fishing with a license

[crankbait2009]

off the wall thought but.................

every time out, i wonder how many people i see that are possibly fishing without a license.  how common do you think this really is?

i have always fished with a license mainly for the fact that id hate to get hit with a fine cause i didnt want to pay the $20 for a license.

has anyone ever got caught without one?  how much is the fine over what a normal license would have cost?

i honestly cant tell you the last time i have ever seen a park ranger or wild life ranger check for peoples licenses.  im starting to wonder if they even exist  :-/

[Koop]

I've never fished without one, I asked a warden once what the fine was.  In WI at least its about $180 bucks.

[cart7t]

My wife was out once without hers about 20 years ago.

$60, I'm sure it's more now.

With on-line sales there is just no excuse anymore.  

[crankbait2009]

i am involved with an OHIO fishing forum as well and i posted the same question.  they were telling me that it is as well around $100 plus they can also confiscate every piece of equipment you have on you.

thats insane.  i realize if you try to cheat the system they can do what they want but that would crush my world.   :'(

[endless]

couple of years i go me and buddy was on a boat and the was patrolling the water and checked us.our license and everything that was law to have on boat like the jackets, horn or whistle, throwing device, etc but that was the last time ive been checked. i no iv va i heard the maryland game wardens like to give va people troubles when fishing the potamac river in colonial beach and so forth. but i never been bothered yet when i was out on my boat.

[Sam]

Lots of people fish without a valid license.

I don't know of anyone getting caught.  

[.dsaavedra.]

i always fish with a license...even though i've never even SEEN  game warden....

[bass wrangler569]

Twice I have fished without having a liscense on me but I had bought a liscense. The first time I left it at home 2 hours away and I couldn't go back, the other time I was fishing half the day when my liscense blew out of my hat and I elected to continue fishing. I have personally never seen somebody checking but even if I knew I would never get caught I would buy a liscence anyway because the money goes to support our fisheries.

[wvbucketmouth]

I have been checked a few times, but I always buy West Virginia as well as an Ohio license, so I'm good. I once had a Game Warden walk me to my truck, as I forgot to take them with me. He was nice about it, but told me to always keep them on me, or risk the fine.

Our Game Wardens are VERY strict, and I am glad they are.

[Fishing Rhino]

Never fished without a license.

I have never wondered how many do.

[burleytog]

It's an art form.

[Poolie727]

I've only been checked once this year.

[burleytog]

I've only been checked once this year.

I've been checked twice in the 16 years I've been required to have a license.

[Red Bear]

its very much worth it to buy a license and have it and possibly never get checked for it than to not buy a license and have to pay a lot more in fines if you do get caught

[DINK WHISPERER]

My cousin got nailed for $97 for doing this!

[Fishing Rhino]

It's an art form.

A suggestion for another name, unless you've already used it.

Hurley Burley

Hurley Burley (born 1895), was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Her breeder and owner was Ed Corrigan who raced out of the old Washington Park Race Track in Chicago, Illinois. In Corrigan's time, he was the most powerful man in mid-Western racing. Known as the "stormy petrel" of the American Turf, Corrigan was the subject of many articles about him (the Kansas City Times, the Courier-Journal, The Louisville Times, to name only a few), all attesting to his murderous temper as well as his loyalty to those he liked.

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[bass wrangler569]

This thread just reminded me of a joke I heard...

Two buddies, Rick and John, are fishing on a pristine lake in Maine. After fishing for about an hour, they hear a noise behind them, and shortly after a game warden pops out of the bushes and demands "Alright boys, let me see your liscenses!"

John immediately takes off through the woods with the warden in hot pursuit. After a ten minte chase through almost a mile of woods, John stops, gasping for breath, and allowing the warden to catch him. The warden grabs John by the sholder and gasps "Let me... see... your liscense."

Well, John reaches into his pocket, pulls out a liscense, and hands it to the warden. The warden looks at the liscense for a minute and then says, "Why did you run you idiot, this is a valid fishing liscense?"

John looks up at the warden and says "The thing is, I do have a valid liscense, but my buddy Rick back there, well, he don't, ya see?"

;D

[bilgerat]

Not sure of the fine here in Joisey, but equipment confiscation is within their power.

Have also heard stories of illegals being let go, as they can't (won't) produce ID. Too much trouble for the wardens, as the INS would be involved eventually.

I love paying taxes >

[fishfordollars]

Never fished without one. Been checked quite a few times.

[05aucrarsx]

i keep my license inside the tackle box, so it's pretty much with me everytime i am out fishing.

lol

[Bainza]

I have one on my bass bag and one on the back of my trout vest so im always covered. Funny how I got 2...one day I was out fishing and next thing I see is my license floating down the stream... :-[   Well a couple days later it shows up in the mail!!! Unfortunately that was after I had already bought a replacement.

[Elite Image Fishing]

See the warden out all the time, but never been checked. Personally always fished with a license since, my father always instructed me to do so. I hope the money makes it back to do the waters we fish better, but who knows in this day and age.

[coryjames]

this has got to be one of the best fishing joke i ever heard.

A man was stopped by a game warden in Northern Minnesota recently with two buckets of fish leaving a lake well known for its fishing. The game warden asked the man, "Do you have a license to catch those fish?" The man replied to the game warden, "No, sir. These are my pet fish." "Pet fish?!" the warden replied. "Yes, sir. Every night I take these fish down to the lake and let them swim around for a while. I whistle and they jump back into their buckets, and I take em home." "That's a bunch of hooey! Fish can't do that!" The man looked at the game warden for a moment, and then said, "Here, I'll show you. It really works." "O.K. I've GOT to see this!" the game warden replied. The man poured the fish in to the water and stood and waited. After several minutes, the game warden turned to the man and said, "Well?" "Well, what?" the man asked. "When are you going to call them back?" the game warden prompted. "Call who back?" the man asked. "The FISH." "What fish?" the man asked.

;Dnow thats funny right there ;D

[Raul]

I 've fished for 36 years, all those years I 've had a license, never been checked until recently.

In Mexico if you fish from the shore you don 't need a license, you only need a license if you fish from a boat.

At the current exchange rate the cost of the licenese is 40 dollars per year, but, the licenese is Federal, you can fish anywhere in the country with it, so it 's not that expensive.

[bigtimfish]

I always fish with a license. I wish i could get away with just spending $20 on it. I have to get the $45 dollar all water license. I live too close to good red and speck fishing in the Gulf of mex not to do both types of fishing. This past weekend at one of our parks down here, standing at the boat launch, with a clipboard and measuring stick in hand, was a guy from Tex park and wildlife checking every livewell and icechest that came out of the water. I see them more around saltwater than fresh. But they will bust your A$$ for license and limits around here.