Salt water fishing license? Would you pay?

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I don’t support a license for several reasons and it’s not about having to spend $x on a license.
- I don’t think it would increase access it would decrease it. You and your family are down at the beach or the bay for the day or on vacation and you think to yourself, let’s go fishing but you don’t have license. Probably means you’re not going to fish part of that maybe money, inconvenience or both and that would be a shame.
- I hear the money will be used for free ramps, yeah where? Most every piece of convenient land on the water in NJ is owned privately or by a municipality.. We do have some land owned by the state in Leonardo and in Atlantic City but you pay to launch.
- Since we’re taxed to death already, our state has enough money to do practically what ever it wants to since the state budget is now $56 Billion. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of priorities.
- Some say we’re missing out on federal funding since we don’t have a license and others say it wouldn’t make a difference. I’d like to see proof one way or the other.
- I’d love to see more funding for the reef program but I don’t trust that the money from the license will be spent the way we want it , it will be spent the way they want it and you can guarantee they’ll be a lot of waste and mismanagement of the funds, this is NJ people. If we want money for the reef let’s raise money for it so we’re sure that’s where it gets used. Let’s also get our state to make it and other things we need a priority. It’s our money, not theirs!

Im with you not trusting the process but the best example is florida.... how does florida do it and its very successful based on how plentiful and well kept the access and marine environments are.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I don’t support a license for several reasons and it’s not about having to spend $x on a license.
- I don’t think it would increase access it would decrease it. You and your family are down at the beach or the bay for the day or on vacation and you think to yourself, let’s go fishing but you don’t have license. Probably means you’re not going to fish part of that maybe money, inconvenience or both and that would be a shame.
- I hear the money will be used for free ramps, yeah where? Most every piece of convenient land on the water in NJ is owned privately or by a municipality.. We do have some land owned by the state in Leonardo and in Atlantic City but you pay to launch.
- Since we’re taxed to death already, our state has enough money to do practically what ever it wants to since the state budget is now $56 Billion. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of priorities.
- Some say we’re missing out on federal funding since we don’t have a license and others say it wouldn’t make a difference. I’d like to see proof one way or the other.
- I’d love to see more funding for the reef program but I don’t trust that the money from the license will be spent the way we want it , it will be spent the way they want it and you can guarantee they’ll be a lot of waste and mismanagement of the funds, this is NJ people. If we want money for the reef let’s raise money for it so we’re sure that’s where it gets used. Let’s also get our state to make it and other things we need a priority. It’s our money, not theirs!

This topic has been beaten to death , and a lot of inaccurate info continues .
While license fees go into the general fund , having a SW license allows the state to apply to get funds we ALREADY paid back in excise tax’s .
Those funds can Only be used for SW improvement and ACCESS.
Accesss being the number one priority.

Broad Bill had posted we already get out excise portion back .
Talking to Peter that’s absolutely incorrect .


The rules are very specific that money sent back is based on actual license sales .
Other states such as Florida go after every penny they can , and it’s why they have free ramps etc all over .

Funds brought in from excise tax’s on freshwater tackle have been used to provide river access points in many very affluent areas .
State used the funds to purchase land , and made permanent access to great rivers throughout the state .

There is always something that can be purchased .
Or muniple spots like AH those funds can pay the daily fee so it’s free to launch .
Those crying about paying for a license end up spending way more paying launch fees all over the state yearly .


Reason we don’t have a license is FG marine division was told they would get no additional money for extra CO to enforce the license .
So the declined.

Anyone thinking fisherman voicing their opinions stopped the license are just kidding themselves .

NJ could care less about any funds benefitting hunters and fisherman in this state .
Because they can’t TAP that money for other interests .

.

[AndyS]

How is it 19 states have a saltwater license but yet only 2 can't get it right, again, something fishy here.

[dales529]

Originally Posted by AndyS

How is it 19 states have a saltwater license but yet only 2 can't get it right, again, something fishy here.

Love ya but WHY do you keep posting the same narrative with nothing to back up the "fishy" part??

[bulletbob]

If it were any of several other states I would have much less of a problem with a SW license,however NJ?? NY??...Those funds would be appropriated instantly into the general fund and distributed back into programs and giveaways to buy votes from the welfare class, "working poor",illegals,as well as programs that are legit and might benefit seniors, disabled, etc.. Might sound noble and all but thats NOT where fishing license fees should be used.. also, I despise the idea of "" the artificial reef program"".Too easy for that money to disappear into thin air. A LOT, a real lot of fishermen don't use the artificial reefs,, that money should go to greatly expanded access for shorebound and working class fishermen that might tow a 14 footer to fish a bay or tidal river, and NOT have to pay $75 to launch.. THATS where those fees should go,, State run free or low fee launch ramps, municipal or state park administered fishing piers and dedicated free access fishing areas in tidal areas, possibly fishing access on highway bridges that cross tidal rivers and bays, such as we see down south, etc.. Won't happen here, that money will go right to the cities where it will be used for ""social programs"" that are designed to catch voters, not to help anglers catch fish.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

If it were any of several other states I would have much less of a problem with a SW license,however NJ?? NY??...Those funds would be appropriated instantly into the general fund and distributed back into programs and giveaways to buy votes from the welfare class, "working poor",illegals,as well as programs that are legit and might benefit seniors, disabled, etc.. Might sound noble and all but thats NOT where fishing license fees should be used.. also, I despise the idea of "" the artificial reef program"".Too easy for that money to disappear into thin air. A LOT, a real lot of fishermen don't use the artificial reefs,, that money should go to greatly expanded access for shorebound and working class fishermen that might tow a 14 footer to fish a bay or tidal river, and NOT have to pay $75 to launch.. THATS where those fees should go,, State run free or low fee launch ramps, municipal or state park administered fishing piers and dedicated free access fishing areas in tidal areas, possibly fishing access on highway bridges that cross tidal rivers and bays, such as we see down south, etc.. Won't happen here, that money will go right to the cities where it will be used for ""social programs"" that are designed to catch voters, not to help anglers catch fish.

I can't argue most of that but i will say the fw stocking program is absolutely top notch and funded by our fw licenses so id have hope similar could.be done for sw (not stocking, but access and reefs etc.) I also have to say i think the reefs are benefitial ro everyone fiahing even if not directly on the reef or for a "reef species" they hold bait, etc and have positive effects on even migratory fish hanging around and their food reproducing and such.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

I can't argue most of that but i will say the fw stocking program is absolutely top notch and funded by our fw licenses so id have hope similar could.be done for sw (not stocking, but access and reefs etc.) I also have to say i think the reefs are benefitial ro everyone fiahing even if not directly on the reef or for a "reef species" they hold bait, etc and have positive effects on even migratory fish hanging around and their food reproducing and such.

Agreed on all parts! The state does a great job stocking and I think the reef program would benefit all species. Question is how do we fund it and assure those funds are not misappropriated.

Lots more questions then answers from my point of view.

[Gerry Zagorski]

This from Jim Hutchinson at the Fishermen Magazine which is a very interesting look what happened last time this came up
https://www.thefisherman.com/article...EtMMdvTzaIyH3w

More info from Jim at Fishermen Magazine in the attachment below too.

It certainly does raise a lot of questions and regardless of which way you lean on this, I think we need some questions answered by the state in order to make a more informed opinion.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

Im with you not trusting the process but the best example is florida.... how does florida do it and its very successful based on how plentiful and well kept the access and marine environments are.

I can assure you it's not because they have a salt water fishing license, it's because they care about fish and game a made it a funding priority in their budget. The FL SW license revenue was $7.2M in 2023

Florida spends $102M on fish and wildlife and has a total state budget of $116B.

NJ spends $15M on Fish and Wildlife and we have a $56B total state budget

The total state FL budget is a factor of almost 2X the size of ours but they outspend us in fish and game by a factor of 7X.

This is why I think the SW license is not the issue, the issue is SW fishing is not budget priority in our states government and politics.

Speaking of not being a priority, we have 2 vacant NJ marine (saltwater) council positions that it's the governors job to fill and his administration has neglected to do so in spite of being in office almost 7 years now.

I'll be the first to say we have more then our fair share of important issues here in our state but don't you think the $2B of revenue that salt water generates for our state each year deserves a bit more attention and priority?

Maybe we need to wait until the 2025 election and hope there are some changes in priorities

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

I can't argue most of that but i will say the fw stocking program is absolutely top notch and funded by our fw licenses so id have hope similar could.be done for sw (not stocking, but access and reefs etc.) I also have to say i think the reefs are benefitial ro everyone fiahing even if not directly on the reef or for a "reef species" they hold bait, etc and have positive effects on even migratory fish hanging around and their food reproducing and such.

NJ has a great FW program but its administered by the NJDEP.. Not sure if a marine program would be handled the same way. Remember that much of the problem with marine fishing is access pure and simple.. Not stocking, not maintaining clean stream and rivers really,, but access.. Even reef building is access really.. Providing suitable habitat to hold fish for anglers to work.. NJ needs better access to the varied , extensive and very desirable salt and tidal waterways it has.. That means parking areas, shoreline access, ramps, piers etc etc... Not near as easy as dumping a truckload of fish into a lake or stream.. I may be cynical but I have my doubts that salt water anglers would see much more than maybe a few worn out boxcars dumped out onto a reef thats already established.. NY and NJ needs reasonably priced , well developed access to boat and shoreline marine fishing areas more than it needs a new reef in my opinion.. I just think that the anglers paying the fees would realize few tangible benefits. Thats just the way govt agencies work.. A lot of that money would go to bloated staff salaries... bob