A. It is unlawful for a recreational fisherman to possess any fish in excess of a one (1) day bag limit of the following named species as prescribed:
1. Fifteen (15) Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
2. Three (3) Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
3. Two (2) Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)
4. Three (3) King Mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla)
5. One (1) Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
6. Two (2) Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
7. Fifteen (15) Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)
8. Ten (10) flounder (Paralichthys sp.)
9. Five (5) Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus)
10. Three (3) Tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis)
11. Fifteen (15) Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
12. Ten (10) in aggregate:
i. Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus)
ii. Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis) - may possess (5) within the (10) fish aggregate
iii. Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)
iv. Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus)
v. Cubera (Lutjanus cyanopterus)
vi. Dog (Lutjanus jocu)
vii. Mahogany (Lutjanus mahogany)
viii. Queen (Etelis oculatus)
ix. Blackfin (Lutjanus buccanella)
x. Silk (Lutjanus vivamus)
xi. Wenchman (Pristipomoides aquilonaris)
13. Four (4) in the grouper aggregate:
i. Misty Grouper (Epinephelus mystacinus)
ii. Snowy Grouper (Epinephelus niveatus)
iii. Yellowedge Grouper (Epinephelus flavolimbatus)
iv. Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio)
v. Yellowfin Grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa)
vi. Black Grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci)
vii. Gag Grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis) - may possess two (2) within the four (4) fish grouper aggregate
viii. Scamp (Mycteroperca phenax)
ix. Yellowmouth (Mycteroperca interstitialis)
x. Rock Hind (Epinephalus adscensionis)
xi. Red Hind (Epinephalus guttatus)
14. One (1) per vessel within the four (4) fish grouper aggregate:
i. Speckled Hind (Epinephelus drummondhayi)
ii. Warsaw Grouper (Epinephelus nigritus)
15. Twenty (20) in reef fish aggregate:
i. Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) - may possess one (1) within the twenty (20) reef fish aggregate
ii. Vermillion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) - may possess ten (10) within the twenty (20) reef fish aggregate
iii. Lane Snapper (Lutjanus synagris)
iv. Almaco Jack (Seriola rivoliana)
v. Goldface Tilefish (Caulolatilus chrysops)
vi. Anchor Tilefish (Caulolatilus intermedius)
vii. Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps)
viii. Blacklined Tilefish (Caulolatilus cyanops)
ix. Bluelined Tilefish (Caulolatilus microps)
16. Five (5) in aggregate:
i. Lesser Amberjack (Seriola fasciata)
ii. Banded Rudderfish (Seriola zonata)
17. Three (3) - Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares)
18. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess more than four (4) of the following shark species in aggregate per person per day (small coastal sharks):
i. Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae)
ii. Finetooth (Carcharhinus isodon)
iii. Blacknose (Carcharhinus acronotus)
iv. Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo)
19. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess more than one (1) of the following shark species per person per day and no more than three (3) of the following shark species in aggregate per vessel per day (large coastal and pelagic sharks):
i. Blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus)
ii. Spinner (Carcharhinus brevipinna)
iii. Bull (Carcharhinus leucas)
iv. Tiger (Galeocerdo cuvieri)
v. Lemon (Negaprion brevirostris)
vi. Nurse (Ginglymostoma cirratum)
vii. Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini)
viii. Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran)
ix. Smooth Hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena)
x. Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus)
xi. Porbeagle (Lamna nasus)
xii. Thresher (Alopias vulpinus)
xiii. Blue (Prionace glauca)
xiv. Oceanic Whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus)
20. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess any of the following species of sharks (protected Species of Sharks):
i. Sand Tiger (Odontaspis taurus)
ii. Bigeye Sand Tiger (Odontaspis noronhai)
iii. Whale (Rhincodon typus)
iv. Basking (Cetorhinus maximus)
v. White (Carcharodon carcharias)
vi. Dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus)
vii. Bignose (Carcharhinus altimus)
viii. Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis)
ix. Night (Carcharhinus signatus)
x. Caribbean Reef (Carcharhinus perezi)
xi. Narrowtooth (Carcharhinus brachyurus)
xii. Caribbean Sharpnose (Rhizorionodon porosus)
xiii. Smalltail (Carcharhinus porosus)
xiv. Atlantic Angel (Squatina dumerili)
xv. Longfin Mako (Isurus paucus)
xvi. Bigeye Thresher (Alopias superciliousus)
xvii. Sevengill (Heptranchias perlo)
xviii. Sixgill (Hexanchus griseus)
xix. Bigeye Sixgill (Hexanchus vitulus)
xx. Sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
xxi. Silky (Carcharhinus falciformis)
21. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess more than one (1) Atlantic Tarpon (
Megalops atlanticus) per vessel per day.
Miss. Code Ann. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305, 49-15-307 and 50 CFR 622.38.
B. The practice of "finning", that is, removing only the fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea is unlawful.
Miss. Code Ann. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
C. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess any of the following named species of fish under the lengths prescribed:
1. Spotted Seatrout - fifteen (15) inches (total length).
2. Red Drum - eighteen (18) inches (total length).
3. Cobia - thirty-six (36) inches (fork length).
4. Greater Amberjack - thirty-four (34) inches (fork length).
5. Red Snapper - sixteen (16) inches (total length).
6. Mutton Snapper - eighteen (18) inches (total length).
7. Vermillion Snapper - ten (10) inches (total length).
8. Lane Snapper - eight (8) inches (total length).
9. Gray, Schoolmaster, Cubera, Dog, Mahogany, and Yellowtail Snapper -twelve (12) inches (total length).
10. Red and Yellowfin Grouper - twenty (20) inches (total length).
11. Gag and Black Grouper - twenty-four (24) inches (total length).
12. Scamp - sixteen (16) inches (total length).
13. Gray Triggerfish - fifteen (15) inches (fork length).
14. Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) - twelve (12) inches (fork length).
15. King Mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) - twenty-four (24) inches (fork length).
16. flounders (Paralicthys sp.)- twelve (12) inches (total length).
17. small coastal sharks - twenty-five (25) inches total length.
18. large coastal sharks - thirty-seven (37) inches total length.
19. Lesser Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish - may possess fish between fourteen (14) inches (fork length) to twenty-two (22) inches fork length.
20. Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus) - twenty-seven (27) inches as measured from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail along the contour of the middle of the body (curved fork length).
21. Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - twenty-seven (27) inches as measured from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail along the contour of the middle of the body (curved fork length).
22. Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) - ninety-nine (99) inches as measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
23. White Marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) - sixty-six (66) inches as measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
24. Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) - sixty-three (63) inches as measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
25. Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) - fourteen (14) inches (fork length)
26. Tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis) eighteen (18) inches total length
27. Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) fourteen (14) inches total length
28. Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) - forty-seven (47) inches as measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (lower jaw fork length).
29. Atlantic Tarpon (
Megalops atlanticus) - seventy-five (75) inches fork length.
Miss. Code Ann. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
D. However, recreational fishermen not fishing in Mississippi waters may transport and land fish that meet the minimum size and creel limits of the waters in which they were legally caught. Said recreational fishermen must possess a valid saltwater sportfishing license as may be required in the waters where the fish were caught. In the absence of minimum size or creel limits in another jurisdiction, Mississippi law will prevail. This rule does not apply to Red Snapper caught outside of Mississippi territorial waters.
Miss. Code Ann. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
E. It is unlawful for recreational fishermen to possess more than one (1) Red Drum exceeding thirty (30) inches total length for a single day's catch.
Miss. Code Ann. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
F. It is unlawful for any fisherman to remove an Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) over the length of forty (40) inches from the water unless the intent is to harvest within the limits defined in Sections 100 and 102 of this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
G. The recreational fishing season, bag limit, and size limit for Red Snapper shall be set by the Executive Director. The recreational opening order for Red Snapper shall include language establishing the size limit, bag limit, and season structure for the corresponding season. In the event that the size and bag limit is not listed in the opening order, the established limits listed above in Chapter 07 will apply.
MISS. CODE ANN. §§
49-15-1, 49-15-3, 49-15-5, 49-15-15, 49-15-30, 49-15-35, 49-15-35, 49-15-63, 49-15-71, 49-15-75, 49-15-303, 49-15-304, 49-15-305 and 49-15-307.
