Delaware Revised Regulations for Tautog, River Herring Now in Effect
By Delaware Department of Fish and Game
Published: April 13, 2008
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Anglers may want to note recent regulation changes for tautog and river herring and write them into their 2008 Delaware Fishing Guides in the spaces provided.

The tautog regulation change adds an additional closed season that extends from May 12 through June 30. Otherwise, size limit and bag limits remain the same. Anglers can fill in the new information on page 18 of the fishing guide. From left to right under tautog, the correct information would be:

April 1 to May 11           15”         3 fish

July 1 to Aug. 31             14”        10 fish

Sept. 29 to March 31       14”        10 fish

The regulation change was necessary to bring Delaware into compliance with an addendum to the Interstate Fisheries Management Program for Tautog under the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). This approved option reduced tautog harvest by 25.6 percent as mandated in the amended plan.

Tautog have become a very important component of Delaware’s recreational fishery and are caught in such areas as the Indian River Inlet, the artificial reef sites, and other areas in the Delaware Bay and ocean with significant hard bottom surface such as the breakwater in Lewes and around lighthouses. 

The revised river herring regulations reduced the possession limit from 25 to 10 per person. Anglers should record “10” in the open box provided on page 18 of the 2008 Fishing Guide.

This change was necessary due to the coastwide decline in the stocks of river herring. Four states – Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and North Carolina – have completely closed their fisheries to help prevent further declines.

River herring stocks are actually composed of two separate species, alewife and blueback herring. These small cousins to the shad ascend most of Delaware’s tidal streams to spawn in the spring, concentrating at the base of dams and spillways. Many of the dams have fish ladders attached in order to provide access to historical spawning sites and increase juvenile nursery habitat.

A significant recreational fishery recently developed on these spawning fish which are easily caught for the purpose of using them as live striped bass bait. The amended regulation is a precautionary measure and further reductions are anticipated in the river herring fisheries following development of an amendment to the ASMFC Fisheries Management Plan for Shad and River Herring. 

Both the tautog and river herring regulation changes went into effect in March.

The public hearing for revised summer flounder regulations was held March 27 and fishermen who commented at the public hearing all were in favor of the option which allowed for an open season all year, a 19.5-inch minimum size limit and a four-fish creel limit. The new regulation is awaiting signature by DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes. Until the new regulation is adopted, the 2007 regulation is in force.

For more information on Delaware’s recreational fishing sizes, seasons, and creel limits for 2008, please visit www.fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries/Pages/RecFishSizeSeasonCreel.aspx

 






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