In 2026 and 2027, New Jersey’s black sea bass season will open two days earlier (May 15) than it did last year, and will remain open every single day through the end of the year (December 31). In total, New Jersey anglers are back in black sea bass for 231 days this season, as opposed to just 188 days in 2025.
There were two options from which the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council could choose at their March 26th meeting at the Stafford Township Firehouse in Manahawkin, one (Option 6) that would leave size and bag limits the same again while closing the gap between the end of fluke season on September 25 and the opening of black sea bass, and a second (Option 10) which would’ve resulted in 206 days of fishing while increasing the summer bag limit from one fish to two fish. In the end, the council voted unanimously in support of more available fishing days by approving Option 6:
10 fish May 15 – June 21
1 fish June 22 – Sept. 22
10 fish Sept. 23 – Oct. 31
15 fish Nov. 1 – Dec. 31
(12.5” minimum size)
Regrettably, New Jersey was unable to secure enough of a harvest increase from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) to do both – add an additional fish to the summer bag, while removing the seasonal closure “gaps.” But by my tabulation at the meeting, both in-person and online commenters preferred Option 6 by a two-to-one count over Option 10.
Some anglers have said that it would make sense to simply move five fish from the November/December bag limit over to the summer months. However, fisheries management is not a linear science, and five fish doesn’t always equal five fish. There are fewer anglers in the fall and winter fishing for black sea bass, therefore taking five from the fifteen fish total in that part of the season only equates to a roughly 1% overall adjustment overall; in other words, five November fish probably net less than a single additional fish in the summer, which is why going to two fish in the summer would’ve cost additional days.
For folks who really only fish from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the addition of a second fish in the summer bag was the preferred option, while those who keep their boats in the water longer, or chose to hop aboard a for-hire trip during the shoulder seasons at the Jersey Shore, more days of sea bass fishing was the way to go. “More days on the water,” noted Capt. Ted White of the Super Chic, while his Barnegat Light neighbor Capt. Eddie Yates from the Susan Hudson said “231 days is a lot of days, you never get them back once you lose them.”
From Cape May, Capt. Bob Cope of Full Ahead Sportfishing added, “we have to close the gap, and we’ve got to stand our ground and take the days.” Capt. Chris Lido from The Gambler said more of their customers in Point Pleasant are coming from New England states because of our robust sea bass fishery and better regulatory framework, while the crew of the Norma K III cast support for Option 6 based on the 15,000 to 20,000 anglers that fish with them every season.
As referenced several times at the March 26th meeting, the one-fish bag limit for black sea bass from June 22 to September 22 is essentially a bycatch allowance for those fluking along the ocean structure. Perhaps in a couple of years we’ll get another bite at this apple through the ASMFC/MAFMC, when the black sea bass management goal in New Jersey can be focused again on the summer fishery and improving the take. But more days to fish today is a good thing!
