Verified against Delaware DNREC regulations, September 2026. Rules change. Confirm with DNREC Fish & Wildlife before you set gear. This page is a reference, not legal advice.
Cull rings: not required
Delaware is the outlier on the mid-Atlantic coast. There is no cull ring or escape ring requirement for blue crab pots in Delaware tidal waters. DNREC and Delaware Sea Grant recommend them because they let sublegal crabs and other small animals out of a pot that goes derelict, but they are not law.
If you also fish Maryland or Virginia water with the same pots, those states' ring rules apply there. See Maryland and Virginia.
Bycatch reduction devices: required on non-commercial pots
Under DNREC Regulation 3721, any non-commercial crab pot set in Delaware tidal waters must have a bycatch reduction device securely attached in every entrance, so that every crab entering the pot passes through it. The device is a rigid metal or plastic rectangle measuring no more than 1.75" by 4.75" on the inside. If made of wire, it must be at least 11 gauge. These keep diamondback terrapins out of pots where they would drown.
Minimum sizes, commercial pot and trotline
| Crab | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Hard crab | 5" |
| Soft crab | 3-1/2" |
| Peeler | 3" |
| Mature female (dredge) | None |
Measured point to point across the shell. The commercial pot and trotline season runs March 1 through November 30 per the DNREC commercial shellfish summary; the dredge season is December 15 through March 31.
Pot limits and tending
Recreational crabbers are limited to two pots per person. Pots must be tended; DNREC Enforcement issues notices on pots left untended more than three days and seizes them. Use non-sinking buoys, not milk jugs.
What this means for your gear
Delaware's 5" hard crab minimum is a 5" measure, year round. If you run a cull stick, that is the notch you need. Our machined aluminum cull stick is listed at 5-1/4" for Maryland's late season; call the shop for a 5" cut.
If you rig for Delaware only, cull rings are your call. If your pots cross into Maryland, they need a 2-3/16" and a 2-5/16". Our 2-5/16" cull rings cover the Maryland requirement for the larger ring.
Sources
- DNREC Regulation 3721, Non-commercial Crab Pot Design; Bycatch Reduction Device
- DNREC Summary of Current Commercial Shellfish Regulations
- Delaware WMAP, Derelict Crab Pots in Delaware's Recreational Blue Crab Fishery
Gear for Delaware pots
- Door hooks: FlatStack, 4-1/4" overall, 3-1/2" center to center, cut for a commercial pot door. Bulk boxes from 100 to 10,000.
- Cull rings: not required in Delaware. If your pots cross into Maryland, our 2-5/16" ring covers the larger Maryland ring.
- Cull stick: Delaware is a 5" measure. Machined aluminum, held to .005"; call for the 5" cut.