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I don't post often actually ever but I do feel strongly about this topic so here is my two cents worth:
Surf fishing in my opinion is the last, best, "free" activity that we have available to us. That said, I agree that pressure will continue to be applied to implement some sort of SW license along the whole coast. Now some would say what's 20 bucks a year to fish...., I agree but consider this. I fish with my wife and we fish in Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and will probably try Maine, New Hampshire and New York. If each state has a license and it costs $20 and there are two of us (8 states * $20 * 2 family members = $320) it starts to add up. That's just the first year. As the years go by license fees will go up and $320 becomes $640 or more. Check out the license fee increases in your own state or the increases in the Chesapeake Bay license. All of a sudden my last best "free" activity is becoming quite expensive and that's without equipment costs, beach permits, gas costs etc. So if we believe that SW licenses are going to be a reality, then let's work together on a proposal to implement SW licenses that would benefit state programs and not hurt anglers too much. Some things that might be considered: Reasonable license fees that cannot be increased by more than a certain percentage over a certain number of years, Reciprocal agreements among states from Maine to North Carolina.
You could buy your license in any of those states and the revenues would be tied to the state where the license was bought, and license fees could only be used on programs that improve access and enhance saltwater fishing opportunities
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