Fishing: License question

Montelovesco

Montelovesco

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As some of you know we will start our second US trip in a few days. There are some regions on our route where the guides say that fishing would be nice/great/a once in a lifetime experience and so on.

Question now: Do I (as a tourist) need some kind of overall license or do I buy a permit (for a day, a week etc) at the local whatever (pawn shop/police station/drug dealer)? Or do I simply go out and do the thing?

Any hint is much appreciatied, as always. Thanks for reading!

 
Good question. I'd guess you'd need a non-resident, temporary license for each state you are in. Some places require extra stamps for different species you want to catch. Talk to whoever sells the license where you are going to fish, they'd know.

 
There are plenty of places that rent trout fishing gear on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina. They also sell a fishing license at these places. Temporary licenses are available. They are set up for tourists who want to come in and go fishing in the mountains.

 
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It is a state-by-state deal. You have been wisely advised by others to research the states you plan to visit and pre-purchase a temporary non-resident license. Each state/commonwealth has its own Department of Natural Resources/Widlife/Game, etc. so you must deal with each separately. Also, some states separately license inland fishing versus saltwater fishing. The web is your friend.

Admission: In my first career, I worked on the EDS teams that designed and developed the first computerized licensing systems in the USA. Michigan DNR was first, followed by a sister system for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. That job was how I backed into academia, as I was tasked with developing a training curriculum that would teach bait and tackle shop owners how to use a POS system. What a fun time on the road that was.

Happy angling!

 
Carl.B said:
Where are you going to be?
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Starting in San Fransisco, going up north till Vancouver/Vancouver Island, then east to Kelowna, south to Yellowstone. Travel log here: www.blue-machine.de (german only, sorry, but I will report here, too, from time to time).

Sweetwater fishing only, I guess, and if, then mo longer than for two days at maximum. But even if it happens only it will be a dream come true.

 
WalMart sells fishing licenses in every state. So that is a good place to start. Many of the tourist (traps) areas have stocked ponds where you are guaranteed to catch a fish. Those places operate under a blanket fishing license like a fishing guide does on his charter boats. So, they will charge you a fee to fish their pond and provide you for that fee a fishing pole, bait, and temporary "license" to fish that spot. If you want to take advantage of fishing streams in the parks and roadsides then you need a fishing license for the days you are here. It is much more expensive than residential licenses but I guess their justification is you haven't paid the taxes we do. Last I checked those licenses were around $75 for 3 days but it does vary from state to state. You will need a license for each person who casts a line. But, most states have a loophole where kids under 15 don't need a license. Since you have those you can buy a rig at WalMart and teach your little guy how to fish. No cop is going to write you a ticket for that. If you plan on casting the line by yourself you should get a license. Florida has decriminalized fishing without a license so most FWC officers don't check any longer unless there are other issues they can make citations for. The most important thing to remember is to release all undersize or closed season fish. They will arrest you or cite you in every state for harvesting illegal fish. When in doubt, catch and release is best. Also please realize you are handling fragile animals and taking them out of a weightless environment. Please handle them as little as possible. There are special hook removers you can use where you don't have to touch the fish at all or very little. Never hold them from the lower jaw as the assholes on the Bass fishing shows do. Never hold them vertically as all their intestines shift under this new found gravitational force they are feeling for the first time in their life.

No, I'm not a Tree Hugger. I am a conservationist who believes we are visitors and should leave no footprints and manage our resources responsibly.

 
Thorn, you are good (as I already stated here). Thanks a lot! If something fishy is gonna happen I will post it here.

 
I live in that area and you will need out of state licenses. Since many are coastal states, you will probably have to distinguish between saltwater and freshwater fishing.

Salt: There will be salmon around but not the bulk of the runs yet. They will not be in the river until later in the summer.

Freshwater: Once you go over the Cascade Mtns, you are in really good trout territory and a great time of year for it. Kamloops, BC is famous for trout fishing in lakes. Once you reenter the States in Montana and Idaho, you are in trout fly fishing Mecca; both lakes and rivers. Yellowstone itself is loaded with blue ribbon trout streams and lakes. Bozeman, MT and West Yellowstone have flyshops everywhere to get you licensed, outfitted and directed. Getting a guide for a day will really get you going.

Have fun. I just got back from 3 days of trout fishing on the WA and Canada border.

 
Here's another idea. Get some psychedelics, a diving mask, fins, snorkle and floatation device, and drift the water looking down. You'll see way more, and prettier, fish than you ever will trying to hook them one by one. If you want to fish the next day, well, you will know where the fish are and why. Some will be friends.

 
mc2 said:
Thorn......man, THAT was sure an informative reply.
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Thanks. At one time I was going to be a fishing / eco tour guide. While I was working on my credentials and licenses I had people on my boat from a local fishing forum. Everyone who "passed" my day-long tour got a Wildlife Warrior bracelet from the Steve Irwin foundation. I even made them hold their hand up and take the Wildlife Warrior pledge, lol. I gave out around 20 of them. But then my heart stopped and later I sold the boat and bought a guitar. Now I can't stand to be on the water.

 
Try fishing in my state w/o one and see what happens. /emoticons/default_laugh.png Someone Will be fishing..................you out of jail. /emoticons/default_wink.png Not really but you will get a nice fine out of it for not having a license. "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" [Although there is really MANY more!] Too bad your not near me as you would have ALOT of great choices! /emoticons/default_smile.png Hope you catch a BIG one Monty! /emoticons/default_smile.png
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The Shark said:
You have to have a license to fish? /emoticons/default_ph34r.png
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The short answer for you is you don't really and you didn't if you were fishing saltwater from shore or a pier a few years ago. Or if you are fishing freshwater in your County of residence using a cane pole from shore. But you do now if you are fishing any saltwater from boat, pier, or shore but it's decriminalized for salt so you really don't unless you have a pole in your hand it seems and a fish in the cooler (or you are a Mexican transient). As for the cane pole if you are canoeing in a meandering river you may not know which county you are in as the river winds in and out of county lines and until recently with the advent of GPS it could easily be up for interpretation from the asshole in the airboat carrying a gun as to your exact location. Which you really shouldn't have one (gun) on you if you are on the riverbanks as it could easily be Trespassing with Malice (Felony?) unless you are below the high-water mark which is also up for interpretation depending on the Ranch Hand on horseback and his shotgun. But then again, it is legal open carry from your car to your boat on any boat ramp unless you are confronted by most any law enforcement officer who knows only that he can carry a gun and that's about all the firearms law they know. That's the story as I understand or understood it before I quit fishing. And yes, this is from personal experience. /emoticons/default_wink.png

 
Bring lots of M-80s with you. They make fishing a real bang. Lots of fun too. If you run into any prudes, bring along a slingshot and lob a few there way, overhead. 😏

 
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