Saltwater License Updates, CT & RI

[JohnR]

CT approved their respective Fishing License Bill and scuttlebutt has it going into effect in a week or two. This just happened and the CT DEP Website has not yet been updated.

Steve Medeiros from RISAA noted in an email he received from the RI License Bill's sponsor that it has passed the RI house.

They are on the way folks, right or wrong, good or bad (or perhaps less bad - since there was not much alternative). Props go out to the people that got something done that does favor the recreational angler ~ Thanks Guys!

[Kevin M]

Effective June 15, here in CT.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Its going to be tough to enforce for the first little while. I heard about it last week for the first time and keep an ear to the ground. I assume this year will be more of an education about the need for licenses, not so much for ticketing. I may have fished CT a little this year but probably wont now. And im not really against the license.

[bloocrab]

I'm AGAINST it and always will be. ... .

If I buy a basketball I don't need a license to play at a public playground, but if I buy a fishing pole, I need a license to use it???......it's all,, ,,, just another way to put our $$$ somewhere we'll never see it. ...to rephrase that, we may see 2% of it in future articles just to keep us quiet, but the bulk will get misspent.

[GattaFish]

Will it be a separate lic than the freshwater in CT,,,,

[bloocrab]

...eventually it'll be 1 license per species, never mind salt versus fresh.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

I just looked around the CT DEP website and didnt see anything about it starting. There was the proposal, but that is it, unless i missed something. I dont understand how you can make a law go into effect in a week or so and not get the word out very loudly. Like taking out adds in fishing magazines and newspapers for the previous 6 months, posting on websites, etc...

[Finaddict]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

I'm AGAINST it and always will be. ... .

If I buy a basketball I don't need a license to play at a public playground, but if I buy a fishing pole, I need a license to use it???......it's all,, ,,, just another way to put our $$$ somewhere we'll never see it. ...to rephrase that, we may see 2% of it in future articles just to keep up quiet, but the bulk will get misspent.

Yeah it is ... flat out nonsense

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by Rob Rockcrawler

I just looked around the CT DEP website and didnt see anything about it starting. There was the proposal, but that is it, unless i missed something. I dont understand how you can make a law go into effect in a week or so and not get the word out very loudly. Like taking out adds in fishing magazines and newspapers for the previous 6 months, posting on websites, etc...

If you go to the online sportsmen licensing system link on the CT DEP site you can in fact buy the license. $10 for residents, $15 for non-residents. http://www.ct.gov/dep/site/default.asp

[wheresmy50]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

...eventually it'll be 1 license per species, never mind salt versus fresh.

You can bet on it. Anyone want to place bets on how many years until the first "stamp"?

Track, tax, ridicule, divide, defeat.

We've reached step 2. You don't think step 4 exists, talk to a sportsman in California.

[Jorge]

And us poor slobs from the landlocked state of Vermont will be buying multiple out of state licenses !!!

[Pete F.]

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/stor...104677&catid=2
And at least in Maine for the time being there will be no fee, how come everyone else says it is impossible or the feds are making us do this?

[Thumper]

RI will go into effect Jan 1st 2010. The bill that went to the house suggests that it will be $7 for residents and $10 for no residents, however I doubt that it will be. I am thinking it will be more like $20 and $30. Right now the problem is states honoring other states so people that fish multiple states do not have to have 3 to 4 licenses. Ct goes into effect on the 15th they have said they will use what money from the program to get "more" people to enforce it and for advertising. I think this whole license thing will be like anything else they are going to go at it hardcore for a couple of years then it is just going to die off and sort of be forgotten, maybe at least in RI anyway.

[Bocephus]

its been coming for a while anyways I just hope the money will be spent wisely.....LOL Taxachusetts

[maddmatt]

the power to tax is the power to destroy.........

[Mike P]

Hmmm, let's see:

$700 Van Staal, Saltiga, Stella or Zee Baas reel---check.

$400 Ron Arra or Supersurf custom rod---check.

$40 worth of braided line---check

$250 Aquaskinz jacket---check

$250 Hunter or Aquaskinz surf bag---check

10 pieces of custom wood at an average of $30/each in said bag---check

$7 can of Skoal---check

3 cans of Red Bull at $2.50 per----check.


$10 for a year long license???? WTF??? They're %$%$%$%$ing robbing us---no %$%$%$%$ing way---I'll sell all my %$%$%$%$ before I pay $10 %$%$%$%$ing dollars to exercise my God-given right to fish. The oceans should be free, man.

Guys who pay $300 a year in fishing related sales tax bitching about a $10 license---%$%$%$%$ing priceless.

[MakoMike]

Anyone know where I can find a copy online of the RI bill?

[Rob Rockcrawler]

That hurts when you said 10 plugs at 30 bucks a pop, i try not to do the math.

[ivanputski]

Some liberal politician woke up one morning and realized how many anglers are out there, and how much $$$ they could raise to fund their social programs since people are taxed to the max already... We wont see a penny of this money benefitting us... they'll just make you think they're giving you something for your money.... You REALLLLY think some politician went through all the trouble of enacting this legislation because they want you to catch a nicer bass???? Someone somewhere got a raise for stumbling upon this MASSIVE untapped money source... and it's going straight to the general fund... meaning if you are a hard working, tax paying, middle class american citizen like myself, take your 10 or 20 bucks and kiss it goodbye... Now shut your computer off and get back to work... they need a piece of your check to pay for someone else's mortgage....

[RIROCKHOUND]

If they run it well, a la Florida (which seems to be well run) then I'm all for it. Especially if it allows them to hire more people to stop some poaching!

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Mike P

Hmmm, let's see:

$700 Van Staal, Saltiga, Stella or Zee Baas reel---check.

$400 Ron Arra or Supersurf custom rod---check.

$40 worth of braided line---check

$250 Aquaskinz jacket---check

$250 Hunter or Aquaskinz surf bag---check

10 pieces of custom wood at an average of $30/each in said bag---check

$7 can of Skoal---check

3 cans of Red Bull at $2.50 per----check.


$10 for a year long license???? WTF??? They're %$%$%$%$ing robbing us---no %$%$%$%$ing way---I'll sell all my %$%$%$%$ before I pay $10 %$%$%$%$ing dollars to exercise my God-given right to fish. The oceans should be free, man.

Guys who pay $300 a year in fishing related sales tax bitching about a $10 license---%$%$%$%$ing priceless.

all of those are a matter of choice, except the tax. All of those the purchaser gets some benefit or pleaseure from except the tax.

[Redsoxticket]

The cost of the license should only apply for admin and hardware/software needed to implement this federal mandated program.
It is wrong to piggy back extra money to EPOs, etc without the people allowed to vote yes or no.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[MotoXcowboy]

f@#% the feds...if I feel like fishing I'm not paying the stupid license...I'll see how long it takes till I get caught...years I bet. I never see enforcement at most places I fish anyway. I'll just stick to my private/low key spots..

f#&@ the government is my attitude lately. anyone else notice they're startin hike up the fees and fines for everything? and the cops are out everywhere giving tickets left and right for everything...my buddy got a ticket for 17mph in a 15 the other day...its the whole system we have here is rediculous.. ahh...before I get off on a tangent this probably belongs in scuppers...nevermind

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by MakoMike

Anyone know where I can find a copy online of the RI bill?

hope this is ok to post this link, if not i apologize.

http://www.risaa.org/rec_license09.html

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by jdr365

hope this is ok to post this link, if not i apologize.

http://www.risaa.org/rec_license09.html

Thanks!

[HESH2]

got my ct license monday at local town clerks office.i'm over 65 so there is no charge but sats it expires 13/31/09.where as my ct fresh water fishing and hunting license says lifetime.clerks told me they get like $1 per license and license terminal costs over $1800 so alot of places won't have terminals and i'm sure $$$$$$$ will end up in general fund.crazyness will start when i go to ri or mass hope all states get and agreement so we don't need seperate licenses.

[kevin d]

Originally Posted by MotoXcowboy

f@#% the feds...if I feel like fishing I'm not paying the stupid license...I'll see how long it takes till I get caught...years I bet. I never see enforcement at most places I fish anyway. I'll just stick to my private/low key spots..

f#&@ the government is my attitude lately. anyone else notice they're startin hike up the fees and fines for everything? and the cops are out everywhere giving tickets left and right for everything...my buddy got a ticket for 17mph in a 15 the other day...its the whole system we have here is rediculous.. ahh...before I get off on a tangent this probably belongs in scuppers...nevermind

The reason you don't see any enforcement is that there isn't a law to enforce yet. Once they implement the law DNR will be looking to enforce it.
I do not have a problem with the license IF the money goes where it should. Here in SC the license money goes to DNR, not a general fund for the politicians to steal, I mean use. DNR uses the money on enforcement (amongst other things) and that is a good thing. Then you are paying for management of a resource instead of the "privelege" of wetting a line.

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by HESH2

got my ct license monday at local town clerks office.i'm over 65 so there is no charge but sats it expires 13/31/09.where as my ct fresh water fishing and hunting license says lifetime.clerks told me they get like $1 per license and license terminal costs over $1800 so alot of places won't have terminals and i'm sure $$$$$$$ will end up in general fund.crazyness will start when i go to ri or mass hope all states get and agreement so we don't need seperate licenses.

If the CT license qualifies under NMFS standards (which it probably will) you won't need a license in RI.

[slow eddie]

if the monies involved in the license goes into maintaining the fisheries, ramps, etc, i see no problem with that. think florida keys.
if the monies go into the general fund to give another politicans kid a 100,000 a year job, well, that's another story.

[bloocrab]

It's rare that I see a Fish cop,,, in saying that...the few times that I have seen one....all they did was issue verbal warnings......The guilty had undersized fish, the place was a pigpen...and all they did was "warn" them....wtf??...it's obvious that they are not feared by anyone. To put more of these types of people in that position is another waste of our money even though it's going to the right place. They need to FIX the broken system before taxing us on it to even begin making me a believer that it will work. What ever happened to "prove it first"??....and don't tell me they need money first to fix it....just more ...I bet if they strictly hired women, our spots would be a lot cleaner as they would definitely fine the guilty and not just say "be a good boy next time".....

Why do they just warn them?

Fear?
Kindness?
Laziness?


At spot X the other day, fish were being caught in GREAT numbers, most were in the 36 - 44" range with some shorts also being landed...along comes 2 EPO trucks and a state police vehicle. One would think with all this brass marching around, heads were going to roll..............more warnings!!!!

WTF!!!... Read em' the rules.......confiscate their gear, vehicles, clothes...EVERYTHING!!! Leave em' naked on the side of the road as an example!!....maybe even tar & feathers???


Mike P....can I borrow $10 ?