SlotGaugeCheck a catchBar Jack regulations in North Carolina
Jacks · Saltwater · 2026 season
Bar Jack size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC coastal waters (to 3 mi) | Open year-round | No size limit | 20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species |
| Federal waters (3–200 mi, SAFMC) | Open year-round | No size limit | 20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species |
Notes
- Counts toward the 20-fish per person per day aggregate; no more than 10 of the aggregate may be whitebone, jolthead, knobbed or saucereye porgy, scup (south of Cape Hatteras), gray triggerfish, bar jack, almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack, white grunt, margate, sailor's choice or spadefish combined.
- Snapper-grouper gear rules: non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks with natural bait; a dehooking tool and a descending device (16 oz weight, 60 ft line) must be on board; fish must be landed with heads and fins intact.
- Federal rules apply in both state and SAFMC waters; seasons can close early when catch limits are met — check safmc.net/regulations.
Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording
- Season
- Open year-round
- Size
- None
- Limit
- 20 per person per day aggregate (no more than 10 of the listed species)
- NC coastal waters (to 3 mi) — as printed
- “whitebone porgy, jolthead porgy, knobbed porgy, saucereye porgy, scup (south of Cape Hatteras, 35° 15.0321’ N. Latitude), gray triggerfish, bar jack, almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack, white grunt, margate, sailor’s choice and spadefish.”
Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).
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About the bar jack
Species of fish
The bar jack, also known as the carbonero, cojinúa, red jack, blue-striped cavalla or passing jack, is a common species of inshore marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The bar jack is distributed through the western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey and Bermuda in the north to Venezuela and possibly Brazil in the south, with the largest population in the Gulf of Mexico and West Indies. The bar jack is most easily distinguished from similar jacks by the dark horizontal bar which runs along the back and down the caudal fin. It is often accompanied by an electric blue stripe immediately below. Other more detailed differences include dentition and soft ray counts. The bar jack is a moderately large species, growing to a recorded maximum of 65 cm (26 in) and a weight of 6.8 kg (15 lb). The species inhabits clear shallow waters, often over coral reefs where it lives either solitarily or in large schools, taking various fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods as prey. Studies in Cuba indicate spawning occurs between March and August, with sexual maturity reached at 26 cm. It is a relatively popular sport fish and can be caught on light tackle with a variety of lures and baits. It is considered to be a good food fish, however many recorded ciguatera cases are attributed to the species, with most cases reported on the island of St. Thomas traced to this single species.
Read more about Bar jack on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.
All 120 North Carolina species A–Z →
Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Bar Jack in North Carolina?
No size limit in North Carolina state waters.
How many Bar Jack can you keep per day in North Carolina?
20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species.
When is Bar Jack season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
Is my Bar Jack a keeper today?
Bar Jack has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 20.