§ 50-13-320 — Traps and eel pots; crab pots; crayfish traps; minnow traps.

(A) A trap or eel pot may be suspended above the bottom of the body of water in which they are used at a depth that does not create a hazard to watercraft. (B) There is no restriction on the type of bait permissible in a trap or eel pot, except that game fish or any part of a game fish must not be used for bait. (C) There is no closed season for fishing with a trap or eel pot in the freshwaters of this State in which the use of a trap or eel pot is permitted except temporary closure by the department. (D) A trap or eel pot must not be placed within one hundred feet of the mouth of a tributary stream and a trap or eel pot must not be placed anywhere in the Diversion Canal connecting Lakes Marion and Moultrie nor placed within two hundred yards of a manmade structure in Lakes Marion and Moultrie. (E) A crab pot or trap of like design must not be used in the freshwaters of this State unless permitted by regulation. (F) All crayfish traps must be identified with the name and department customer identification number of the user. These traps only may be used in those bodies of water permitted under this chapter. A commercial fisherman may fish up to fifty crayfish traps. A recreational fisherman may fish up to five crayfish traps. (G) All minnow traps must be identified with the name and department customer identification number of the user. A minnow trap may be fished with a recreational license only with a limit of five for each person and must not be fished for commercial purposes.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1981 Act No. 170, SECTION 1; 1987 Act No. 68, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1263; 1976 Code SECTION 50-13-1165; 2012 Act No. 114, SECTION 2, eff July 1, 2012.