Saltwater fishing license:

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

Sorry but nothing is free anymore.
Want to utilise part of a resource pay for it.
Lots of money is spent on enforcement etc.
You can't even use a federal park without paying a fee.
As long as the license is under 20 bucks I don't see a downfall. In actuality maybe some guys after buying the license will go more.
They also could have a daily or weekly license at a reduced rate.

When we fished Alaska we had to buy a weekly non resident license . Same as in many other southern states I fished

Might even help slow down the bucket brigades fishing all the jettys

Yeah, I don't think even a small fee is going to help attract customers... Its NJ we're talking about, and personally I have doubts it would be $20 license.. maybe they'll prove me wrong.. You can bet that if NJ institutes a license and NY does not, that most anglers in NY would not buy the license and would opt to simply stay on the NY side, and board NY boats where a license would not be required.. We'll see how this washes out..

One thing is for certain.. that ""salt water registry"" bullshit that was joyfully adopted by so many fishermen as a "good thing" was simply a prelude to a license.. Some of us knew from the early spring 2011 when it was adopted what it would lead to, and here we are..bob

[Charlie B]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

We are talking about fisherman.
How many guys own boats and use them 4/5 times a season .
Just their slip fees would pay for them to fish with the best captains once a week for the season.

Fluke is currently 16 bucks a pound in the supermarket .
.
So in effect 1 decent fluke covered the license .
.

.

I guess some will just bend over and take it. Don't make it right...Charlie

[Gerry Zagorski]

The boats I checked were older but looked pretty well maintained.... Not like the Bahama's and Jamaica..

Quick story.... We were in the Bahamas one year with a bunch of other couples and one of the guys said he was going to arrange a charter and asked if I wanted in... Just a half day so I said why not, how bad could it be??

We show up at the dock and this guy has a 20 foot Mako center console that looks like it washed up on shore.... The name of the boat is Enterprise and as we step on the Captain says "Welcome to the Enterprise, I'm Captain Kirk" (you can't make this shit up).

He goes to start the engine and nothing.... After taking off the engine cowling, a few taps with a rusty old pair of pliers the engine sputters to life and starts smoking like one of those old mosquito trucks..

We get out of the marina go about a mile out to this reef, he throws out a cinder block on a rope for an anchor and hands me a pole. This pole looks like something that Ernest Hemingway used back in the day... Every 10 feet of line there was splice so you had just enough line spliced together to hit bottom and catch these small reef fish. All the time the engine was running and smoking like a chimney since he didn't want to risk it not starting again...

My first and last time fishing in the Bahamas....

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Charlie B

I guess some will just bend over and take it. Don't make it right...Charlie

how much does it cost to legally fish lake Hopatcong EVEN if you released all the fish . Keeping nothing

[Charlie B]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

how much does it cost to legally fish lake Hopatcong EVEN if you released all the fish . Keeping nothing

The cost of a fishing license and since trout are stocked I also get a trout stamp since I fish from a motor boat I need a boat license. Those 3 things take care of the legal expenses for fishing fresh water or more truthfully on top of the other legal expenses like boat and trailer registration,gasoline taxes, sales tax on anything used for fishing and who knows whatever hidden taxes and fees it costs. So to answer your question I really don't know but I do know it is quite a bit. Now on top of that I pay dues in the Knee Deep Club and even kick in extra for fish stocking.

You may ask why I am not mad about the fishing license. The answer is at least I get something from it. In freshwater at least the state has fish hatcheries and stocks fish with the result being I can catch and keep fish when I want to. The freshwater regulations are reasonable and they work.That can not be said about the salt water regulations.

So you want a salt water license and hope you get some more boat ramps from it and more law enforcement. As for boat ramps you already pay boat and trailer registration. What has that gotten you? Now law enforcement I can see getting more of that. And what will they be enforcing? Those same lousey salt water regulations...Charlie

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Charlie B

The cost of a fishing license and since trout are stocked I also get a trout stamp since I fish from a motor boat I need a boat license. Those 3 things take care of the legal expenses for fishing fresh water or more truthfully on top of the other legal expenses like boat and trailer registration,gasoline taxes, sales tax on anything used for fishing and who knows whatever hidden taxes and fees it costs. So to answer your question I really don't know but I do know it is quite a bit. Now on top of that I pay dues in the Knee Deep Club and even kick in extra for fish stocking.

You may ask why I am not mad about the fishing license. The answer is at least I get something from it. In freshwater at least the state has fish hatcheries and stocks fish with the result being I can catch and keep fish when I want to. The freshwater regulations are reasonable and they work.That can not be said about the salt water regulations.

So you want a salt water license and hope you get some more boat ramps from it and more law enforcement. As for boat ramps you already pay boat and trailer registration. What has that gotten you? Now law enforcement I can see getting more of that. And what will they be enforcing? Those same lousey salt water regulations...Charlie

OK , here is my point. you see what you get for your freshwater fee.
But in reality there were many fish in the lakes naturally that god put there just like the ocean.
but it eases the pain a little., knowing there are some fish stocked

there is a lot more to fish for oceanside, both size and quanity.
yet little is done to enforce regs due to FG being spread so thin.
Our reefs used to get A lot more money put into them yearly .
our fishing regs were a lot better just ten years ago. but since they don't have a real count of whats going on we have ZERO voice.
only voice you will hear is a lot of guys bitching about how bad it sucks.

IMO its time to get that voice back,, as well as see something done to benefit shore fisherman. because if we lose that how much pressure will be on inland waters.
how much pressure will Lakes like Hopatcong get by those still wanting fish ?
that is IF they don't ruin the lake sooner so more people can swim there.
putting grass carp in there ruining spawning beds etc.'

The shore def needs better regs and its always the recs who get screwed..


not getting our share of the excise tax the last 10 years has given millions of dollars that NJ anglers put into it to other states .
why should we continue down that path ?


we all want to SEE what were getting, well sometimes you also need to see what your LOSING in the same time frame.
.

lets get and use some money to make more reefs, and make that program roll again . spreading fisherman out instead of a thousand guys being in one sguare mile.

bring the life back to within an easy boat ride of the beach for all to enjoy.

.Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
.
for decades nothing has been given back, and the loss has been immense.
its time for those using our oceans here to stand up and be counted and show were done losing.

[dales529]

Originally Posted by bulletbob

Yeah, I don't think even a small fee is going to help attract customers... Its NJ we're talking about, and personally I have doubts it would be $20 license.. maybe they'll prove me wrong.. You can bet that if NJ institutes a license and NY does not, that most anglers in NY would not buy the license and would opt to simply stay on the NY side, and board NY boats where a license would not be required.. We'll see how this washes out..

One thing is for certain.. that ""salt water registry"" bullshit that was joyfully adopted by so many fishermen as a "good thing" was simply a prelude to a license.. Some of us knew from the early spring 2011 when it was adopted what it would lead to, and here we are..bob

Bob and all others so opposed to the SW Registry with all due respect, You make it sound like somehow there was a CHOICE??
https://www.nj.gov/dep/saltwaterregistry/

I don't remember joyous anything other than we got NJ to keep a non choice mandate free!
It was either implement a FREE NJ Saltwater Registry or have NJ SW Anglers PAY $15.00 to adhere to the FEDERAL MANDATE of a FEDERAL registry. Many NJ people and NJ recreational fishing organizations made it FREE instead of a forced fee by NOAA. The Registry was MANDATED by the Feds due to Magnuson Stevens Act and MORE IMPORTANTLY its INTENTION in my opinion was good.

That intention was to include anglers into the MRIP program via the Count My Fish Surveys to try and get better data for Fisheries management. INSTEAD it turned into the usual conspiracy theories how "big brother" was going to use our own information against us! We all know how that worked out. By NOT doing the surveys MRIP is pretty much given to their information without angler input again because of political conspiracy theories which dont exist.

3 Things:
1) I find it very ironic that some here who oppose the registry will post often how massive amounts of recreational boats will ball up on stripers and other species with SOOO many boats you can walk on them to destroy a fishery and then COMPLAIN about a registry designed to prove or disprove that based on real time angler reports.
Pretty much my experience and many charter reports say boat traffic puts the fish down and only the few early to the scene actually catch. Which is it??

2) There is ZERO legislature ongoing for a NJ ALL or Saltwater License. Just the usual talk that happens every year so NO here we are.

3) Capt Dan stated his opinion accurately, shared research links and hoped to have an informed debate on the issue. As usual the politics get in the way and the perception removes the debate from facts.

Personally I am still looking into it but willing to research the facts behind it and review capt Dan's information in more detail. i encourage others to do the same and leave politics aside. Capt Joe said he has been fighting this for 40 years so a lot of transfer of both parties politics has taken place.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by dales529

Bob and all others so opposed to the SW Registry with all due respect, You make it sound like somehow there was a CHOICE??
https://www.nj.gov/dep/saltwaterregistry/

I don't remember joyous anything other than we got NJ to keep a non choice mandate free!
It was either implement a FREE NJ Saltwater Registry or have NJ SW Anglers PAY $15.00 to adhere to the FEDERAL MANDATE of a FEDERAL registry. Many NJ people and NJ recreational fishing organizations made it FREE instead of a forced fee by NOAA. The Registry was MANDATED by the Feds due to Magnuson Stevens Act and MORE IMPORTANTLY its INTENTION in my opinion was good.

That intention was to include anglers into the MRIP program via the Count My Fish Surveys to try and get better data for Fisheries management. INSTEAD it turned into the usual conspiracy theories how "big brother" was going to use our own information against us! We all know how that worked out. By NOT doing the surveys MRIP is pretty much given to their information without angler input again because of political conspiracy theories which dont exist.

3 Things:
1) I find it very ironic that some here who oppose the registry will post often how massive amounts of recreational boats will ball up on stripers and other species with SOOO many boats you can walk on them to destroy a fishery and then COMPLAIN about a registry designed to prove or disprove that based on real time angler reports.
Pretty much my experience and many charter reports say boat traffic puts the fish down and only the few early to the scene actually catch. Which is it??

2) There is ZERO legislature ongoing for a NJ ALL or Saltwater License. Just the usual talk that happens every year so NO here we are.

3) Capt Dan stated his opinion accurately, shared research links and hoped to have an informed debate on the issue. As usual the politics get in the way and the perception removes the debate from facts.

Exactly right on all accounts Dales.... Lots more detailed info and opinions to follow.... Good for our site, good for people to get educated on the subject and to voice their opinions..

I for one and I suspect most others here, need to get more information on this subject to have an informed opinion....

For me, I'm not giving the state another dime or will I support a paid license unless I know:
- What are we missing out on in terms of money coming back to our state that we're not already getting.
- How does that amount compare to what we'd be spending on a license
- How does the state intend to spend that money
- How would it effect the casual fishermen and the businesses that support them like tackle shops, party and charter boats.

Much more info needed and I too will try and get more informed and share what I find here...

[Down Deep Sportfishing]

Whats amazing here is we have a broken system all the way around, regulations, tax distribution etc. Yet some feel the need to feed the junkie more money. Fix what’s broken, as we all kick in more than our fair share. Some want to compare NJ to Fla. NJ has 130 miles of coastline, Fla 1300 miles. FREE IS FREE. Excise tax + a license is not FREE. Does anyone ever think of what isn’t taxed? Reorganize and repair the broken system, we pay enough!

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Down Deep Fleet

Whats amazing here is we have a broken system all the way around, regulations, tax distribution etc. Yet some feel the need to feed the junkie more money. Fix what’s broken, as we all kick in more than our fair share. Some want to compare NJ to Fla. NJ has 160 miles of coastline, Fla 1600 miles. FREE IS FREE. Excise tax + a license is not FREE. Does anyone ever think of what isn’t taxed? Reorganize and repair the broken system, we pay enough!

I agree we have a broken system, but doing NOTHING most certainly isn't going to fix it.
These idiot politicians only open their eyes when they see money they are losing.
We can put all the donations we want in the wrong way and we get nothing.
Thinking has to change and go in another direction.
Was 2 years ago I pushed hard for a slot fluke. No one wanted to hear it STATUS QUO or nothing.
well we lost 2 fish that season , and get charged for another bunch we lose to there mortality loss . nothing in your cooler.

while you may think you pay enough , it doest shadow what the commercial sector is throwing at this . yet there is a SMALL amount of them throwing BIG money.

with the number of recreational fisherman we don't have to each throw big money, just a small piece from everyone could equal what they throw.
and the payback is us getting protected federal funds in return.

IMO its time more than ever to protect our portion of the fishery here and do anything we can to make it grow.
.

be nice for a change to see more guys show up at meeting that live by this fishery too, instead of waiting to see what others get done for them.
95 sponsors here alone, about 5 show up.
Then bitching not enough happens.
yet most of the guys who do show up lose an afternoons pay, and don't make a dime off the fishery

as for your florida comment, a guy in florida pays 17 bucks for the license to have access to FREE ramps almost anywhere they want to fish ALL YEAR .
You cant even launch your boat 1 time here for that price.

add up what guys trailering pay a season and tell me who is smarter.

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