5 bass limit but only 1 fish can be longer than 15", but no one would choose that one...Although they don't make you follow their rules for this option.

Also, this stuff only applies between June 16th and October 31st.

http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Do...ent_Action.pdf

If you launch from VA on the Potomac it doesn't apply since you won't need a MD permit, we usually just launch from a VA ramp to avoid it. Unfortunately that's not an option on the Upper Bay. They've been talking about making it an official law/regulation instead of a permit rule but it's momentum stalled out.

Our club started using MLF-Style weigh ins on certain places like the Upper Bay to avoid all those permit headaches. Still 5 bass limit, club provides all the scales, anglers just weigh and release and their co-angler or boater verifies authenticity. Started last year and it worked out great.

So to answer your question...Piercing culling tags are only illegal if you are fishing in a tournament from a MD ramp between June 16th and Oct 31st.

[fishinjim]

Thanks, Logan.
This confirms what I thought was going on.
The way that the responsibility is passed on to the tournament directors/organizers was throwing me off a bit.
Still a little unclear as to why this wouldn’t be a year round deal as opposed to the June through October deal.