ATTENTION PA ANGLERS/GUIDES

[Brian Feist]

Take a look at the Fish & Boat Commission's web site. They have proposals listed for increases in license fees for both fishing and boating.



I don't mind paying for my fishing and boating licenses. Even with the proposed increases, it's a cheap price to pay for enjoyment of the sports. However, they are about to cross the line on at least one issue as far as I am concerned. They want to charge fees to hold tournaments. Now if we already pay for a license and we then release our catch, why shoud we be charged an additional fee? Is the PF&BC going to give us additional services for events? In some of the lakes that we use, they won't even permit us to use launch ramps that are convenient, paved, or have decent rest room facilities.

I ask you to read the press release and make your public comment. After that, I encourage you to do as I plan on doing, contact your local legislator and express your opinion to him/her.

 

[Terry Heydt]

Holy smacks!! The $3.75 increase for a standard resident license, as you said, I can live with. But what really troubles me are the increases in the SENIOR licenses!! From $3.25 for a senior annual up to $10, and (a real kick in the face for our seniors), from $15.25 to $50!! I'm by no means a senior citizen, but find that level of increase (for people often retired and/or on a fixed income) disgusting. They make mention of the recent reduction in annual PA license sales. I think they can expect to see an even more substantial trend in the same direction. Part of me foresees a better fishing environment in light of dramatic decreases in the volume of the "weekend warriors" - those beloved hackers who yank fish out of the water and take home stringers of bass regardless of size (have seen this far too often locally, and even "intervened" on occassion), however as you said Brian, it would be interesting to see where the license fees go exactly. Our launches and facilities are often little better than primitive. Makes one wonder sometimes...

 

[Staci Matheis]

If I remember correctly, Seniors (over 65) are NOT required to purchase licenses in Missouri.

 

[JEFF WHITE]

didnt they go through this last year already?they want the money but wont improve the fisheries other than those slimy trout which are not even fit to fertilize the garden with!



if they did something constructive with the money i wouldnt be po'd,but to inprove the trout hatcheries and stocking of said trout.

 

[Terry Heydt]

Exactly! In my course of work I frequently come into contact with their conversation officers, and that is my very complaint. As it was explained to me, trout fishing is a big draw apparently for the "casual angler", and a large portion of their license sales. The vast majority of these "anglers" are not utlizing any boating facilities and only care that they are catching trout. These are the "anglers" who follow the stocking trucks to the water and all but try to snag them before they hit the water right. I don't trout fish, but used to get the trout stamp just to do my part to help improve the waterways. Haven't for the past few years. If most of my fee is going to improving trout fishing already, why bother. Perhaps if they would invest a little more time and effort into keeping several of our resevoirs a little less eutrophic from all the fertilizer runoffs and encouraging some more hospitable bass fisheries they would see an increase in license sales from BASS (and other species) fishermen, and wouldn't have to devote such a large portion of their annual budget to constant pre-season and in-season stocking programs. (Stepping off soap box...)

 

[Brian Feist]

Well, I am a "multi-species offender" and do like to fish for trout in the spring and late Fall. I supported the five fish daily creel limit. In fact, I even took home a few (3-4 over the year) "stocked" trout for the wife to eat. I'd never kill a native.

I have seen in the newspaper that the PF&BC has stocked fingerling walleye, sauger, catfish, and a few other species over the years. I have never seen them do anything to encourage bass fishing. In fact, a few clubs in my area offered to stock fingerling smallmouths in a few lakes to improve the populations and were turned down a few different times. Several years ago, I was associated with one of the few cooperative bass nursury programs. We were to stock our fingerlings in late October. Well, there ended up being a problem with access to the stocking truck where we were supposed to stock. By the way, it was a reservoir that was a local water supply and was available only to shore fishermen. You know, the killing and eating types. In any event, instead of letting us place them in a popular state park lake, they had us dump them in a lake that they heavily stock with trout. Nobody ever fishes for bass there and the habitat for them was terrible. So, the fish were wasted.

This topic really gets me mad. I'm ready to write to my legislators and offer public comment to the PF&BC but I want to cool off first.