WASHINGTON — Saturday is opening day for Maryland’s 2015 catch-and-keep striped bass season.
This year there are new rules regulating which fish anglers are allowed to keep.
“We’re trying so conserve fish and we have new measurements,” says Maryland Natural Resources Police Spokeswoman Candy Thomson.
Anglers are allowed to keep one striped bass per person, per day, that measures between 28 and 36 inches or more than 40 inches.
The fish between 36 and 40 inches “are some of the best spawning fish,” Thomson says.
Letting them live to breed will help boost numbers of Maryland’s official state fish.
Striped bass, also called rockfish, are known to be fighters that put a big bend in fishing rods when they hit and latch onto a lure.
“You go to other states and people ask us about our striped bass [talking] fisherman to fisherman. So, our fish have a good reputation,” Thomson says with a smile.
Click here to check out the full Maryland Fishing Guide.