(a) After October 1, 1989, it shall be unlawful to take the following salt-water finfish species at any time during the periods set forth below:

Species Closed_Season

(1) Spanish mackerel December 1 -- March 15 (2) King mackerel No closed season (3) Cobia December 1 -- March 15 (4) Red snapper No closed season (5) Gag grouper No closed season (6) Amberjack January 1 -- March 15 (7) Black sea bass No closed season (8) Bluefish December 1 -- March 15 (9) Sheepshead No closed season (10) Sailfish No closed season (11) Blue marlin No closed season (12) White marlin No closed season (13) Tarpon December 1 -- March 15 (14) Atlantic sturgeon July 1 -- December 31 (15) Spotted sea trout No closed season (16) Red drum No closed season (17) Dolphin No closed season (18) Sand tiger shark January 1 -- December 31 (19) Small sharks composite No closed season (Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, and spiny dogfish) (20) Sharks No closed season (21) Red porgy No closed season

(b) The board shall establish open seasons and creel and possession limits within the maximums specified in this subsection and shall establish minimum sizes within the range specified in this subsection; provided, however, that it shall be unlawful to have in one's possession or take from the salt waters of this state any red drum in excess of 27 inches in total length. After October 1, 1989, it shall be unlawful to take the following salt-water finfish species at any time except during the open seasons so established for such species or to take or possess the following salt-water finfish species except in accordance with the creel and possession limits and minimum sizes so established for such species:

Species Maximum Maximum Range_of Open Daily Minimum Season Creel Sizes And Possession Limit

(1) Spanish Mar. 16 -- Nov. 30 40 10 -- 18 mackerel inches (2) King All year 15 15 -- 35 mackerel inches (3) Cobia Mar. 16 -- Nov. 30 10 20 -- 40 inches (4) Red All year 20 12 -- 20 snapper inches (5) Gag All year 20 12 -- 36 grouper inches (6) Amberjack Mar. 16 -- Dec. 31 10 20 -- 50 inches (7) Black All year 35 8 -- 15 sea bass inches (8) Bluefish Mar. 16 -- Nov. 30 25 12 -- 20 inches (9) Sheepshead All year 50 8 -- 16 inches (10) Reserved (11) Reserved (12) Reserved (13) Tarpon Mar. 16 -- Nov. 30 5 65 -- 90 inches (14) Atlantic Jan. 1 -- June 30 5 24 -- 86 sturgeon inches (15) Red drum All year 25 14 inches (16) Dolphin All year 15 12 -- 24 inches (17) Sand No open season 1 87 -- 140 tiger shark inches (18) Small All year 4 30 -- 54 sharks inches composite (Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, and spiny dogfish) (19) Sharks All year 2 48 -- 120 inches (20) Red porgy All year 10 12 -- 28 inches

(c) It shall be unlawful to take the following salt-water finfish species at any time except during the open seasons so established for such species or to take or possess the following salt-water finfish species except in accordance with the creel and possession limits and minimum sizes so established for such species:

Species Maximum Maximum Minimum Open Daily Size Season Creel And Possession Limit

(1) Spotted All year 15 13 inches seatrout (2) Weakfish All year 6 13 inches

(3) Black drum All year 15 10 inches (4) Flounder All year 15 12 inches (Paralicthys spp.) (5) Whiting All year 35 10 inches (Menticirrhus spp.) (6) Spot All year 25 8 inches (7) Atlantic All year 25 8 inches croaker (8) Tripletail All year 5 18 inches

(d) In accordance with current sound principles of wildlife research and management and the factors thereof set out in subsection (a) of Code Section 27-4-130, the board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations establishing open seasons, creel and possession limits, minimum size limits, and possession and landing specifications on a state-wide, regional, or local basis as provided in subsections (b) and (g) of this Code section.

(e) In accordance with current sound principles of wildlife research and management and the factors thereof set out in subsection (a) of Code Section 27-4-130, the board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to prohibit the sale of any or all of the salt-water finfishes from subsection (b) of this Code section.

(f) Nothing in this Code section shall prohibit those individuals fishing with a valid commercial federal permit in federal waters from exceeding the creel and possession limits, provided that the waters are open for commercial fishing with specified gear and said individual complies with the minimum sizes as set by the board and provided, further, that the commercial quota for the species has not been reached and the board has not prohibited the sale of the species.

(g) All fish subject to minimum size and creel and possession limits pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of this Code section may be possessed in state waters or landed only with the head and fins intact. It shall be unlawful to transfer at sea in state waters from a fishing vessel to any other vessel or person any fish caught which are subject to the creel and possession limits and minimum size limits pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of this Code section.