2011 - 2012 Saltwater Fishing Regulations - Shrimp

Crustacean & Shellfish Methods & Devices

When fishing for crustaceans or shellfish, a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License is required - unless you are using 3 or fewer drop nets, 3 or fewer fold up traps, or 3 or fewer handlines with no hooks and a single bait per line (chicken necking); or shrimp baiting (which requires a shrimp baiting license).

Shrimp Seines

Permits/Licenses: Saltwater Recreational Fishing License required.

Restrictions:

• Maximum length of shrimp seine 40 feet, maximum depth 6 feet, minimum mesh size, 1/2 inch square (1 inch stretch), maximum mesh size 7/8 inch square (1.75 inch stretch).
• Tail bags or pockets are not allowed on seines when pulled by hand.
• Staked seines are considered commercial channel net devices; allowances and restrictions are provided with the purchase of a commercial license.

Trawling

Permits/Licenses: Commercial Saltwater Fishing License, Vessel Decal and Gear license required.

Restrictions:

• Trawling for personal use is restricted to the same license requirements, areas and seasons as commercial trawling. This information is provided with the license.

Shrimp Harvesting

Species	Closed Season	Possession & Size Limit	Restrictions
Taking Shrimp Without Bait	Closed: Dec. 16 - Apr. 30	48 quarts whole or 29 quarts headed per boat, per person if no boat is used, or per seining party	12 dozen dead or live shrimp allowed per boat during closed season. See Crustacean and Shellfish Methods and Devices for Shrimp Seine Gear Restrictions.
Shrimp Baiting	60-day season set by SCDNR beginning at noon on the last Friday on or before September 15. The 2011 shrimp baiting season begins 12 noon on Friday Sept. 9 and ends 12 noon Tuesday, Nov. 8.	48 quarts whole or 29 quarts headed per boat or per person if no boat is used	Participants must have a shrimp baiting license. License holders, while shrimping from a boat, may be assisted by a resident who is not required to have a shrimp baiting license. Shrimp caught over bait cannot be sold. No more than 10 poles can be used per license per day. Poles must be marked with reflective tape and may not exceed 1-inch in diameter and each pole must have a numbered tag attached which corresponds with the shrimp baiting license. No more than 10 poles can be used per boat. All poles of a licensed set must be within 100 linear yards of each other and sets of poles must be at least 25 yards apart. Poles may not be set within 50 yards of any dock, public landing or boat ramp. Unattended poles will be confiscated. Owners of private docks or persons with written permission may bait from those docks once properly licensed and with numbered tag displayed. Shrimp pots or traps are prohibited. Cast nets used for taking shrimp over bait must have a minimum mesh size of 1/2-inch square (1-inch stretch). Individuals who may NOT obtain a shrimp baiting license are: owners or officers of a corporation which owns a vessel specified on a trawl license; masters of a vessel specified on a trawl license; licensed to use a channel net; licensed to use a cast net for a commercial purpose; licensed as a wholesale seafood dealer.

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The Shrimp Harvesting information above is found in the 2011-2012 Saltwater Regulations which in the Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. Adobe® Reader® is required to open this file and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.