Permits Now Required for Maryland Bass Tournaments
To improve black bass fisheries management, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service now requires qualifying black bass tournament directors to obtain free permits and report catch information. The regulation has been established to increase communication between tournament directors and fisheries managers, and improve data reporting.
“With hundreds of tidal and non-tidal tournaments each year, Maryland’s black bass fishery, including largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, is one of the most important in the State,” said Joe Love, DNR Tidal Bass Program specialist. “This permit will help us identify directors and accumulate valuable catch information from them, which will improve black bass fisheries management.”
The regulation went into effect for both tidal and non-tidal waters on October 28. The requirement only applies to tournaments that have at least 10 boats, offer any reward for winning, and feature staged weigh-ins. The online application is quick and simple. DNR will maintain a comprehensive online listing of these tournaments to assist anglers in planning their own tournament trails throughout the year.
Anglers are invited to follow DNR Fisheries on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the DNR Fisheries email news program.
