Size Limit. Gear. The use of hand-held gear is permitted in the Atlantic Ocean and Coastal Bays. Prohibited Areas and Exception. An individual may not harvest hard-shell clams within 150 feet of a: Natural oyster bar; Leased area; Public shellfish fishery area established in COMAR 08.02.04.17A; or Sanctuary designated in Section I of “Oyster Sanctuaries of the Chesapeake Bay and Its Tidal Tributaries (September 2010)” that is incorporated by reference in COMAR 08.02.04.15A. Subject to §C of this regulation, an individual may catch hard-shell clams only from waters approved for shellfish harvest by the Maryland Department of the Environment.