Anybody Ever Get Caught Without Their License?

[Deleted account]

3 hours ago, Hunter Buddy said:

What Rule or Law applies here: 

have a season license but did not know it had expired after 30 min of casting a Ranger approached and asked me for the license showed him the license on cell phone and he pointed out the expiry date! He accepted my apology and asked me how long was I fishing I told him about 30 mins ago I was casting he was very nice and I bought another license on the spot and paid by credit card. It was good for the whole week. A day later at the same spot he showed up agin and starts showing me face book pictures of me about two weeks older and said I will have to give you a citation now because you were fishing without a license. I was would now have to go to Court  to deposit fines etc. Which I did my question is was he in his rights to hang me a second time? For the same offense?

You were not "hung twice" whatever that means. You lied, and got caught. So yeah, that's a legit ticket. spin it anyway you want if it makes you feel better. And posting pictures of fish caught illegally is, what's the word I'm looking for... STUPID.

[A-Jay]

4 hours ago, Hunter Buddy said:

What Rule or Law applies here: 

have a season license but did not know it had expired after 30 min of casting a Ranger approached and asked me for the license showed him the license on cell phone and he pointed out the expiry date! He accepted my apology and asked me how long was I fishing I told him about 30 mins ago I was casting he was very nice and I bought another license on the spot and paid by credit card. It was good for the whole week. A day later at the same spot he showed up agin and starts showing me face book pictures of me about two weeks older and said I will have to give you a citation now because you were fishing without a license. I was would now have to go to Court  to deposit fines etc. Which I did my question is was he in his rights to hang me a second time? For the same offense?

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ 

Interesting first post.

Seems you fought the law and the law won.

A-Jay

[newyorktoiowa57]

I have never been checked, but always carry mine anyway ( I keep it in my wallet).

[jbsoonerfan]

Never fished without one.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Uuuuggghhhhhhh

 

I was 18. Had bought a license the previous year in May for a float trip in the Ozark just in case I wanted to toss a line in. Well I hadn’t even thought about fishing until the next April when I somehow miraculously had about an hour to spare before work. Was taking 26 hours of upper level college credits and working a full time and part time job. 

I decided to stop by the creek and toss a little rebel grasshopper that was tied on a rod that was at the bottom of the trunk of my car. First cast I snag it and it breaks off near the bank. I’m all dressed for work leaning over the bank trying to get it back with my rod tip when I hear in a firm voice, “Excuse me son.”

 

Of course it startled me and I fall face first into the creek and now I am soaked. The voice turned out to be the warden. He continued to ask me what I was doing and if I had my license. Of course I thought I did. First I checked my wallet and couldn’t find the paper copy, but he said he’d be willing to look me up by my drivers license. So he walked with me back to my car to get it. He looks it up and comes back and tells me it expired at the end of February. I argued that I had bought it in May, so it should have been good. Turns out I was wrong. Why in the heck would it make sense in this day for an annual license to expire at the end of February, especially in Missouri? I got a $75 fine, had to make a trip to the courthouse and had to go to work soaking wet. Not to mention a misdemeanor on my record that I had to explain in interviews for medical school and will have to explain during interviews for residency and probably for any job I ever have as a physician. At least it will make it easy to bring up my passion for fishing...

 

I have absolutely no issue with buying a license, and if I would have known it was expired I would not have fished or would have bought one. 

[Hunter Buddy]

Exactly I mean ignorance is a bliss like the old saying a “Loaded shotgun fires a hundred times, an Empty one fires once”

[Hunter Buddy]

A-Jay

i didn’t forget the law the fact is that I should have bought a whole season License on the spot and then “ was I covered to have fished two weeks ago” Some times posing for random pictures not knowing what and how they can be used is dangerous. 

Many years back a friend of mine was out shooting and fishing with his buddies and many pictures were taken after the shoot and fishes. On the way back they had an accident in which one of the hunters was accidentally shot, those pictures were used as evidence that so and so was present till today they have not been able to find out who shot him, this made him give up all sporting activity. So be careful who is taking your pictures.

[jbsoonerfan]

30 minutes ago, Hunter Buddy said:

Exactly I mean ignorance is a bliss like the old saying a “Loaded shotgun fires a hundred times, an Empty one fires once”

I've been around a good while, never heard this one, In fact, it makes zero sense.

[Hammer 4]

Always had a licence, been asked for it several times by the fish and game warden. In fact I became friends with 2 of them, as I have reported non lic and poachers..

[Hunter Buddy]

JB what it means is that intentionally you can fire a weapon after it’s loaded and fire again load it and ... but WHEN YOU THINK it’s not loaded ... that’s the end?

[AlTheFisherman313]

I will NOT fish with anyone without a license unless its a child under the age to need one. The DNR doesnt play games over here in Michigan. I have heard rumors of people getting tickets for POACHING without having a valid license.

 

Print a couple copies put them in each tackle box. They are also accepting screen shots of the license in my state. Its not worth the risk, and in michigan the money goes towards preservation of fishing waters.

[tander]

I have always had my license with me when I fished but now I don't have to worry about it, over 65 years of age in Mississippi you are not required to have a license. Second thought, I guess I have to worry that I have my drivers license with me.

[WVU-SCPA]

PA still requires that your fishing license is displayed will fishing, however it's been years since I've been checked.

 

There are copies of a 2019 license in the following places;

Wallet

Hats(2)

Boat
Glove box

Tackle backpack

Fly fishing pack

 

The hassle to print and put them there is worth not ever worrying have one on me.

[diversity210]

Ive never gotten caught with out my fishing license.  I buy an annual license every year and keep in in my wallet.  All my years of fishing around California and Ive never even been asked for my fishing license which is fine by me.  As a black man I am paranoid about any type of interaction with any kind of law enforcement so i stay legal in everything I do.  I never even walk in the gray area.  Ive been blessed to never have any type of negative interactions with any type of law enforcement, but from a young age I was raised with a certain paranoia and fear of law enforcement and it something that I learned as I got older was for good reason.

[the reel ess]

I got caught years ago when Iwas maybe 21. This was before the days where they can just look you up in the database and verify your purchase. I never have tried to get away with fishing with no license because I've always fished a lot. I was fishing the other side of Lake Wateree from the boat. I had accidentally washed my wallet in my jeans. My license was destroyed, apparently. I never saw it again. The game warden told me to go to the person I bought it from because he had to keep a copy by law. I went to he guy who runs the store where I bought it and he tells me he throws them all away! GRRRR! So I had to pay a rather large sum of money to the county on the other side of the lake though I actually bought the license. I had to mail it in because I was in the middle of a shift at work and didn't have time to drive all the way there, not knowing if the magistrate would cut the fine any or if he would even be there to pay.

[redmeansdistortion]

4 hours ago, AlTheFisherman313 said:

I will NOT fish with anyone without a license unless its a child under the age to need one. The DNR doesnt play games over here in Michigan. I have heard rumors of people getting tickets for POACHING without having a valid license.

 

Print a couple copies put them in each tackle box. They are also accepting screen shots of the license in my state. Its not worth the risk, and in michigan the money goes towards preservation of fishing waters.

I've always said, the most by the book law enforcement agency is the MI DNR, second is the state police.  The state police seldom cut any breaks if they pull you over, the DNR is in a whole different league if you don't abide by their rules.  I've known people that have been caught fishing with no license.  At the very least, their gear was confiscated, and at the worst, they received a stiff fine and were barred from obtaining a license for a period of time.

[WRB]

California everyone 16 and older requires a fishing license if you have fishing tackle in your hand and could be fishing. Our license for residents is now over $45, Jan1 to Dec 31, even if you purchase the lic in Dec, it's not year to date from purchase. No senior fishing license, you can buy a lifetime license based on age.

During the 60 years I have had fishing resident and non resident licenses only been checked a few times by Canadian and Mexican officials never checked by California DFG.

For decades you had to wear your license in plain sight so wardens could see it.

Tom

[Todd2]

We were on Dale Hollow one year (one of my first times there) and ventured a little too far into Tennessee's water. Tennessee DNR took our drivers license and had us follow him to a marina to buy a Tennessee license. Very nice fellow. 

[redmeansdistortion]

33 minutes ago, WRB said:

California everyone 16 and older requires a fishing license if you have fishing tackle in your hand and could be fishing. Our license for residents is now over $45, Jan1 to Dec 31, even if you purchase the lic in Dec, it's not year to date from purchase. No senior fishing license, you can buy a lifetime license based on age.

During the 60 years I have had fishing resident and non resident licenses only been checked a few times by Canadian and Mexican officials never checked by California DFG.

For decades you had to wear your license in plain sight so wardens could see it.

Tom

Here in MI ours are $26 for all species.  Some years back they were $13 for a restricted license which applied to all species but trout and salmon.  If you wanted to fish for those you had to purchase a trout stamp for an additional $13.  Maybe 10 years ago they did away with the trout stamp and went to an all species license.  We never had to have ours visible, but it did have to be on you to present to a CO upon request.

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Here in MI ours are $26 for all species.

Here in MN, it's $25 for an individual license...$71 for a 3-year license or (at my age) $379 for a lifetime license. Trout/Salmon stamps are $10 a year, + $0.75 if you want the physical picture stamp. Licenses are good from March 1 to Feb 28 (29) the following year...not the calendar year. License must be on the person but doesn't have to be visible - I carry mine in my wallet.

[contium]

I have only seen a warden once in the 40+ years I have been fishing. That one time, I didn't have my license as I had been saltwater fishing a few days before and it was with my salt fishing gear not on my bass boat. He looked at my boat and said he was pretty sure I had a license if I spent that much money to fish and let me go lol.

[TnRiver46]

They check a lot here. $34(or so?) for the license and $20 something for trout stamp. They want you to have the trout stamp even if you are bass fishing Waters with stocked trout but I bet that wouldn't hold up in court. I just buy it all

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

They want you to have the trout stamp even if you are bass fishing Waters with stocked trout but I bet that wouldn't hold up in court. I just buy it all

It's held up in court here...you're required to have the Trout Stamp in MN if you fish any designated trout lake or Lake Superior.

[GreenPig]

I buy a 2 year Sportsman license. It covers everything but the Federal Duck stamp & Alligator tag. Set the alarm in my phone calendar one week prior to the expiration date.

[Todd2]

1 hour ago, contium said:

I have only seen a warden once in the 40+ years I have been fishing.

Wow, thats crazy. Although, I fish about 5 different lakes and the one I fish the most (because it's closer)  I've never been checked on in 25 years. I've fished it more than all the other combined times 50. I've been checked on all of the others.