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New Jersey Fisheries Council Votes for Longest Black Sea Bass Season in Over 15 Years
No in-season closures as council opts for 231-day continuous season over increased summer bag limit
Mar. 31, 2026 at 9:07am
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The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council voted unanimously to implement the longest and most continuous black sea bass fishing season in over 15 years, running from May 15 to December 31. This comes after the council received over 1,300 public comments, with recreational fishermen strongly desiring longer seasons and fewer closures over an increased summer bag limit.
Why it matters
The decision to prioritize a longer, uninterrupted season over a higher summer bag limit reflects the desires of the majority of recreational fishermen in New Jersey. It also highlights the ongoing balancing act between conservation efforts and providing ample fishing access, as the council had to weigh various stakeholder interests.
The details
The council voted for a 231-day black sea bass season, the longest continuous season in over 15 years, running from May 15 to December 31. This replaces the previous model of toggling between open and closed dates, as well as size limit changes. The keeper size will stay at 12.5 inches the entire season. Bag limits will vary, starting at 10 fish per angler from May 15 to June 21, dropping to 1 fish per angler from June 22 to September 22, then increasing to 10 fish from September 23 to October 31, and finally 15 fish from November 1 to the end of the season.
- The black sea bass fishery will open on May 15, 2026 and close on December 31, 2026.
- The bag limit will be 10 fish per angler from May 15 to June 21, 2026.
- The bag limit will be 1 fish per angler from June 22 to September 22, 2026.
- The bag limit will be 10 fish per angler from September 23 to October 31, 2026.
- The bag limit will be 15 fish per angler from November 1 to December 31, 2026.
The players
Peter Clarke
The state's principal fisheries biologist.
Eleanor Bochenek
A member of the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council.
Eric Bogan
Representative of the Jamaica party boat.
What they’re saying
“The most critical component is access.”
— Eric Bogan, Jamaica party boat representative
“It gives us the most days in. If we lose those days we'll probably never get them back.”
— Eleanor Bochenek, New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council member
“We should have gotten our 20%. It's sad that we did not because we would have been able to have those 2-fish days (in the summer) on the water.”
— Eleanor Bochenek, New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council member
What’s next
The new black sea bass regulations will go into effect when the season opens on May 15, 2026.
The takeaway
The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council's decision to prioritize a longer, continuous black sea bass season over a higher summer bag limit reflects the strong desire of recreational fishermen in the state for more consistent access to the fishery, even if it means slightly fewer fish per angler during the peak summer months.
