Fish guide
The FishOS guide covers the saltwater fish you are most likely to meet from the surf, piers, jetties and nearshore waters, starting with the Carolina coast. Each one has its own page with season, where to find it, what to look for, the best lures, bait, leader, common mistakes, how to land it, handling, and the current South Carolina size and bag limits, with a link to the official rules.
Showing the fish for South Jersey Shore, NJ.
You may hook these from the beach or a pier. They are here so you can identify them, and each page says why it is not a target.
Sand tiger, sandbar, dusky, hammerheads and other sharks FishOS does not profile
Not a target here
Season, lures and limitsAtlantic, southern, cownose and butterfly rays
Not a target here
Season, lures and limitsNorthern sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) and striped sea robin (Prionotus evolans)
Not a target here
Season, lures and limitsLittle skate (Leucoraja erinacea) and other skates
Not a target here
Season, lures and limitsSeason bars: dark blue peak, light blue in season, gray few or rare. They are our inference from state wildlife agency and NOAA species profiles, water temperatures and local reports; each fish's page lists its sources.
Every fish page gives you the season month by month, where to find it, what to look for, the best lures, bait, leader, common mistakes, how to land it, handling for teeth and spines, and whether to keep or release. The page also shows the current South Carolina size and bag limits, the date they were last checked, and a link to the official rules.
FishOS is not legal advice. The official rules win, and each fish page shows when the limits were last checked. Sharks, stingrays and sea catfish are listed so you can identify them. Sharks are not shown as a target where land-based shark fishing is banned, as it is in Horry County, Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach (North Myrtle Beach bans it within a mile of the beach).
The planner ranks every fish for your exact time, tide and weather.
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