Fishing License

[Douglasdzaster]

I grew up in a Capitol City , Baton Rouge, LA. You wouldn't really call it a "big" city, but, at the time, 150,000 ppl (70's) it was a decent size.
Anyway, I hitched to Calif. for an adventure and stayed 14yrs. Got my career and traveled the state on my off time. It was **** pretty and inviting. But, I didn't seem to like the ppl in the cities. Congestion, garbage, regulation, etc ... I also traveled 47 states in my work career and never liked any of the ppl in bigger cities as I liked ppl in smaller towns or villages. I asked my boss after 8yrs working out of San Diego all over the country, if I could geaux home and base out of Louisiana where I felt better and would be cheaper to fly me to the bigger cities in the east. He thought it was a wonderful idea and kept me on for another 25yrs that way.
I guess something happens to ppl when they live in congestion. Less trusting, more hurried so no time to smell the roses or have a nice howdy w/ other folk. They seem to cook & pray less and have less interaction w/ other human beings. Maybe that's why I moved out to the country into a small town of less than 5000. Don't get me wrong, these ppl have decades long feuds and are set in their ways but they are nice and mostly trusting (tolerant ?) or even outgoing to those they don't feud w/.
God bless every one !!

I know what you mean. I lived out of the city limits of small towns all my life. Spent most of my carrier with my office being in Bryan /College Station TAMU where I stayed on the road covering all the construction sites from there to about a hundred mile radius. After I retired from that My wife got a job in Austin so we moved to a rent house in Kyle.in a neighborhood where I could have stuck a fishing rod out of the bathroom window and touched the neighbors house. That lasted one year and we moved to a little subdivision outside of Smithville about 30 minutes from Austin. At first we felt like the strangers in town when we went to the store. After a few months we’ve been treated like family anywhere you go. People trust each other and help out someone in need. Austin has its share of good people but unfortunately the bad as well. My wife and myself grew up in the country. She’s from S.C. I grew up between Brenham,Tx and Lake Somerville. My family was the first to open a bail shop when the lake was opened. I’m now blessed with the fact that it takes me around 45 minutes to get to Somerville with the boats.
Everyone keep a tight line and God bless.

 

[LDUBS]

Well, time to post back on this thread.

A few days after my 72 birthday, I renewed my California fishing license for $81 & change. That is $62 for the basic license and $19 for the second rod permit. I used some Bass Pro gift cards but still, son of a gun!

 

[David Atkins]

Well, time to post back on this thread.

A few days after my 72 birthday, I renewed my California fishing license for $81 & change. That is $62 for the basic license and $19 for the second rod permit. I used some Bass Pro gift cards but still, son of a gun!

Guess, CA doesn't give a hoot about your age, (bet if you were illegal alien they would give you a license for free); here in VA my license both fresh and salt water are free because of my age, I need Trout License if I fly fish for Trout in Rivers but I don't mind giving DWR funds because they do so much giving back to the fisheries with their stocking programs. But WOW - CA is something special, aren't they?

 

[flatheadsteve]

Well, time to post back on this thread.

A few days after my 72 birthday, I renewed my California fishing license for $81 & change. That is $62 for the basic license and $19 for the second rod permit. I used some Bass Pro gift cards but still, son of a gun!

Yikes! Wv gave me a lifetime hunting and fishing lisc for being a disabled vet. I pay $50 a yr to lisc my boat for the Chesapeake bay and it tributaries so that anyone aboard is covered. It's much cheaper to do that than to get a non resident liscense.

 

[LDUBS]

Yikes! Wv gave me a lifetime hunting and fishing lisc for being a disabled vet. I pay $50 a yr to lisc my boat for the Chesapeake bay and it tributaries so that anyone aboard is covered. It's much cheaper to do that than to get a non resident liscense.

California does have reduced fishing license fees for disabled Vets of $9.53. Those should be free in my opinion, but so far no one at DFW has asked me.

 

[LDUBS]

Guess, CA doesn't give a hoot about your age, (bet if you were illegal alien they would give you a license for free); here in VA my license both fresh and salt water are free because of my age, I need Trout License if I fly fish for Trout in Rivers but I don't mind giving DWR funds because they do so much giving back to the fisheries with their stocking programs. But WOW - CA is something special, aren't they?

CA doesn't give a hoot about much except generating revenues and keeping consultants flush.

I know, I'm just griping. Haha.

 

[GTS225]

CA doesn't give a hoot about much except generating revenues and keeping consultants flush.

I know, I'm just griping. Haha.

Doesn't make you wrong.

Roger

 

[thill]

Wow, that's steep!
And to think I was complaining that our freshwater license has crept up from $12 to $17 to $23.

I always buy a boat license for saltwater, which is $48, with the owner's personal license included. It's totally worth it. Bring 2 people with you once, and it's paid for.

I just discovered that I qualify for a lifetime freshwater license for $116. If I wait a few more years, it's free. Works out to the same thing. Might as well wait.

 

[David Atkins]

I paid all license fees until I am able to obtain lifetime free fishing, I still send money into DWR to help them with resources for stocking and such; we all have to keep feeding fish one way or the other (LOL) I just think it is right to keep our fisheries running and funded so that my grandchildren and yours can fish if they wish!

 

[mcorrigan2]

Well, time to post back on this thread.

A few days after my 72 birthday, I renewed my California fishing license for $81 & change. That is $62 for the basic license and $19 for the second rod permit. I used some Bass Pro gift cards but still, son of a gun!

I am a senior and pay $5.00 in BC Canada

 

[airshot]

I paid all license fees until I am able to obtain lifetime free fishing, I still send money into DWR to help them with resources for stocking and such; we all have to keep feeding fish one way or the other (LOL) I just think it is right to keep our fisheries running and funded so that my grandchildren and yours can fish if they wish!

I agree totally, never complained about fishing license fees in all my years of fishing. When I turned 16, I was excited to buy my first fishing license, knowing that money was helping me to carch more fish and give me more places to launch my boat.

 

[Azdesert]

CA license is a bit much IMO. The thing that I don't care for too much is that CA doesn't honor other states licenses on shared waters. I know that other places are the same, but I guess at some point I will be getting some form of CA license as I want to get over and try for some of those big sunfish in Lake Havasu.
AZ has a lifetime after 70 and 20 years in the state, I believe. Lots of stocking here, too bad the states don't have a fund to donate to that is segregated from other expenses and used only for stocking.

 

[kazzer]

California does have reduced fishing license fees for disabled Vets of $9.53. Those should be free in my opinion, but so far no one at DFW has asked me.

My senior license in New York costs me $5

 

[LDUBS]

Wow, that's steep!
And to think I was complaining that our freshwater license has crept up from $12 to $17 to $23.

I always buy a boat license for saltwater, which is $48, with the owner's personal license included. It's totally worth it. Bring 2 people with you once, and it's paid for.

I just discovered that I qualify for a lifetime freshwater license for $116. If I wait a few more years, it's free. Works out to the same thing. Might as well wait.

Shoot. I'm 72 years old. A lifetime license will cost me $680!

 

[LDUBS]

CA license is a bit much IMO. The thing that I don't care for too much is that CA doesn't honor other states licenses on shared waters. I know that other places are the same, but I guess at some point I will be getting some form of CA license as I want to get over and try for some of those big sunfish in Lake Havasu.
AZ has a lifetime after 70 and 20 years in the state, I believe. Lots of stocking here, too bad the states don't have a fund to donate to that is segregated from other expenses and used only for stocking.

A couple of the lakes I go to has a fishing charge of something like $7 per person. That is over and above the ramp fee. I don't mind so much because all of that money goes towards stocking the lakes.

 

[NEFLYTYER]

12/30/23 i got my freshwater/ saltwater and hunting licenses for free here in Taxachusetts for 2024 at 70 yrs old

 

[NEFLYTYER]

Shoot. I'm 72 years old. A lifetime license will cost me $680!

holy crap

 

[freeisforme]

In NJ, you have to be 70 to no longer need a fishing license or trout stamp, you just need to provide proof of age.
There is no discount for hunting licenses. They have an all around license but the whole system of stamps and permits is both expensive and complicated.
Fishing licenses are $22.50 ages 16-64, $12.50 65-69, and free over 70.
Trout stamps are $10.50 ages 16-69, no discount at age 65.
There is no saltwater license but you have to register and carry a copy of that registration.
Fishing the northern Delaware Bay you will also need a Delaware license in saltwater since DE claims that water as their own up to the low tide line in NJ.
Delaware wants $42.50 for non-resident boat fishing license , and $22.50 for land based license. Since NJ does not have a saltwater license, there is no reciprocity.
I just avoid those waters, its not worth the money or aggravation.

What's even worse lately is that NJ has closed or designated a bunch of MVS offices so registering or renewing a boat or trailer requires a trip to a regional office, for me that means an hour trip and special appointment just to renew the boat and trailer. This started after 2020.

 

[Azdesert]

Here in AZ to register your boat it is done at a few selected locations other then Fish and Game. Last time I registered the boat I went to one of "selected" places, when I went to pay I was told "nope can't take cash for that". Of course then it is an up charge and a credit card fee, Not that that amounts to whole bunch of money, but I totally find the "we don't take cash" thing more then a bit irritating. Happening more and more.
$680 for a lifetime is absurd! After covid life expectancy is 77.28 years, I put money on the fee wasn't reduced~clearly cheaper to buy the annual, but those of us that fish will not fall into that expectancy group.....we hope.

 

[mirrocraft16]

....After covid life expectancy is 77.28 years, ....

This is likely higher then reality in later generations. I read somewhere that later baby boomers and Gen X are showing a growing trend of dying young.
I can attest to this as I've lost many friends in recent years who passed in their 40's and 50's, mostly of cancer or strokes.
With most in my family not making much past 62, even if they offered a lifetime license here it would never be a gamble worth taking. Its not likely though. Its more likely that they increase the ages or eliminate the senior license altogether.
I quit fishing in freshwater because of the cost of a license here, and the lack of edible fish. Nearly ever body of water has some warning attached to it, and NJ has a gas motor ban in all but a couple lakes.
This year however they switched the 'Free' saltwater registration over from its own website to being part of the Fish & Game License website. My guess is their getting read to attach a fee to that too.
I've had the same issues with renewing boats and trailers online, they refuse nearly all transactions saying it has to be done at a 'regional' center only. There are no regional centers nearby since they changed the local MVS office into a License Only facility.

The boat in the ad above is WAY overpriced. A $10k boat at best here, and at that it would sit a long time.
Keep in mind that those who have $10-20K to spend on a boat likely have cash for a new one as well. Those who don't, tend to buy $500 boats and motors.