Round ScadorBlue Runner
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Round Scad
Slim cigar of a baitfish with a detached finlet behind both dorsal and anal fins and scutes near the tail.
Blue Runner
Compact jack, faint blue sheen, black tail-base spot.
Blue runner, next to round scad: deeper body, no detached finlet.
Side by side
| Round Scad | Blue Runner | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Decapterus punctatus | Caranx crysos |
| Also called | Cigar minnow | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 11 lb 2.4 oz · Alabama (1997) |
| On the table | Premium bait; edible fried but few bother. | Oily; great bait, decent smoked. |
| Rules of its own in | 1 states | 0 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 1 of 1 states with a rule for either. In North Carolina, round scad is No size limit, No bag limit while blue runner has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Round Scad: size · bag · season | Blue Runner: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, round scad or blue runner, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell round scad from blue runner?
Round Scad: Slim cigar of a baitfish with a detached finlet behind both dorsal and anal fins and scutes near the tail. Blue Runner: Compact jack, faint blue sheen, black tail-base spot. Blue runner, next to round scad: deeper body, no detached finlet.
Which is better to eat, round scad or blue runner?
Round Scad: Premium bait; edible fried but few bother. Blue Runner: Oily; great bait, decent smoked.
Do round scad and blue runner have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 1 state rulebooks. North Carolina: round scad No size limit, No bag limit, blue runner no rule of its own.