Escaped a stiff fine.

[Bird]

I've heard the expression " ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law" and such was the case.

 

I live in VA and have several lakes in WV that I've fished via a 3 day permit many times in the past. 

 

Since retiring late 2019 and about the time my VA fishing license was expiring, bought both VA and WV state license at same time as this gives me more options. 

 

Soooooo I get checked recently by 2 wardens at a WV lake that I know well.

With confidence I hand over my license and then the shocking question " sir can we see a valid license? ". WHAT ?

 

In VA your licence runs 1 year of purchase date.

In WV regardless of purchase date, license expires Dec 31.

 

Warden saw where I purchased both licenses same date and let me go.

 

This had the potential to be a $5000 fine. 

 

I now have a valid WV license and will be updating it when the ball drops in NY.

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

KS just switched to year to year period instead of needing a new license every January 1st. Missouri has been year to year for as long as I've been fishing there, it's a much nicer way to do it.

 

At least they were understanding of your honest mistake.

[MN Fisher]

Nice enforcement officer - ours are stickler for the rules.

 

Minnesota runs March 1-February 28/29...basically the license expires when bass/walleye/northern season ends.

[jbmaine]

Wow, you lucked out. Kind of funny, the timing of reading this. Just yesterday I received my Maine life time fishing license in the mail. Never buying a fishing license again.

[FishTank]

I say you got sort of lucky.  Last year I seen a guy get a ticket for $2400 for turning on an engine that was larger than a 9.9 at the dock.  This lake has an engine limit of 9.9 or smaller.  He also got a ticket for gunning it trying to put his boat on the trailer after getting the first ticket which was kind of dumb. I am not sure how much the second ticket was but I still can't believe he got a ticket for $2400.  I know there are rules but that was a little much. 

[WRB]

Every year California is going to change the resident fishing license from annaul Jan 1 to Dec 31 to year from purchase date. 2020 we still have annual Jan1 to Dec 31 regardless when you purchase the license.

Tom

[Log Catcher]

4 hours ago, jbmaine said:

Wow, you lucked out. Kind of funny, the timing of reading this. Just yesterday I received my Maine life time fishing license in the mail. Never buying a fishing license again.

You are lucky. They had a seniors lifetime license here years ago. Then they went to a yearly license for seniors and charged $5.00 for it. Now it has gone up to $12.00. This includes hunting, deer and turkey permits, and trout stamp. Our license runs from March 1 to February 28/29.

[Columbia Craw]

What do they do if you fail to license your dog.....seize your home?  

[gim]

7 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Nice enforcement officer - ours are stickler for the rules.

 

Minnesota runs March 1-February 28/29...basically the license expires when bass/walleye/northern season ends.

Plus if you don’t ice fish you really don’t have to worry about this. I simply buy one every April before open water season starts and it’s good until the open water season ends in the fall.

[Boomstick]

I buy licenses in MA, VT, and NY. NY is a 12 month license and MA and VT expire every year, and I usually don't fish in NY as soon as the water thaws, so it's pretty easy for me to keep track.

[mcipinkie]

Sorry, but I have no sympathy.  If  you don't know the rules, you deserve to be punished. 

 

Does seem like some of the fines are excessive.  You fellows need to do a better job of voting.

 

I'm in Missouri, over 65, so have a life freebee, but I check every time I go to Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, or anywhere else for that matter.

 

Some have reciprocity, some don't.  Don't ask which. I'm senile, but not enough that I don't check when I cross the state line.