Commercial Finfish Regulations as of May 3, 2013
Species
Fishery
Season
Open - Close
Size Limit
Possession Limit
American Eel (1)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 6 in No Limit
Weirs Jan 01 - Dec 31 12 in See Note #2
All Gears except Weirs Jan 01 - March 31 12 in 100 lb
All Gears except Weirs April 1 - August 5 N/A 0 lb
Fish Pots Aug 6 - Quota Dep. 12 in 300 lb
Hook & Line Aug 6 - Quota Dep. 12 in 150 lb
Mobile Gear Aug 6 - Quota Dep. 12 in 150 lb
All Jan 01 - Quota Dep. No Limit 5,000 lb
Cod (3)
North of Cape Cod Jan 01 - Dec 31 22 in 800 lb
East & South of Cape Cod Jan 01 - Dec 31 22 in 1,000 lb
Dab (Plaice) (3)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 14 in No Limit
Dogfish
All May 01 - Quota Dep. No Limit 3000 lb

P1: Nets Jan 01 - Jan 31 14 in w/o LOA: Prohibited
P1: Nets Feb 01 - Apr 22 14 in w/o LOA: 500 lb
P1: Nets Jan 01 - Apr 22 14 in w/ LOA: 2,000
P2: Nets April 23 - June 9 14 in 100 lb
P2: Longlines April 23 - June 9 14 in 100 lb
P2: Handlines or Rod & Reel April 23 - June 9 14 in Prohibited
P2: Nets Jun 10 -Quota Dep. 14 in 300 lb
P2: Longlines Jun 10 -Quota Dep. 14 in 200 lb
P2: Handlines or Rod & Reel Jun 10 -Quota Dep. 14 in 200 lb
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 18 in No Limit
Illex Squid
All Jan 01 - Quota Dep. No Limit No Limit
Loligo Squid (5)
All Jan 01 - Apr 30 No Limit No Limit
All May 1 - Jul 9 No Limit No Limit
All Jul 10 - Aug 31 No Limit 2,500 lb
All Sep 01 - Quota Dep. No Limit No Limit
Monkfish (6)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 17 in 470 lb tails
1,560 lb whole
Ocean Pout
All     Prohibited
Pollock (3)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 19 in No Limit
Redfish (3)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 9 in No Limit

Scup (7)

 
Winter I Jan 01 - Apr 30 9 in 50,000 lb
Fish Weir May 01 - Quota Dep. 9 in No Limit
Trawlers May 01 - Quota Dep. 9 in 800 lb
Non-Trawl May 01 - May 31 9 in 800 lb
Non-Trawl Jun 01 - Jun 30 9 in 400 lb
Non-Trawl Jul 01 - Quota Dep. 9 in 1,500 lb
Winter II Nov 01 - Quota Dep. TBD TBD
Smelt
Hook & line only Jun 16 - Mar 14 No Limit 50 fish
Smooth Dogfish
All but longlines Jan 01 - Dec 31 No Limit 100 lb
Spiny Dogfish
All May 01 - Quota Dep. No Limit 3,000 lb
Sunday Jul 12 - Quota Dep. 34 in 5 fish
Tues, Wed, Thur Jul 12 - Quota Dep. 34 in 30 fish
All Apr 16 - May 5 16 in 40 fish
All Sep 01 - Quota Dep. 16 in 40 fish
Weakfish
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 16 in 100 lb
Windowpane (3)
All     Prohibited
Winter Flounder (9)
Gulf of Maine Jan 01 - Dec 31 12 in 500 lb
Southern New England Jan 01 - Dec 31 12 in 50 lb
Witch
Flounder (3)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 14 in 1,000 lb
Wolffish
All     Prohibited
Yellowtail Flounder (3)
All Jan 01 - Dec 31 13 in 250 lb
Notes:
1) Subject to regulation by the Division and local community. Consult local regulations
2)

All fish weirs combined are subject to a quota of 10,000 lbs during the year. From August 6 until the annual quota has been met, all gear types are prohibited from landing and/or possessing black sea bass on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Black sea bass are measured from the tip of the snout or jaw (mouth closed) to the farthest extremity of the tail, not including the tail filament.
3) Groundfish species regulated under the federal Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan are subject to area and season specific groundfish closures in both state and federal waters. It is illegal to harvest cod from a portion of Massachusetts Bay (Winter Cod Conservation Zone) between November 15 and January 31 and in the Spring Cod Conservation Zone between April 16 and July 21.
4) The fluke limit is 500 lbs for nets during Period I from February 1 until 25% of the annual quota is reached, at which point the possession limit will be dropped to 100 lbs. During the squid season (April 23 – June 9), the fluke limit taken by nets will be 100 lbs. It is illegal to land or possess fluke between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM. During the Period 2 fishery (June 10 - Closure), it is unlawful for any commercial fisherman to possess or land summer flounder on Fridays or Saturdays.
5) A 2,500 lb trip limit may be implemented if 80% of a trimester’s allocation is landed.  From April 22 – June 10 trawlers may use small mesh to fish for squid in state-waters.
6) The minimum size for monkfish is 17" total length or 11" inches for tails
7) All fish weirs combined are subject to a quota of 275,000 lbs during the year. From May 1 - May 31 and from July 1 until the annual quota is reached, commercial pot and hook & line fishermen are prohibited from landing and/or possessing scup on Fridays and Saturdays. From June 1 - June 30, commercial pot and hook & line fishermen are prohibited from landing and/or possessing scup on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. From June 10 until the annual quota is reached, mobile gear fishermen are prohibited from landing and/or possessing scup on Fridays and Saturdays.
8) Commercial fishermen may fish for striped bass only on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday within the commercial season. Striped bass May be taken by hook and line only; spearing, netting, snagging are prohibited. Note: Permitted party/charter vessel operators may fillet striped bass for their customers.  See 322 CMR 6.07 (4)(g) for details.
9) Winter flounder can not be taken inside the spawning closure area or the inshore net areas between Feb 1 and May 31. It is unlawful for commercial fishermen to take winter flounder from Mount Hope Bay and its tributaries
10) The spring tautog season runs from April 16 to May 15 or until 28% of the quota is harvested. The winter tautog season runs from September 1 to November 30 or until 100% of the quota is harvested.