Anybody Ever Get Caught Without Their License? 2024
Senko lover reply :
I'm not old enough yet to require my possession of a fishing license, but just curious: have any of you gotten caught fishing w/out a license?
gulfcaptain reply :
I've seen a bunch of people get in trouble without a license but not myself. Normally they are posted up with 5 rods keeping everything they catch and really don't care about following the rules. Depending on who caught them, I've seen it go from a pack up and leave without the fish(park ranger) to the actual fish and game warden take everything, run their names while writing the ticket for each offense(each fish kept is a seperate charge btw) and if they come back with any kind of warrant, well off to jail. So if you're asking is it worth it to fish without a license I would say when you come of age, go ahead and get one unless you think you can pull off 15 for another year. Otherwise just get the license and carry it with you at all times.
B-Dozer reply :
get your license, not worth worrying about it every time you see a DEP guy.
Paul Roberts reply :
There's an old saying. (I say it's old bc I'm old lol.) It goes something like this: "There may be only a handful of CO's (Conservation Officers) in the state. But if you are in the wrong they have a way of being there." It can be uncanny.
Licenses go (or should go) toward bettering fisheries and fishing in most cases so they are worth the investment. Plus, they're cheap if you figure how much pleasure you get out of a year of fishing for the price of a single dinner out.
Only once was I in the situation of not having my license on me. I was just putting my (rather well equipped) float tube in at a local town park pond when a CO came riding up on a mountain bike and asked to see my license. I usually have a combo license (hunting, fishing) and I'd just returned from a backcountry elk hunt. I realized right then that I'd left my license in my hunting pack. I explained this to the officer and then, making light, said, "Look at all this stuff. I wouldn't have put all this together and and NOT bother with a license." The officer laughed and gave me his card, asking that I email or fax him a copy of my license. He rode off and I went fishing. I scanned and emailed my license to him that night and that was that.
aavery2 reply :
I got caught without my hunting license once. It was a complete accident, I have hunted and fished in KS for more years than I care to reveal, our State License expires in Dec. Just so happens that our goose season carries over into Jan. I was at the truck loading my guns finished up for the day when the Game Warden asked if he could check my gun and asked my for my license, I told him sure thing, handed over the gun and reached into my wallet to fish out my license. Just about then it hit me, and I think he knew it by the look on my face. I showed him about 3 years of hunting/fishing licenses and explained what had happened. He cut me some slack and told that it happens quite often, he also told that technically he did not see me hunting but only loading my guns, and told me to be sure and get the license before the next trip. He was extremely courteous and I believe he may have cut me a little slack anyway.
I have never repeated this mistake.
Senko lover reply :
Oh, I'm definitely planning on getting a license. I just thought this would make a good thread.
Preytorien reply :
My buddy got stopped minutes before we were going to launch. I told him early in the year to get his license, he just spaced it.
The CO was very friendly, and didn't do anything since we hadn't actually fished yet. Told him a local place to get a license and then told him to tell him he sent him and to issue the license for 2 years instead of 1. Nice guy.
My brother-in-law got stopped with me once. The CO's just asked his name, drivers license number, and birthdate and confirmed it over the radio, but gave him a good talkin' to about having it on his person.
Darren. reply :
I was dock fishing one day and an officer
came by checking licenses. Handed him
mine and he said it had just expired.
Let me off because I promised to renew it
ASAP. I did so and have done so on time
ever since. Was an honest error on my
part.
Where I fish not only do you need a license
but also either a shoreline permit and/or a
boat permit. So I'm always keeping up on
those.
Worth the effort because a fine is a LOT of
money.
Alonerankin2 reply :
Ok, I will man up, yep, spur of the moment trip, with my then 4 & 6 year old. I was taking them to a small park for bluegill fishing, ok.. So I decide better take a loomis CBR & TDX , just so I could throw a bit if need be, 20 mins into the trip, idk why I just happened to look & here he come, conservation officer... Of course after that 1000' walk, he popped the question, I promptly told him I had not aquired it and he proceeded to write a citation, I then asked where Mac was, ( old dog C..O ) he ignored me, handed me a 100$ fine, I gave him a bit of fed back about it( he was a new guy) he said he saw me cast twice... Ok.. Fine , paid the fine & that, believe it or not, was the only time I had ever been without a hunting or fishing license. By the book & no mercy... Lesson learned on a few fronts... Always have paper on you! Always, always , always.....
Sam reply :
Nope.
A friend got caught on Lake Gaston four years ago and the fine was over $280 when you throw in court costs.
What is so sad is that his license expired on the Friday before he was stopped on Saturday and he immediately got a new one that Monday.
But the Mecklenburg County judge did not care and fined him a lot of money.
Hey, that is one way to increase tax income to the County.
Sam reply :
Senko Lover, check with your state's game and fisheries department and find out if you can get a special fishing license that you pay for once and it is good until you are 18.
I got my grand son and grand daughter their Virginia fishing licenses for only $125 each under the Legacy Program.
So far my grand son has caught one largemouth bass and two turtles.
My grand daughter has not been fishing as she is only two and a half but she is ready to go at any time.
HoosierHawgs reply :
No. It's always in my box. I never take it out so I don't lose it. I did hear a story about one guy sitting next to his friend who was fishing and had his license, but he did not, and he was holding a rod, not even a line in the water, and he got fined big time.
roadwarrior reply :
No, never, and none of the guys I fish with.
OK Bass Hunter reply :
I haven but have had it happen to guys next to me. This was after I warned em.
Jolly Green reply :
No way. I did once unknowingly take a few casts with a small inline spinner into what I realized on my way out was an officially designated trout stream. Had my license, did not have a trout stamp, but fortunately nobody in authority was around to be entertained by my weak excuses. 'Twas my first season fishing, and the only proof I had that I was fishing for bass was that my laughably awful Shakespeare combo actually said "BASS" on the rod.
Missourifishin reply :
My local conservation guys don't even ask me for my license anymore. They know I fish legally. I've seen them hand out some hefty fines though.
Rhino68W reply :
Here on Fort Riley we have our ow personal Game Wardens. One day I was bank fishing on the other side of a large pond and he pulled up. As he got closer I saw the brass. I set my rod down and started to meet him halfway. I always leave my wallet in my car when I am fishing, don't really know why though. I asked if he needed to see the License and he politely said yes. So we both headed to the car, chatting along the way about the quality of fish in the pond. I was super respectful and he thanked me for meeting him halfway (it was a long walk). He then proceeded to point out every single feature in the pond that I had no clue about. A tree here, ledge there, couple of laydowns there. He even told me about dozens of other ponds that are hardly ever fished there on post!
Moral, is to always follow the rules, and be respectful. It will help you out more times than not.
BaitMonkey1984 reply :
Do as you said and get the license. For one, you can enjoy fishing and not worrying about losing all your equipment and fines. And two, equally important some of the money you pay a license will go towards ensuring that your resources are protected for years to come. And three, if you get caught without a license you may be subject to license revocation. Imagine not being bale to fish for a year. A license is well worth the price for a year of enjoyment.
geo g reply :
In Florida Seniors don't need a license. It pays to be an old timer, there are some benefits!
Tony L. reply :
I have been checked only once, and I was carrying my license. Doubt I'll be checked again soon, but to me, the license is cheap and the potential of fines and confiscation of all my gear (which I have a lot invested in by this point) is not worth the risk. I also like the idea of being able to help fund continued efforts to preserve the waterways that I fish so that I can keep fishing them. I actually take it to a point of paranoia and print off at least 5 copies when I buy it online. I keep one in my wallet, one in each vehicle, one extra, and above all, one in my tackle box.
Long Mike reply :
I have a lifetime fishing license here in Oklahoma. Because I am a senior, the license is honored in Texas. Regardless, when I fish in Texas, I always buy a temporary out of State license. Just doing my little part to help out the Fish and Game budget. I travel around a bit, so I always buy the necessary license(s) for the state I will be fishing, regardless of the amount of time I will be there, whether it be one hour or one week.
RSM789 reply :
Never been cited for fishing without a license, but did get arrested once (and hauled off to Santa Ana jail) for fishing where I shouldn't. It was a small feeder resevoir above Lake Mission Viejo, loaded with bass and no signs declaring it to be offlimits. No matter to the rent-a-cop who called the sheriff and said he wanted to press charges for trespassing.
Ironically, having purchased a license 2 days prior helped my argument to the judge that I believed the area was State water & not private property. Fine was reduced to $5 and the arrest removed from my record.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Never been caught without one because I've always got mine on me. If I had it to do all over again, I would have bought the lifetime permit when I turned 16. Now they're double the price they were then and provided the price doesn't increase a bunch, I won't save any money by the time I'm old enough to not have to buy one anymore to make it worthwhile.
BammerBass reply :
Never go without my license. Before in even set foot out the door I makensure it is in my wallet. And when I arrive at th destination I check again to be sure, before I even so much as touch any of my equipment.
Too much to risk by not carrying your license with you.
PersicoTrotaVA reply :
On 11/25/2014 at 8:40 AM, Sam said:Nope.
A friend got caught on Lake Gaston four years ago and the fine was over $280 when you throw in court costs.
What is so sad is that his license expired on the Friday before he was stopped on Saturday and he immediately got a new one that Monday.
But the Mecklenburg County judge did not care and fined him a lot of money.
Hey, that is one way to increase tax income to the County.
Same here. It was messed up though. I was at a camp ground for a good friend of mine's bachelor party weekend. His cousin from Italy came to visit and didn't know how to cast. All I did was cast it in for him and handed him the pole. Game warden was in a boat around a point hiding behind a tree. He came up and asked me for my fishing license and I told him I wasn't fishing. He said he saw me casting in so technically I was fishing. So I got that 280 dollar ticket, only I wasn't fishing. I always have a license now. When I visit another state, the first thing I do is get a fishing license. The money goes to keeping our fisheries in good condition and it is a lot less inexpensive than if you get caught without one.
Choporoz reply :
I was bank fishing a few months ago and left my tackle box with my license in the truck. After I'd walked and fished a couple hundred yards around the lake, the game warden walked up and asked for my license. I told him it was in the car and even showed him an electronic copy on my phone. He was pretty adamant that I needed to have the paper copy on me. He didn't cite me, but was pretty clear that I needed to have it on my person or within reach any time I'm actively fishing.
Siebert Outdoors reply :
I never have. I've been checked two times. Once in MO on a creek and once on Lake Fork TX. I keep the licenses in my wallet.
WIGuide reply :
I've forgot it a handful of times but have never been caught doing so. My dad did get stopped on our dock though and his wallet was in the house. They just took down his name and address and checked in the system when they got back to see if he had one.
One other time when I was little my dad had also forgot his. We could see the DNR boat working its way towards the back of the creek we were in stopping to check the few boats that were in there. At this point while looking for his wallet, my dad remembers he left it at the cabin. So we put the rods down and take off of some skinny water. We weren't going all that fast due to all the stumps in that area and when we slowed down to idle through the tiny bridge to get back to the main lake the DNR boat was pouring it on trying to catch up. Unfortunately for them they had no lights or any sort of megaphone to tell us to stop, so dad opened it up on the other side of the bridge and they were left to eat our rooster tail lol. We got back to our dock, dad ran inside the cabin and told me to say that he had to go to the bathroom if they stopped. By the time he was coming back out the other boat had finally reached our bay but were on the other side of the lake and didn't even bother coming over to check us.
Dwight Hottle reply :
I have been caught without my license in my possession twice while in Canada. The first time was in Quebec. I left my license in my wallet which I left in our cabin located on an island. When the dnr checked us on the water I realized I had left it in the cabin. He told us he would follow us back to the cabin. We were about 5 miles away in a small boat with a 15 hp motor. Once we got back he confirmed my license & then proceeded to check out the freezer/refrig for fish to make sure we were not over our possession limit.
Second time I did the same thing, left my wallet with license in our cabin this time in Ontario. This time we were on a hot bite with really big walleye. We released a 10lber which swam away but subsequently floated up. The dnr were watching us with binoculars. They picked up the fish & came over to our boat. They asked if the floater was our fish & I responded honestly that I did not know. He said it most have been ours & handed back to me. He said since it was dead it was considered part of our allowable limit. Then he asked to see our licenses. I reached for my wallet & realized I had screwed up again. Since I did not have a license we were over our limit. I told him my license was back at our cabin. He said he would meet us back there since my boat was faster. It was a 20 mile run one way. We got back first & then waited on him. I had my wallet with license when he came to the dock. He told us we were at our limit & if we fished anymore that day we would be in violation if we caught a fish that died even though we were releasing them all. He said if we wanted to fish anymore we should give the fish away to someone else & then we would be legal. We found some locals guys cleaning fish & they were happy to take our two fish. We were fishing with conservation licenses which only allowed to have one walleye in possession per license. Hopefully I will not forget to have the license either with me or in the boat. By the time we got back to our fish they had moved and we had a slow bite for the rest of the day. We were fishing deep & the walleye suffered from air bladder problems. We had fizzed the one we released but it did not make it.
Senko lover reply :
I agree with ya'lls sentiments. Doing the right thing always pays off. Point in case: I have a cemetery pond right by my house that I didn't fish for about two years because there was a no fishing policy. I finally gave in and talked to the manager, who gave me permission. I now fish there almost every day (in season).
Lund Explorer reply :
I've been checked numerous times, but only time I didn't have a license with me. The first time I was 16 years old and didn't need a license until my next birthday. Had to show my driver's license to prove my age. CO said he was glad that he didn't own a bar because he wouldn't have bothered to card me to get a drink. Drinking age back then was 18.
I always have my license in my wallet, and I never go anywhere without it.
Ratherbfishing reply :
No, but my buddy has. Actually, he HAD purchased his license, it just wasn't on him. It was in his bag from when he'd waded the river with me 4 months earlier. I'd dragged him out to go ice fishing with me on a pond in the local forest preserve. There was about 7 inches of snow on the ground, it was about 10 degree's out and the wind was whipping like mad. I was having a good time but my buddy-not so much (I'd say he was probably miserable). Having the Conservation Officer ask for his license probably didn't help his mood any. Anyway, when he couldn't produce it, the C/O walked him up to his truck where he radioed it in. He was lucky he wasn't fined anyway because the C/O didn't seem any too happy to be out there. He (the C/O) did issue fines to a couple of other ice fisherman that day for keeping blue gill which were too small. Yes, you heard it. Too small! I'd never seen anything like that before. Who even thinks to check if there is a minimum size limit on bluegill?!
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
I was caught without my paper license only once. I was shore fishing and my license was in my boat. I had a digital copy on my phone and showed it to the CO, he was satisfied with this.
Nowadays I don't really get stopped for a license or boat safety checks, albeit I am usually fishing the same stretch of river and I know all of the CO's and harbor police now (I know them because they used to flag me down me a lot.)
On 11/26/2014 at 12:36 AM, Dwight Hottle said:We were fishing deep & the walleye suffered from air bladder problems. We had fizzed the one we released but it did not make it.
Now I'm curious what depth you were fishing at. I catch walleye in 75-80' out here, which to my understanding is about as deep as they'll usually go. Fizzing doesn't really seem like an option at that depth, but maybe I'm wrong. Occasionally I catch crappie in the same area, and sometimes they're dead before I get them to the surface.
flyfisher reply :
I have been asked to see my license a couple of times and every time i have had one. I don't even keep a paper copy anymore. I have the digital copy saved to my phone and while it technically is supposed to be a paper license, after talking to the ranger he said nobody would ever care if you showed them the digital version. He also said that he wouldn't be surprised if i the future a digital license would become the norm.
Choporoz reply :
ff, it wasn't but about 90 miles north of you that I ran into the warden who wasn't all that happy about me trying to show an ecopy
FunkJishing reply :
never but I know of a couple that went fishing without theirs and got a 300$ fine.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 11/26/2014 at 4:44 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:I was caught without my paper license only once. I was shore fishing and my license was in my boat. I had a digital copy on my phone and showed it to the CO, he was satisfied with this.
Nowadays I don't really get stopped for a license or boat safety checks, albeit I am usually fishing the same stretch of river and I know all of the CO's and harbor police now (I know them because they used to flag me down me a lot.)
Now I'm curious what depth you were fishing at. I catch walleye in 75-80' out here, which to my understanding is about as deep as they'll usually go. Fizzing doesn't really seem like an option at that depth, but maybe I'm wrong. Occasionally I catch crappie in the same area, and sometimes they're dead before I get them to the surface.
We were fishing the adolphis reach where lake Ontario flows into the bay of quinte. We were marking schools of migrating walleye down 45-60 over 80 to 100 fow. Once hooked we bring them up slowly but some off them have their air bladders blocking there mouths past the throat. These fish are coming from 120+ fow into water that gradually gets as shallow as 20 fow. I have caught walleye elsewhere as deep as 90 feet jigging.
hatrix reply :
I got a ticket for hunting without a pencil... I had one when we started the day though but must of lost it. I was out with others and could of used someone else's but he was kinda being a dick and rules are rules I guess.
On 11/26/2014 at 5:44 AM, Dwight Hottle said:We were fishing the adolphis reach where lake Ontario flows into the bay of quinte. We were marking schools of migrating walleye down 45-60 over 80 to 100 fow. Once hooked we bring them up slowly but some off them have their air bladders blocking there mouths past the throat. These fish are coming from 120+ fow into water that gradually gets as shallow as 20 fow. I have caught walleye elsewhere as deep as 90 feet jigging.
They been killing the walleye off the rocks right now. I guess it has been one of the best years and around 6-9 seem to be the magic time. I have a few myself this year but its sketchy even for someone like me walking down there. But them old guys though it out even so. I already watched quite a few people eat it on the rocks. It can be pretty dangerous though and you could end up in the drink or have some broken bones walking on those things very easily if your not on full alert.
*Hootie reply :
I've never fished without a license, except as a kid.
Hootie
BassinLou reply :
I know several have mentioned a digital copy. I read this tip some time ago on here, and I did it immediately. I made copies of my license. It looks exactly as the master copy. I keep a copy in each of my tackle bags. My bank fishing bag and my boat fishing bag. My license is a card now so i keep that in my wallet at all times. Never been asked to show my license although i have been stopped for boat safety checks.
ColdSVT reply :
One of these days im may get popped for not displaying my license in full view here in PA...i hate that reg!
Bluebasser86 reply :
I did get caught one lifejacket short once. 3 of us fishing out of my 14' johnboat and there was 3 when we left, but we must have lost one on the way to the lake. I won't ever put the boat on the water a lifejacket short again, that one cheap, orange lifejacket cost me $276!
skeeter1980 reply :
I don't need to worry about buying a fishing or hunting license again.I turned 65 this past July.In Delaware,no license is needed,when you turn 65.
MikeJames reply :
I always make sure I have mine on me. The Conservation Officer here doesn't cut anyone any slack. About 2 years ago my cousin and I were floating a canoe on Back Creek and he yelled at us from the bank to come over, the current was too strong in that area to paddle back to where he was at so we just kept going. Nothing we could do about it. Once we got to the next spot he could pull his truck too he was out in the middle of the creek waste deep waiting for us 4 hours later!!
The lake I fish at the most has a pretty narrow road to the boat ramp, I've seen him pull sideways blocking the road so no one could leave and didn't move until he had checked everyone there. One guy was pretty upset because he wouldn't move his truck so he could go to work until he was finished checking everyone at the lake. I think he wrote almost 30 citations that day.
Senko lover reply :
I heard a story once where a guy was taking his wife out fishing. He didn't have a license, but she did. He wasn't planning on fishing, but after a little while, his wife was struggling with casting, so he picked up the rod to show her how to cast. Of course, that was the time the warden decided to show up, and he got fined bigtime.
Catch and Grease reply :
I forgot it once or twice but fished anyways, but never got caught without it.
jignfule reply :
no
Bankbeater reply :
One March I was out and realized that my license had expired. I put the gear back into the car and drove over to the local bait shop to buy a new license.
Catch and Grease reply :
Only problem I have with buying license is that the money is supposed to go back into the lakes to maintain them, but heck nobody takes care of the lakes around here, So where is our money going? But the law is the law and I will buy my license as long as I have to.
powerduster reply :
Nope, I always have my license on me, but I did get fined $125 a few years ago for literally nothing! I met plenty of game wardens and they were always friendly, but this guy was wacked.
DirtyDeuceGoose reply :
I will even go as far as buying a weekend license when I head to my neighbor's cabin and fish the tiny little lake that it sits on. I've never seen a conservation officer but that doesn't mean I won't some day.
PAGreg reply :
Pennsylvania just started selling 5 year licenses. So I bought one of those and will be covered for awhile.
bkohlman reply :
Never gone fishing without a license. Never will.
Patrick Morrow reply :
No inspector have ever in my lifetime even asked me for fishing license. Still I always bought it just to support local fishing associations manage fish stocks so I could have a change to fish in future too.
SudburyBasser reply :
The last time I bumped into a CO while I was fishing was the late 1990s so I haven't been checked since then.
That said, I always have a licence with me with the exception of one time last year when I forgot it at home. After driving for over an hour to a spot I realized that I hadn't brought it. I dared Murphy's Law by going ahead with my fishing. Fortunately no COs that day.
ABW reply :
Only 16 so I don't need a license yet here in Indiana. The public pond where I fish at never gets checked, unfortunately.
Trek reply :
At 56 I've been checked a few times in two different countries and several different states. No big deal I have always had them. You got to figure they are only doing their job. I alway buy on line because I can print more then one copy. I keep one in my wallet, one in the truck and one in the boat. It works
bigbassctchr101 reply :
I was lucky enough to get caught without HAVING mine. But i did buy them.
I flipped a lawn tractor and my wallet fell out and got chopped all to shreds. I did not have anything in whole...my drivers license, scuba cert, college id, everything was in pieces.
I picked through what I had left of my id's and put them in another wallet. Since i did buy the license my info was on file. So he was able to call it in with no problem.
I went to school for Wildlife and Fisheries and knew a lot of the same guys he did...so that also helped to have some convo while he was checking into it.
J Francho reply :
Never been caught, but I have accidentally been fishing without a license, or with an expired one. Thankfully, NY has changed their stupid "fall to fall" season pass, and gone to a license that is valid for one year after purchase.
EvanT123 reply :
Yes. Needed to get a lawyer and was let go "in the interest of justice."
geo g reply :
Several years ago I was stopped, and checked, on Alligator Alley. He did a completed inspection of the boat. Two weeks later, I run into the same guy, and he did it again, including the boat. When I told him about the first inspection he said, "I'll probably see you again soon". I even dropped the name of his boss, who played full back for me, 30 years ago. It didn't faze him a bit!
cbass12 reply :
I've had a lifetime combo hunt/fish license since I was 18, and it never leaves my wallet so it's always with me. So needless to say the only time I'm without the license is when I'm sleeping.
Chris S reply :
Nope never leaves my wallet, I have had my boat registration looked at more than my FL, got a fix it ticket once because the GW didnt like the color of my call letters.
Chris S reply :
On 12/3/2014 at 2:15 AM, geo g said:Several years ago I was stopped, and checked, on Alligator Alley. He did a completed inspection of the boat. Two weeks later, I run into the same guy, and he did it again, including the boat. When I told him about the first inspection he said, "I'll probably see you again soon". I even dropped the name of his boss, who played full back for me, 30 years ago. It didn't faze him a bit!
I hear ya on that, I had the same GW do it to me on a back to back Saturday and Sunday, not that I care or had anything to hide, guess they have a quota to meet on boat inspections.
Yumf2 reply :
In wisconsin where I live you don't need a fishing licence till you are 16, and my dad and I got stopped by a warden on my 16th birthday! I told him I turned 16 in like a week and he believed me. I regret lying to the warden but I went home and baught a licence. No harm done
ColdSVT reply :
On 12/2/2014 at 11:21 PM, J Francho said:Never been caught, but I have accidentally been fishing without a license, or with an expired one. Thankfully, NY has changed their stupid "fall to fall" season pass, and gone to a license that is valid for one year after purchase.
I liked that change!
I need to get a new for ny next time i am up there
mine expires in APR lol
Gonna get a five year PA this spring
DILLY07 reply :
I always will have a license with me. I have a 3 year license. One in truck, one in tacklebag, one in my wallet. I check them each I go tournaments, trips and all. I've been checked couple times. They are friendly around here. Now, they know who I am now. I'll see them once awhile, they will holler then ill talk back and see how Im doing.
Always have your license.
ClackerBuzz reply :
On 12/1/2014 at 4:37 AM, PAGreg said:Pennsylvania just started selling 5 year licenses. So I bought one of those and will be covered for awhile.
same here. so nice not to have to buy it every year.
i switch out bags/gear often depending if i'm fishing from my canoe, kayak or jon boat so i'm guilty of forgetting my physical license. i never forget my smart phone so took a pix of my license. i also bought my license at Dicks sporting goods and had them email me a receipt for back up.
ww2farmer reply :
I never have been for not having a license, because I always have one, but I have been ticketed for not enough safety equipment in the boat. Which was just a mental lapse on my part. it rained the last day I was out, I took the life jackets out to hang them up to dry, I put mine back in, but forgot the 2nd one for a potential passenger. Well I had a passenger and got stopped the next time out, NBD small $25 fine, and the officer let me have his spare life jacket so we could keep fishing the rest of the day, and I dropped it off at the boat ramp attendants building at the end of the day, so it wasn't a total fiasco.
DaRy03621 reply :
Yes, an expired license. I grew up in PA, and was used to Jan-Jan licensing. When I moved to IN, the license ran from April-April and wasn't used to that. Got caught on April 3rd with an expired license...dooh!!! I realized it as soon as I handed him my license, but was trueful at least. I went and bought my license the day that it happened. He gave me a fine, and I decided to take it to court. Proved to the judge that I didn't intend to fish illegally, was a just a mental lapse and was let off! That was the only time though.
Jaderose reply :
Nope. I have gone out and realized I didn't have my wallet. I left. I know out local CO and would undoubtedly get away with it. She knows I have one. Not the point. I try to be a good steward and an example. Not carrying your license is neither of those.
basscatcher8 reply :
I buy all my licenses online from Illinois DNR. You get a PDF of your license which I proceed to print several copies off and place them in all gear bags as well as my wallet. Long as I remember to renew which I do April 1st every year I have no issues.
WarrEagle reply :
I know this thread is old, but I have to contribute to this anyway. Back in 1992, I was in a john boat with my BIL, smoking a bowl out on a lake in a park in Hillsborough County, FL. We only went out to smoke and drink a beer. We had poles in the john boat, but they were never taken out of the rod holders. Game warden comes along, sees us, pulls up along side and asks for licenses. My BIL has his, he was there to fish, I did not have a license and never even touched a pole. Guess what? Cited for Fishing W/O a valid license. Warden insisted that I 'could' have been fishing. Despite my objections and pleadings, cited anyway.
I don't remember the fine, at the time it was a lot I'm sure as I was a young buck. But to this day, it comes up on every background check that is run for pre-employment and I end up explaining it. It's just an infraction, not even a misdemeanor but its on my national criminal file. The only blot on my file at that.
It was only a citation, no arrest, no confiscation of my BIL gear. Just a major PITA and it still screws with me 25 years later. Moral of this story, never step foot on a boat with fishing gear in it without a license.
OperationEagle reply :
So here is a question. If an angler for some reason doesn't have their license on them but has purchased one, why can't the DNR just check by scanning a drivers license?...assuming the angler has a drivers license.
when I buy my fishing license they look it up using my DL number.
maybe they can?
iceintheveins reply :
I've forgot it a couple times but they said just make sure to have it next time. One made me quit fishing but the other said I could keep fishing since he knew me. Getting caught without one is a $100 fine around here first offense and 5 or 10 points on your license (20 points means a suspension). I think the whole confiscating gear is HORRIBLE and of questionable constitutionality, but they generally only do that for severe offenses, of which I think it's fine UPON conviction. If you get your stuff taken, even temporarily, for not having a license (unless you're a habitual offender), the punishment DOES NOT fit the crime.
CTBassin860 reply :
Never been asked but always have it in my bag.I wish we had 5 year licences in Mass.
dwh4784 reply :
Never once been checked living and fishing in Washington state all my life. But I've been checked twice in Idaho. They apparently care about poaching over there. Here, not so much.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/8/2017 at 11:38 AM, iceintheveins said:I've forgot it a couple times but they said just make sure to have it next time. One made me quit fishing but the other said I could keep fishing since he knew me. Getting caught without one is a $100 fine around here first offense and 5 or 10 points on your license (20 points means a suspension). I think the whole confiscating gear is HORRIBLE and of questionable constitutionality, but they generally only do that for severe offenses, of which I think it's fine UPON conviction. If you get your stuff taken, even temporarily, for not having a license (unless you're a habitual offender), the punishment DOES NOT fit the crime.
Confiscating gear for fishing without a license isn't a punishment, the fishing gear is evidence to a crime just like any other time a crime is committed. It's up to the judge to hand out the punishment they deem fit.
Senko lover reply :
lol it's weird seeing your thread from 2014 come back haha.
N Florida Mike reply :
Never been caught without it. Here in Florida you must get a freshwater license when you turn 16 I was a bit rebellious so I didnt get one until I was 21. And fished 2-3 times a week or more.Once a friend and me were fishing a local creek and came around a bend and " the man " came around a bend up the creek at the same time at idle. My friend said Oh crap ,and turned into a convenient smaller creek that was right there.When we got in there we took off and went way back.He didnt follow.
That was the only close call I remember.
When I was 21, we were going to fish Orange lake in N central Fl. I decided to get a license before we went.We go to the lake and were launching at marjorie rawlings park.I was standing on the dock and here comes the Alachua county
" man " with those reflecting sunglasses and Dudley do right hat.He says " I need to see your license boy " and I started grinning,then chuckling.He did NOT like that. He asked me why I was laughing.I told him I had just got my license for the first time ever THAT DAY.
He was not amused,but I did not get a ticket.
Don't take this the wrong way.After that I became a stickler for obeying game and fish laws.Most of it I agree with anyway,as it helps preserve the resource.And I taught my son that too.
I honestly believe I will not be blessed with fish and game if Im breaking the law. And its very likely I will be cursed if I dont. Tickets arent cheap here in Fl.
And I dont want the government getting any more of my money than they already have to.!!! ?
Gundog reply :
Here in PA about 5 yrs ago they started selling licenses in 1, 3 and 5 yr increments. Best thing they could have done. I'm not sure why other states don't follow suit.
Funny story about being stopped by the Guppy Patrol. About 4 years ago I was fishing along the Susquehanna river in February. It was too cold for any action but I had cabin fever and didn't care. After about an hour without a bite I packed up my tackle and started walking back to the road. I look ahead and 2 guys in green vests are walking towards me. I knew right away who they were and what they wanted. The 2 Waterways Conservation Officers stopped me and asked to see my license. In PA your fishing license must be worn in plain view so that it can be seen when fishing. Mine was on the back of my fishing vest so I started taking off my vest. While doing so I accidentally poked one of the WCO's in the face with the tip of my fishing rod. The other WCO was laughing too hard to check my license, he just told me to have a nice day.
CTBassin860 reply :
On 4/8/2017 at 8:43 PM, Gundog said:Here in PA about 5 yrs ago they started selling licenses in 1, 3 and 5 yr increments. Best thing they could have done. I'm not sure why other states don't follow suit.
Funny story about being stopped by the Guppy Patrol. About 4 years ago I was fishing along the Susquehanna river in February. It was too cold for any action but I had cabin fever and didn't care. After about an hour without a bite I packed up my tackle and started walking back to the road. I look ahead and 2 guys in green vests are walking towards me. I knew right away who they were and what they wanted. The 2 Waterways Conservation Officers stopped me and asked to see my license. In PA your fishing license must be worn in plain view so that it can be seen when fishing. Mine was on the back of my fishing vest so I started taking off my vest. While doing so I accidentally poked one of the WCO's in the face with the tip of my fishing rod. The other WCO was laughing too hard to check my license, he just told me to have a nice day.
Thats pretty funny.I would love it if Mass did multi year.Id gladly pony up for 5 years to not have to worry about it.I remember having the pin on license as a kid.
david in va reply :
When I was in my teens , I fished a lot with my Dads first cousin Jake. One year we got checked 4 times by the same warden. On one occasion he walked over a mile to check us. Now I live in a county where the population is only 12,ooo people. I know he had to know we had our license.
However Jake ate what he caught and he was lucky he never got caught with too small of Bass.
If you fish without a license you should get fined in my opinion.
David
A5BLASTER reply :
I forgot mine once and only once and it cost me a 250 to pay the ticket.
Here in Louisiana they can run your name and see if you have one or not but that don't matter our law states it most be on your person.
Jar11591 reply :
Sometimes I get checked 5 times in a season. Other years, like last year, I don't get checked at all. Regardless, I always have my fishing license.
BassAssassin726 reply :
I fish mostly private lakes and quarries but I still always get my license for the times when I fish public land. It's not worth the trouble of possibly getting a citation or even worse getting your gear confiscated.
.ghoti. reply :
Clinton Lake, in central Illinois, has the most aggressive bunch of crappie cops I've ever seen. I quit fishing there twenty year ago. I was checked for license every time I fished. Every time, dozens of times per year, for about ten years. Even had the same one check me five days in a row.
The final straw was my last trip to that lake. Was below the spillway. There were two others there fishing when here comes the same wing nut who had checked me five days in a row. One dude had a basket almost completely full. Mostly crappie, but several under-size bass and walleye. The crappie limit was 15, if memory serves, and he was way over that. The wingnut released all of the fish, most of which were dead, and sent him on his way, with no ticket. The other dude had no license. He was also sent on his way, with no ticket.
I had a license, and no fish, but got a ticket for fishing in a restricted area. The fence marking the restricted area had been removed due to damage, and hadn't been replaced.
Go figure.
gimruis reply :
In Minnesota it has to be on your person. In 20 years of fishing and hunting here, I have never once run into a Conservation Officer. Granted, most of my hunting is on private land so I wouldn't expect to see one there, but I fish regularly on Mille Lacs and deer hunt in a federal forest so I should have run into one there at some point. My father and I got stopped once on Lake Minnetonka in May but that was the Hennepin County Water Patrol that was looking for PFDs, watercraft registration, and a fire extinguisher. I run into DNR interns and surveyors quite a bit but they don't have any enforcement authority, they're just asking questions and gathering information from us.
A MN resident angling license is 22 bucks a year here. That's pretty dirt cheap to fish for a year, although I don't ice fish and there are closed game fish seasons until May in the spring.
edfitzvb reply :
This year I turned 66 and bought a LIFETIME fishing license in VA for less than I had been paying per year. From now on I can fish freshwater, saltwater, and trout all over the state of VA without needing to check the expiration date on my license. One of the perks of old age
papajoe222 reply :
I left my wallet in my car and was stopped in Wisconsin one time. DNR wanted to fine me, but had no way of IDing me. They were going to confiscate my boat and gear.
I pointed out all they needed to do was run my boat registration. The idiots were able to get it and my DL information from another state but couldn't get my info from their own department.
RoLo reply :
I don't recall any instance when I wasn't carrying a valid resident or nonresident fishing license.
In fact, I sometimes hope that someone would ask me to produce my fishing license, but it's yet to happen.
So in theory at least, I could've fished in FL, GA, SC, TN, NJ, PA, NY, WS, MI, Ontario & Quebec
without ever buying one fishing license 
On the other hand, I've been asked for my boat registration a number of times,
my boat numbers have been run, and my safety equipment has been requested on many occasions,
but no one ever asked to see my fishing license.
Roger
Neil McCauley reply :
I usually get asked 3-4 times a season on my lake, so there's not much choice.
One time though I was backpacking 5-6 mi to a pond and had my rod/reel with me for the hell of it. Ran into a DEC officer hiking the opposite direction. Asked where I was going and I stupidly said to fish XYZ Pond. Asked for my fishing license which I didn't have. Since I wasn't fishing but clearly planning to do so 5 miles up the trail he made me stash my rod off behind a tree to pick up on my way back. Came close to not finding where I left it later. Strange experience. 
StevesBass reply :
Indiana now recognizes an electronic copy so I keep a paper copy in my wallet and I have a copy saved on my phone. Might want to check if your state does the same.
frosty reply :
On 4/9/2017 at 9:24 AM, StevesBass said:Indiana now recognizes an electronic copy so I keep a paper copy in my wallet and I have a copy saved on my phone. Might want to check if your state does the same.
I've got a copy on my phone, but I'm going to print it, I don't need the headache that's sure to come up when the file won't load or the phone battery dies.
Ive never fished without a license, it used to be $8.75 when I had to start getting them at 16, now it's over $19. I had a CO get a little nervous when I set my stuff down when I saw him coming to dig out my stuff, he thought I was going to run for the woods. I told him I'm to fat to outrun him, we were just going to have to fight it out
Burke reply :
Have been stopped by several times in the past by this Conservation Officer at the lake that I practice. I alwasy whip out my licence and all of that. He would check me for the first three years. After that, He stopped asking me for my licence since He knew that I always have it...
Few years ago, He stopped by at the pier that I was at with another guy that I never met. I just arrived 15 mins and CO appears.
This CO was chitchatting for a while then asked him for his licence.
When he was done, He turned around and was making statements like this:
"What about him, why are you asking for mine when you didn't ask him, That is not right". The CO was like "STFU, I know this man and I wouldn't be surprised that he would pop one in a few mins". He got some plenty of pictures to prove it.
*3 seconds later*
*Boom* - Just caught 3lber bass on Chatterbait and looked at the CO, I said "POW !"
CO: *looking at him* "See man, I told ya" and he walked out ....
geo g reply :
One time I, along with a fellow coach, were fishing a small, seldom used canal in the middle of the everglades. L28 is a small canal off US41, there are 7 weirs, that you can only float a small shallow draft boat over. We were way out there at the end of the seventh weir, and never saw another person all day. Suddenly a helicopter was circling above and landed on the levee bank. The wildlife officer got out, and waded through tall sawgrass up to his waist, separating the weeds as he moved toward us.. He called my buddy to come over in his boat, asked if we had any weapons, and then asked to see our license. Then he checked our coolers, and made us open the live well. When he was done, I asked him if he did all this just to check our license? He stated, someone had been poaching gators, and cutting off their tails for several months. He was checking to see if we were the poachers. Brave guy walking through 10 feet of thick weeds, in snake and gator infested waters.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
One of my fishing friend told me this story, he was fishing at some local lake, he caught pretty good size bass, a guy walked by and offer to take his picture with the bass, after said and done the guy show him a badge and asked for his license.
BTW, I've been ask twices this year even though I fish a private lake (state fishing required).
Bankbeater reply :
I have been checked, but I always have my license folded up in my wallet.
soflabasser reply :
Wish there was more enforcement in the places I fish,especially in the Everglades.I often see people with buckets full of small bass and there seems to be very few officers working this part of the State.As for having my license checked,it happens often when I am saltwater fishing but I haven't had my freshwater license checked in at least 2 years.
jakebrake reply :
never....then again, I have never been asked.
my only interaction with f&g was on a rifle range....and, I was only a bystander...Thank God.
Tlauz reply :
In my experience the CO has always pulled up near my boat and asked me to hold up life jackets. I have never been asked to produce a license. I have even had my fish checked at a ramp and had an invasive species check, but not asked for my license.
jemstone90 reply :
Living in an apartment on Lake Minnetonka that has docks on the lake, one of my neighbors was fishing out back and had a game warden come up to the dock in a boat and issue him a fine for about $145.00 for fishing without a license. It's a lot cheaper to fork out the $23.00 up front, and not have to worry about the water patrol or game wardens. About 50% of the fee goes to the DNR’s fisheries section which has a yearly operating budget of about $35 million. Just do your part and buy a license!
CybrSlydr reply :
I've only been stopped and asked once, and that was on Labor Day weekend (I think) when I went with a buddy to fish the Alum Creek reservoir in Columbus. Thankfully I had my license (as did all of us) so it was a short interaction. However, being a holiday, I saw a couple of them with other people who apparently did not have theirs. Most often they were taken over to the DNR vehicle and run through their computers - I assume checking for license status. I saw one get ticketed but no gear confiscated.
Regardless, in Ohio anyway ($19/yr resident license) it's a trivial fee that goes towards keeping these great places fishable. There's no reason not to get one.
iceintheveins reply :
On 4/8/2017 at 1:55 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Confiscating gear for fishing without a license isn't a punishment, the fishing gear is evidence to a crime just like any other time a crime is committed. It's up to the judge to hand out the punishment they deem fit.
If they keep your gear though that's completely excessive, if they return it after the court case that's more reasonable. Like I said, I can see permanent seizure of gear for severe offenses, like being way over your limit, especially repeatedly.
tander reply :
Been checked a few times and have always had my license. All I need now is my drivers license, you don't need a fishing license if your over 65 in Mississippi. 
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/10/2017 at 8:29 AM, iceintheveins said:
If they keep your gear though that's completely excessive, if they return it after the court case that's more reasonable. Like I said, I can see permanent seizure of gear for severe offenses, like being way over your limit, especially repeatedly.
I agree with you there, but that's up to the judge.
I'm all for strict punishment for those that intended to violate the laws, but the guy who just made an honest mistake doesn't deserve to lose everything for making a human error.
What I hate is how minimal F&G violation penalties are. Usually works out to about $10 a fish when someone is busted over the limit here it seems like.
MTBassin reply :
MT state licenses expire the end of February and I always buy my new one within a week. It goes straight in my wallet and never gets taken out so I always have it with me. I think I've only been checked once and it was by a Federal Wildlife Officer. He was a polite, checked my license, and was on his way in no time at all. I also carry my wife's fishing and hunting licenses with mine so she doesn't get caught without one either.
DogBone_384 reply :
I keep a digital copy on my phone in case I forget my print copy.
I've never come across a green cop here but have friends who have. There doesn't seem to be any tolerance for not obeying the law here in MA, accidental, or otherwise.
jimf reply :
On 4/9/2017 at 4:42 AM, papajoe222 said:I left my wallet in my car and was stopped in Wisconsin one time. DNR wanted to fine me, but had no way of IDing me. They were going to confiscate my boat and gear.
I pointed out all they needed to do was run my boat registration. The idiots were able to get it and my DL information from another state but couldn't get my info from their own department.
The only time I've been checked in many years was in Wisconsin trout fishing. I can't remember the last time I was checked in Illinois. I actually got checked during the early trout season in Wisco which requires barbless hooks - they put the hook in their shirt and pull it out and if it gets caught at all you are in violation. Fortunately I de-barbed correctly.
I've always actually admired the Wisco DNR compared to Illinois. I think it's a much better run, more forward thinking department than we have here. Even printing the license off is goofy in Illinois, if you fold them by the lines they have printed off it doesn't come close to matching up.
I carry three licenses. One in my wallet that I always have on me, one with my boat registration that is on the boat, and one in my truck.
TOXIC reply :
Just got checked this weekend on the Potomac River. I put a copy of my current license in all of my buddies boats and keep one on me as well. We got a full safety and livewell check. Funny thing, I go to Wisconsin every year with my boat and stay in a cottage on a chain of lakes. These lakes are patrolled by the local Sheriff's department. Been going there for 20 years. Last year I watched Johnny Law stop and check a dozen boats. I idled up to him and asked why he never checked me. His response: You bass guys always have your act together so I'm just wasting my time.
BassThumb reply :
I've never fished without having a current license on file, but I have fished before on many occasions without a license in my possession.
I used to wade rivers for smallmouth in my teens and early-twenties, and in one case I had my license blow out of my tackle bag and float away.
Not long after that, I was stopped by a warden as I was exiting the river. Using the electronics in his truck, he was able to see that I had purchased a license for the year. He wasn't upset and didn't make a big fuss about it, but he did say that it's the law that one must have a copy on them at all times while fishing. I went to a local retailer and had a replacement printed for like $2.
Now I keep the original copy in my wallet, a photocopy in the boat, and have a picture taken of it on my phone. I haven't had to show it in quite a few years. Most of the wardens are more concerned with DWIs and life jackets nowadays.
Snipe Hunter reply :
Caught once. About 20 years ago before I had a boat. I got up early Easter morning and headed to a pond on Maryland's eastern shore. It was drizzle and light rain, no sun. I was standing on the shore throwing a Rat-L-Trap into a large flat and crushing them. I saw the GW in his truck and I didn't think twice about it. He asked for my license and I didn't have it on me. An hour drive home and a ticket.
Burke reply :
On 4/11/2017 at 12:06 AM, TOXIC said:His response: You bass guys always have your act together so I'm just wasting my time.
How true.....
tholmes reply :
On 11/25/2014 at 10:14 AM, Missourifishin said:My local conservation guys don't even ask me for my license anymore. They know I fish legally. I've seen them hand out some hefty fines though.
The advantages of living in a sparsely populated area. I know all of the KDWP officers around here and they all know that if I'm fishin', I have a license.
Tom
Jacob Phelps reply :
I've only ever been asked once myself, and when I was younger I remember my dad being asked for his license once, and my grandfather getting asked for his license once. Usually this happened on high fishing days like the beginning of the season or holidays. With that said, I would still get one and carry it with you at all times while fishing. It's not worth getting your gear taken away if you get caught without one.
BCline reply :
I had recently moved from Georgia to Florida and was discovering the amazing bass fishing south Florida has to offer. I was also learning the often vague and confusing signs posted near water in this state such as "Private Property" and "No Fishing beyond this Point". I mean really what does a Private Property sign mean? It doesn't say No Trespassing, doesn't say no fishing just that someone owns the land, good for them. The No Fishing Beyond this point sign really confused me, I mean how do you know which side of the sign is legal and which is not. It all depends on where you approach the sign from.
So I found a very productive canal with one of these "No Fishing Beyond this Point" signs and am slaying them. Caught 10 in less than an hour with several 2 - 4 pounders included. I always catch and release. I am fighting fish number 11 when a F-150 pulls up next to me. The officer tells me I am not supposed to be there. I explain my confusion regarding the "No Fishing beyond this Point" sign, but he was not sympathetic. He asked for my license and I explain that I just moved from GA and have not changed over to FL. I asked if GA and FL reciprocate and was quickly informed that they do not. He then asked for my GA license which I did not have on me. He lets me go with a warning and I ran to the tag office and purchased a FL drivers and fishing license. I have not left my house without one on me since.
quanjig reply :
With the interwebz and a smart phone, most fishing licenses are just a couple clicks away!!
RPreeb reply :
I've been checked twice, and the first time I was truly fishing without a license. I was 18, living in Montana, and I'd always bought my license as soon as fishing opened up in the spring, ever since I was old enough to need one. That year I had gone into the Army Reserve and been sent for basic training in March. I didn't get home again until the first week of August, and that first weekend went camping with my family. It never dawned on me that I had never bought my license that year, and naturally I was checked for the first time in my life. I think it was about a $25 fine back in 1965.
The second time I was checked I was a bit surprised. I had moved to Colorado in 1973, and in the 80's I was spending most weekends hiking in the mountains. In early spring I did a lot of rambling in the lower hills west and southwest of Denver. This day in April I was up on a ridge about 1000 feet above the South Platte river, a popular stretch of catch and release only water below Cheesman Dam and Lake known for it's finicky big brown trout. The warden was working as a team with a couple of other officers, and my guy was the spotter, hanging out on the ridge with binoculars watching the fishermen below for violations - it wasn't uncommon for fishermen to slip a fish into their waders and walk out with it, so they had been using this method to control that abuse. He approached me and asked if I had a license. I said "No." He asked if I was fishing. I said "No." He was looking at my day pack to see if it could hold a backpacking rod. Apparently he was satisfied, we chatted a bit. He said they had caught two violators that day - one trying to sneak a big brown out, and another using live bait in the artificial flies and lures area.
JaxBasser reply :
Mine auto renews so I never have to worry about it. Only ever been checked once and I just said yes I have it and they didn't even check lol.
frosty reply :
It's crazy you guys that have only been checked once, or some of you never. Last year was the first year I haven't been checked in 20 years, other than a couple years I didn't even buy a license, of course I wasn't fishing.
RMax reply :
Nope. Always have my license, never seen a warden though
However, my mom has always told me about one of her college friends. The guy wanted to go fishing but he hadn't gotten his license yet that year. He went out for just an hour and got caught, receiving a $375 dollar fine! A few years later, he went to a job interview and they told him that was the deciding factor on them NOT hiring him. Of course, the dude did move to Kansas, started a business, and is now a millionaire; but its crazy that he couldn't get a job because of a fishing fine!
standman reply :
Got back into fishing 2 years ago (after 15 year break). We go to WI (Castle Rock Lake), get our 1 day license, start fishing (shore) and within 15 minutes CO shows up ?. Living in IL, you have an option to purchase the license, inland trout stamp, and Lake Michigan salomon stamp. Even though I never fish for trout OR salomon, I still purchase the stamps. God knows this broke arse state can use the $$$.
MIbassyaker reply :
Never had anybody check me for a license, anywhere.
blckshirt98 reply :
I've been checked twice fishing local reservoirs from the shore - once by a warden making the rounds on a boat, another time by one walking the shoreline on foot. I had my license on me both times, but I'm horrible about signing it so other than that it was okay. I will say I have a two rod stamp and sometimes when fishing for trout I'll put two PowerBait lines out and when i get bored will throw out a spinner/kastmaster for a few casts.
Hog Basser reply :
In Arkansas I get a combo resident sportsman license. The hunting license expires June 30th, but you can renew for the next year before that. Just looked at my license (which I always have on me in my wallet) and glad I did because the fishing part of it expires on the date you bought it, which was 5/19 (which I wasn't aware of.) Looks like I will be going to renew soon. Our license system is screwy. I've tried to do it online in year's past, but it is only a temporary license until you get the real on in the mail (deer tags and such need to be mailed). For three years in a row I never received the one in the mail. So I just go to a local sporting goods store and have them print it for me now and I'm done. They're trying to pass legislation to allow for everything to go virtual and you can just have it on your phone. For deer tags they are talking allowing just a piece of paper with the right info on it. I already check deer through the app. I hope it goes through.
StevesBass reply :
On 4/13/2017 at 7:53 AM, frosty said:It's crazy you guys that have only been checked once, or some of you never. Last year was the first year I haven't been checked in 20 years, other than a couple years I didn't even buy a license, of course I wasn't fishing.
I'm 50 and I've been fishing for most of those years. Never been asked for a license once. I always have it, just never been asked to show it!
iiTzChunky reply :
I've only been fishing for about a year so I've always had mine on me.
But a quick question for everyone. I buy my license online. So I print out a copy. If I show the warden my license on my phone, since I get a copy on my phone and print it out would that suffice? Or would I still catch it because they want to see the paper copy.
frosty reply :
On 4/15/2017 at 7:43 AM, iiTzChunky said:I've only been fishing for about a year so I've always had mine on me.
But a quick question for everyone. I buy my license online. So I print out a copy. If I show the warden my license on my phone, since I get a copy on my phone and print it out would that suffice? Or would I still catch it because they want to see the paper copy.
I always try to have a paper copy on me. No telling when you'll drop your phone overboard or the battery will die, but I guarantee when it happens a conservation officer will be there asking for a copy.
StevesBass reply :
On 4/15/2017 at 7:43 AM, iiTzChunky said:I've only been fishing for about a year so I've always had mine on me.
But a quick question for everyone. I buy my license online. So I print out a copy. If I show the warden my license on my phone, since I get a copy on my phone and print it out would that suffice? Or would I still catch it because they want to see the paper copy.
You need to look up the law in your state. Up until a couple of years ago, Indiana required a paper copy copy on your person. Now an pdf on your phone is good enough.
Jeff H reply :
I've always had mine with me. I get checked every year, sometimes several times. I sure wish they'd learn to pull up on my backside rather than the side I'm fishing though. Sometimes those CO's are the most discourteous scoundrels on the lake!
iiTzChunky reply :
On 4/15/2017 at 9:44 AM, StevesBass said:You need to look up the law in your state. Up until a couple of years ago, Indiana required a paper copy copy on your person. Now an pdf on your phone is good enough.
Awsome thanks, I looked around and didn't see anything for my state so I emailed the conservation office and asked. I guess we will see if the copy I have on my phone will work or if i need to make 42 copies because I'll end up losing the thing a few times over the season.
RPreeb reply :
Since I'm more likely to have my wallet with me than my phone, I always have the hard copy they sent me. Despite having a smart phone for years now, I still have a tendency to forget it at times. When you lived for 60 years with phones that were tied to your house, it just isn't automatic to grab it and take it with you when you leave. Not to mention that I like being incommunicado. I don't feel that I have to always be available to anyone who wants to call me. I do like the idea of snapping a photo of the license and at least having that for backup, although I don't know if Colorado fish and game would recognize it if I needed to use it.
At least it's easy to be sure that I have a license... Colorado senior fishing license is only $1.00, and I can order it online. They still send out the paper copy, no printing it myself.
J._Bricker reply :
On 4/8/2017 at 11:26 AM, OperationEagle said:So here is a question. If an angler for some reason doesn't have their license on them but has purchased one, why can't the DNR just check by scanning a drivers license?...assuming the angler has a drivers license.
when I buy my fishing license they look it up using my DL number.
maybe they can?
OperationEagle, I'm not familiar with how F&G laws are applied in Minnesota or other states, but I can answer your question as it pertains to California. Your driver's license, fishing license and hunting license are all electronically linked to your driver's license. The ability to conduct the check is limited by the type and range of the communication device being used to for the check. However, each license needs to be in your possession when driving, fishing or hunting, and if not a citation may be issued.
I make sure I have my fishing license with me. I'll ask friends and family fishing with me if they have their license to prevent any embarrassment if we're contacted by a warden.
bh91 reply :
only been checked in california twice, the first being the opening day of spiny lobster season. and the second some lady called since we were fishing in la jolla
kfili reply :
I only got checked once, but my buddy was with me and didnt have one (I didnt know he never bought it) and Im glad I had mine!
Burntorangefan reply :
Carrot or stick?
Carrot: as mentioned, in most states the licenses help fund conservation efforts so you can feel good about doing your part.
Stick: in WA, you can actually lose your BOAT for fishing without a license. Compared to fines, that's just barbaric.
J._Bricker reply :
On 4/21/2017 at 11:58 AM, Burntorangefan said:Carrot or stick?
Carrot: as mentioned, in most states the licenses help fund conservation efforts so you can feel good about doing your part.
Stick: in WA, you can actually lose your BOAT for fishing without a license. Compared to fines, that's just barbaric.
Works like that in Cali Burtorangefan also, and probably a quite a few other states. And your tow vehicle can impounded as evidence if the boat was transported to where the alleged poaching took place.
That's why I usually ask my buddies if the have their license with them when going out on my boat or just going fishing in general. When you divide the cost of a license over 365 days, I personally think it's pretty cheap insurance to keeping your stuff.
BIGfryFish reply :
Never, I've only been checked twice by an ECO. Both time I had no problems.
About 10-15yrs ago I got a Lifetime Fishing License so I wouldn't need to worry about renewing. No excuse not to have it on me. The card fits snug inside my wallet next to my fishing license. 
Brown Town reply :
I brought a girl I was newly dating in college out fishing for her birthday because she wanted to go since I was always on the water. I was so worried about setting her up and hoping she would enjoy it I forgot she probably needed a license. Get out and settle in on a spot on the bank and I cast out and hand her the rod. Immediately 2 DNR officers come out of nowhere and approach us. It hit me right there that I forgot to get her a license. Tried explaining its her first time out and we would go get her a license right away. They weren't having it and wrote her a $250 ticket. I paid for it but needless to say we didn't date very long.
5Keepers reply :
Just save up and spend the money for a lifetime hunting/fishing license. Geeeezzzzz... you spend tens of thousands and thousands on a boat, electronics, tackle, clothing, etc..etc...
WHY NOT??? -- THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO HAVE ONE!!
I bought mine (hunting/fishing-$350) back in 1987!!! Its paid for its self many times over!!
....and you never have to worry!
MichiganBass80 reply :
On 5/12/2017 at 5:25 AM, 5Keepers said:Just save up and spend the money for a lifetime hunting/fishing license. Geeeezzzzz... you spend tens of thousands and thousands on a boat, electronics, tackle, clothing, etc..etc...
WHY NOT??? -- THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO HAVE ONE!!
I bought mine (hunting/fishing-$350) back in 1987!!! Its paid for its self many times over!!
....and you never have to worry!
Except not all states offer a lifetime license.
I have never been checked. But I always have it with me anyways.
5Keepers reply :
On 4/24/2017 at 12:49 PM, Brown Town said:I brought a girl I was newly dating in college out fishing for her birthday because she wanted to go since I was always on the water. I was so worried about setting her up and hoping she would enjoy it I forgot she probably needed a license. Get out and settle in on a spot on the bank and I cast out and hand her the rod. Immediately 2 DNR officers come out of nowhere and approach us. It hit me right there that I forgot to get her a license. Tried explaining its her first time out and we would go get her a license right away. They weren't having it and wrote her a $250 ticket. I paid for it but needless to say we didn't date very long.
We are allowed to fish from the bank in our home county without a license.
NC Bassin' reply :
I never leave without my license. I keep it in my tackle box always because my tackle box is always with me when I go. Keeping up with the expiration date is also a good idea.
Buckeye Ron reply :
I don't know if this is available everywhere but here in Florida you can have your license sent to you on what looks just like a credit card. Makes it real easy to always have with you. Assuming you don't leave your wallet at home!
HunterSmith reply :
Made that stupid decision once and never again. I was 18 and fresh in the Marine Corps. Went camping on the Kern River for a week and fished my heart out the entire time. On the way home, I pulled over on the side of the road to fish for some trout in a good looking spot. Had just finished not catching anything and was headed back up when a park ranger made my acquaintance. Because I was military, he cut me some slack and instructed me to buy a 3 day license and fax it to him and I would not be fined. Stupid choice at a stupid age... learned my lesson though and make sure to get my fish and hunting combo every August.
LxVE Bassin reply :
I seen a guy get caught earlier this month. DNR took his rod and gave him a ticket. He didn't have any fish on him.
"hamma" reply :
Once I didnt have it with me, I had bought one for the year, as the ranger stated, but I had forgot it at home. He made me copy it and the receipt, and mail them to him within a few days.,... I did, and he let things slide. And this happened on Cobbosseecontee in Maine, which im not a resident of,... he coulda nailed me!
But, I will mention that I have been stopped and checked many times over the past years. Mostly here in Massachusetts, living here does that. NH, Maine, Vermont, CT, they to have had their fun stopping me and checking my safety gear. Never again an issue like on Cobbossee, but always a pain.
Hunter Buddy reply :
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?
MN Fisher reply :
You were originally let off because of the '30 minutes' comment. That you posted pics to FB showing that you'd been fishing for weeks without a license is 'new evidence'. So it wasn't the 'same offense' as the violations happened at different times.
<- Cousin was a MA Dept. of Fish and Game officer.
813basstard reply :
Huh? I thought you bought one on the spot that was good for a week?
Guess there is a benefit of living in a big(ger) city where murder is a more pressing issue. They couldn’t care less around here. I seen a man with a pole, bucket and live bream getting on the city bus.
Chances of him having a license are roughly powerball odds.
Your situation is odd to say the least.
BassWhole! reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 5:13 AM, 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 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 5:13 AM, 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 reply :
I have never been checked, but always carry mine anyway ( I keep it in my wallet).
jbsoonerfan reply :
Never fished without one.
Dirtyeggroll reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 1:04 PM, 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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 5:57 PM, 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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 11:41 PM, 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 reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 12:17 AM, 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 reply :
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 reply :
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 reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 2:29 AM, 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 reply :
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 reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 1:40 AM, 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.
Pickle_Power reply :
I get checked about once a year, on average, in the last decade. Since the DNR rehabbed the local lake, there has been a larger presence of officers. Most of the time it is someone doing creel surveys, and of course, they ask for a license while they're at it.
I've only had a near-miss experience once. My wife and I headed to the lake for some bluegill action, planning to use little jigs tipped with crawlers. We arrive at the lake, and I realize I forgot the crawlers at home. I send my wife in my truck to go retrieve them from home. Of course, I forgot my wallet, which contained my license, in my truck. It wasn't 3 minutes later and the warden shows up. I proceed to tell him the truth that my wife went to get the worms and my wallet with the license is in the truck. He then wrote me a ticket, and said that if I'm confident I had a valid license, then just tear the ticket up once he leaves. He said he would go back to the office and check on the computer for my license status.
So, once he took off, I disregarded the ticket, and kept on fishing. From then on, I have made more of an effort to remember to keep the license in my pocket.
diversity210 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 11:41 PM, 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
Everything in California continues to go up. Everyone around here got notices of the water going up again. During the extreme drought in California they raised the price of water twice. We have a surplus of water this year and they are raising the prices again. The fishing license is only a small fee for a lot of enjoyment, but the rising cost does remind you of how expensive everything here has gotten and continues to get. They have push most people to the financial brink, but continue to raise prices. Thats why we have the biggest population of homeless people in the country and its getting worse.
bh91 reply :
It’s funny last year in May I got checked , forgot my license but since I had my drivers license he was able to verify over the phone/ walkie
CrankFate reply :
Many times, and currently I never received my actual card. I have the email and license # though.
Of all the times I’ve been caught without a license when I was younger I never got a ticket. The officers said they saw me doing things like balling up extra line and putting it in my box, instead of just throwing it on the ground or in the water. Or one time I was fishing a prohibited area, the officer who made me leave said I was the only person she ever saw in that spot releasing fish instead of poaching them.
Now a days, I always keep my license up to date.
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 10:18 PM, redmeansdistortion said: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.
Those statements tell me your 100% from Michigan. I don’t wanna get started on the state police, too many frustrating tickets. I have had one pull me over for tint when literally the guy next to me was drinking a bud light and almost spilled it on himself trying to tuck it down when seeing the cop.... needless to say I got a tint ticket that day ????
the DNR of Michigan is like the DEA I swear they will hunt you down, find you and do sick things to you if they get your hands on you haha.
I mean I am all for preservation, but when the DNR gets involved I feel like bolting haha. I usually do catch and release I’m just worried they will have some gear restriction I’m unaware of and get a poaching ticket ???? obviously kidding, but at the same time not really
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 6/28/2019 at 8:50 PM, diversity210 said: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.
It’s a shame law enforcement makes people feel this way, but sadly it’s true. I grew up in metro Detroit I’m a German American, but literally having friends of all ethnicities and races I have gotten more unwanted attention with my Arab and black friends from police than you could imagine. I realize I don’t have to face that first hand, but I have first hand witnessed police stereotyping.
no need to get into specifics, but from what I have experienced I am afraid of cops and like I said I am German American. It’s sad we fear our police here.
A-Jay reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 9:55 PM, AlTheFisherman313 said:It’s sad we fear our police here.
What may be equally as 'sad' is when people conduct themselves in a manner that elicits that type of response from the brave men & women who chose to protect us and put their life on the line every minute of their entire work day (and night) for total strangers.
A-Jay
Log Catcher reply :
I have never been caught without a license. I did go fishing one time and had forgotten to get my new license. I got it as soon as possible after that. I have been checked many times and never had a problem.
Russ E reply :
May be a little off topic, but this thread reminds me of the local county lake.
To fish there you have to buy a county Boating and Fishing permit.
The state does not patrol the lake. only the county deputies.
I get checked nearly every time I fish there, by the deputy sheriff.
often times it is the same guy.
They have never checked me for a fishing license or checked my livewell.
It seems they do not care about the state regulations. all they care about is if you paid the permit fee.
Fishing_FF reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 10:07 PM, A-Jay said:What may be equally as 'sad' is when people conduct themselves in a manner that elicits that type of response from the brave men & women who chose to protect us and put their life on the line every minute of their entire work day (and night) for total strangers.
A-Jay
This couldn't be truer.
As a firefighter who works with a lot of scenes, probably 75% of my station's calls, with law enforcement, either county sheriff deputies or state troopers, it is sad to see how LE are treated. Example would be one night not long ago at a vehicle crash, we asked the driver of one of the vehicles to move his car out of the road. The driver said, "Sure, no problem." The driver was poking along, so the deputy stepped in to ask him to please move his vehicle so the expressway could be re-opened. The driver got out of the car, started with expletives, and refused to move the car. We tried to defuse the situation by asking for the keys so one of us could move the car, at which point the driver threw his keys which ended up hitting the deputy. Whether he meant to throw them at the deputy or he just had bad aim, I don't know. However, there was no reason for the escalation. Being polite and respectful would have saved this guy a trip to jail.
I have been stopped by Georgia DNR and Florida FWC while fishing. I always have my state ID and my fishing license with me. Yes, sometimes the safety inspection is a hassle, but being polite and respectful, I'm back on the water fishing a short time later rather than say facing fines or being in cuffs.
Big Rick reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 9:55 PM, AlTheFisherman313 said:It’s a shame law enforcement makes people feel this way, but sadly it’s true. I grew up in metro Detroit I’m a German American, but literally having friends of all ethnicities and races I have gotten more unwanted attention with my Arab and black friends from police than you could imagine. I realize I don’t have to face that first hand, but I have first hand witnessed police stereotyping.
no need to get into specifics, but from what I have experienced I am afraid of cops and like I said I am German American. It’s sad we fear our police here.
Like @AJ, I couldn't let this go without responding in defense of our law officers...
Maybe you should spend some time looking up the crime/ethnicity ratio in Detroit... As a retired LEO I can attest that it is much more likely the perp will be a certain ethnicity in certain areas. Peace officers have a split second to assess a situation and determine what's needed to insure the safety of everyone involved. First and foremost, their OWN safety. So, when an officer is in a higher crime area that stats prove the crimes are committed by certain ethnicities mostly, that officer is on high alert due to that. Police often stereotype because of the crime/ethnicity ratio. You don't go fishing in a bathtub. You fish in a high potential location. While this is a crude example it is very accurate. These officers have no choice but to be in the higher potential area. It's their job.
The biggest thing you can do in your favor is don't act suspicious. Be calm and obedient to the officer involved. Don't give the officer ANY reason to think you're a threat. Keep your hands in plain view. Make no moves that you don't first tell the officer what your intentions are. Then, move slowly and deliberately. This is your life you're playing with.
Again, these officers have, more than likely, arrested and fought with many perps of certain ethnicities and are already expecting trouble because of that high ratio. Don't add to that number. As a whole, peace officers are just trying to keep you safe and do their job safely. Most have families that they want to get back to. Peace officers are NOT PERFECT. But, for the most part, they do have a huge heart and really care. Treat them with respect and you'll get respect REGARDLESS of your COLOR.....
I apologize for further derailing this thread, but this needed to be said to keep things balanced.
greentrout reply :
I 100 percent support our MDWFP officers ... in what they do ...
https://www.mdwfp.com/media/news/law-enforcement/fallen-conservation-officers-memorial-service/
Russ E reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 9:55 PM, AlTheFisherman313 said:It’s a shame law enforcement makes people feel this way, but sadly it’s true. I grew up in metro Detroit I’m a German American, but literally having friends of all ethnicities and races I have gotten more unwanted attention with my Arab and black friends from police than you could imagine. I realize I don’t have to face that first hand, but I have first hand witnessed police stereotyping.
no need to get into specifics, but from what I have experienced I am afraid of cops and like I said I am German American. It’s sad we fear our police here.
On 6/29/2019 at 10:07 PM, A-Jay said:What may be equally as 'sad' is when people conduct themselves in a manner that elicits that type of response from the brave men & women who chose to protect us and put their life on the line every minute of their entire work day (and night) for total strangers.
I have honestly never feared the police.
I live within 15 minutes of the worst part of the Kansas City metro.
A good majority of the Kansas City Kansas police department live in my neighborhood.
I am glad they live here.
They are just normal guys that have a fairly dangerous job.
I am sure they have to deal with unruly people on a daily basis.
Topwaterdog reply :
Here in OK they issue paper licenses, so I just keep a photo of it saved on my phone. Unless I forget my phone I'm good to go. Another cool thing about OK is that if you are caught fishing without a license, they will just sell you a month-long permit (at a premium of course) instead of actually issuing a citation. I've never had that problem, because I always buy my combined hunting/fishing license, but I've seen them 'selling' these permits.
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 10:07 PM, A-Jay said:What may be equally as 'sad' is when people conduct themselves in a manner that elicits that type of response from the brave men & women who chose to protect us and put their life on the line every minute of their entire work day (and night) for total strangers.
A-Jay
I’m not trying to stir the pot, but they get paid. That means they get something out of it, so to say they do it for others isn’t exactly the case.
Again there are bad and good people in the world, that includes cops, lawyers, doctors so on and so forth. Just because your a cop doesn’t make you a hero.
On 6/30/2019 at 2:14 AM, Big Rick said:Like @AJ, I couldn't let this go without responding in defense of our law officers...
Maybe you should spend some time looking up the crime/ethnicity ratio in Detroit... As a retired LEO I can attest that it is much more likely the perp will be a certain ethnicity in certain areas. Peace officers have a split second to assess a situation and determine what's needed to insure the safety of everyone involved. First and foremost, their OWN safety. So, when an officer is in a higher crime area that stats prove the crimes are committed by certain ethnicities mostly, that officer is on high alert due to that. Police often stereotype because of the crime/ethnicity ratio. You don't go fishing in a bathtub. You fish in a high potential location. While this is a crude example it is very accurate. These officers have no choice but to be in the higher potential area. It's their job.
The biggest thing you can do in your favor is don't act suspicious. Be calm and obedient to the officer involved. Don't give the officer ANY reason to think you're a threat. Keep your hands in plain view. Make no moves that you don't first tell the officer what your intentions are. Then, move slowly and deliberately. This is your life you're playing with.
Again, these officers have, more than likely, arrested and fought with many perps of certain ethnicities and are already expecting trouble because of that high ratio. Don't add to that number. As a whole, peace officers are just trying to keep you safe and do their job safely. Most have families that they want to get back to. Peace officers are NOT PERFECT. But, for the most part, they do have a huge heart and really care. Treat them with respect and you'll get respect REGARDLESS of your COLOR.....
I apologize for further derailing this thread, but this needed to be said to keep things balanced.
Again, your saying they have to go off what they see off statistics. I can guarantee you wouldn’t be ok with this if you fell into the statistic they look for.
i really don’t wanna take this further let’s just agree to disagree. I am not saying all cops are bad, nor am I saying they are all good. It’s like an electrician there’s 60 ads for electricians in the area, how many are good vs bad is literally a person by person basis.
In general speaking how many people see a cop and say phew thank god vs an anxiety reaction? It should never cause anxiety, but it does even in people doing nothing wrong.
I am 100% pro police, but blindly defending them is as ignorant as fearing every cop. And yes I called myself ignorant ???? I have just had too many “off” experiences for someone with a CLEAN record. Who knows maybe it’s just my area! I absolutely understand how dangerous Detroit is.... trust me, we make the worlds most dangerous cities every year for a reason.
Downtown is becoming slowly better and better, but the surrounding areas can literally look and feel like a third world nation. There are areas of Detroit that looks like a bomber flew over the area. It’s actually very sad to see.
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 6/30/2019 at 8:05 AM, Russ E said:
I have honestly never feared the police.
I live within 15 minutes of the worst part of the Kansas City metro.
A good majority of the Kansas City Kansas police department live in my neighborhood.
I am glad they live here.
They are just normal guys that have a fairly dangerous job.
I am sure they have to deal with unruly people on a daily basis.
Your absolutely right, I am not saying all are bad, but I have ran into enough bad ones to have me form that opinion.
I actually have a cop on my hockey team lol and it’s great, but he’s also a good human being, if every cop was like my buddy Bobby I’d wanna get pulled over ????
Won’t lie he got me good one day. He pulled me over in his city and I was nervous because I wasn’t doing anything wrong only to see Bobby’s dumb ass smiling asking me if I was gonna make it to hockey that night lol!
schplurg reply :
I come here to get away from political forums!
I WANT to be checked for my license, and where appropriate, barbless hooks, because I paid d**n good money for this license and follow all the rules and there a lot of poachers and a-holes in some areas I fish. I want them to get caught.
People without licenses, people not using barbless, using live bait, taking home too many fish. And people littering, my biggest gripe of all. These people flee when DFG show up but they know who they are and they do get ticketed. I talk to them when they check me and they are very candid about who is doing what, and I tell them whatever I can to help these people get nailed. F 'em.
Yes, check my license every day, please. Cost me $60 for two rods.
I fished with a guy who got caught without his license two years in a row by the same sheriff at the same bank of the delta. He said the sheriff recognized him and it was deja vu all over again. Dummy. I didn't know he had no license.
A-Jay reply :
On 7/1/2019 at 11:27 AM, AlTheFisherman313 said:I’m not trying to stir the pot, but they get paid. That means they get something out of it, so to say they do it for others isn’t exactly the case.
Clearly I am straying well into the off topic lane here but . . . . .
That type of callow response comes easy if you are not currently employed in a LE / public servant capacity and never have been.
Perhaps think about how much you would need to be 'paid' to have being shot at as part of your job description.
I'm done.
A-Jay
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 7/1/2019 at 7:48 PM, A-Jay said:Clearly I am straying well into the off topic lane here but . . . . .
That type of callow response comes easy if you are not currently employed in a LE / public servant capacity and never have been.
Perhaps think about how much you would need to be 'paid' to have being shot at as part of your job description.
I'm done.
A-Jay
Fair enough sir. Like I said I wasn’t trying to go crazy political or too off topic, we all have the right to our own opinion, plus it’s not like we have nothing in common we both love fishing ????
On 7/1/2019 at 2:04 PM, schplurg said:I come here to get away from political forums!
I WANT to be checked for my license, and where appropriate, barbless hooks, because I paid d**n good money for this license and follow all the rules and there a lot of poachers and a-holes in some areas I fish. I want them to get caught.
People without licenses, people not using barbless, using live bait, taking home too many fish. And people littering, my biggest gripe of all. These people flee when DFG show up but they know who they are and they do get ticketed. I talk to them when they check me and they are very candid about who is doing what, and I tell them whatever I can to help these people get nailed. F 'em.
Yes, check my license every day, please. Cost me $60 for two rods.
I fished with a guy who got caught without his license two years in a row by the same sheriff at the same bank of the delta. He said the sheriff recognized him and it was deja vu all over again. Dummy. I didn't know he had no license.
My god they have political forums? Haha. I’d rather scratch my eyes out.
I do the same thing, hell I have called the DNR on people. I can’t understand how someone can love fishing, but harm the fisheries.... I mean how dumb can someone be.
Big Rick reply :
On 7/1/2019 at 11:27 AM, AlTheFisherman313 said:I can guarantee you wouldn’t be ok with this if you fell into the statistic they look for.
I DO fall in a statistic, brother. When I have a uniform with a star on the front I got a TARGET on my back. One perceived wrong move in front of a stupid cell phone camera and my career is up in smoke. Doesn't matter what happened 30 seconds before or after the video clip sent to the news outlets. Which is one of the reasons I hung up that uniform and moved my family 5 hours away.
Anyway, this is my last post on this issue. I hate politics. But I LOVE backing the BLUE because they backed me when it counted.
Now, back to fishing......
boostr reply :
YEAH! The first and only time I didn't have it, an $70 ticket. This also turned into a $h17 storm. Long story short, Had my DL suspended, drove for a year without any notification. Found out when my wife got pulled over, the LEO asked who I was and told her my license was suspended. Went to rectify the issue with the county, and got my DL suspended for 10 days which could of been 6 months, now paying $270 a year for the next 3 years of which 1 year has already been paid for. So going into the second year. That's an expensive $70 ticket. What you get when your SO "THOUGHT" she paid the 'not having your fishing license" ticket...
jtharris3 reply :
Anybody Ever Get Caught Without Their License?
No!
jbsoonerfan reply :
On 6/30/2019 at 11:07 PM, Topwaterdog said:Here in OK they issue paper licenses, so I just keep a photo of it saved on my phone. Unless I forget my phone I'm good to go. Another cool thing about OK is that if you are caught fishing without a license, they will just sell you a month-long permit (at a premium of course) instead of actually issuing a citation. I've never had that problem, because I always buy my combined hunting/fishing license, but I've seen them 'selling' these permits.
You should consider getting your lifetime hunting/fishing license before they go up or they do away with them all together. Best investment I have made when it comes to hunting and fishing.
Big Rick reply :
On 7/3/2019 at 5:02 AM, jbsoonerfan said:You should consider getting your lifetime hunting/fishing license before they go up or they do away with them all together. Best investment I have made when it comes to hunting and fishing.
THIS! I got my Mississippi Lifetime Sportmans License back in the early 90's. MDWF lost money on me when I lived in La. and hunted in Port Gibson, Ms. Out of state big game license alone were $350 per year. Sportsman license covers everything recreational but your stamps for migratory birds. Saltwater is a different subject altogether....
schplurg reply :
On 7/2/2019 at 8:29 AM, AlTheFisherman313 said:My god they have political forums? Haha. I’d rather scratch my eyes out.
I do the same thing, hell I have called the DNR on people. I can’t understand how someone can love fishing, but harm the fisheries.... I mean how dumb can someone be.
These people do not care about the fisheries, they just bring a bucket so they can feed themselves and their families. Some use strings of treble hooks to snag them off beds.
We've all seen 'em and we can spot 'em a mile away. So can the authorities. People that do this and litter are not fishermen or anglers, they are 100% douchebags (or pick your favorite term).
hawgenvy reply :
My fairly expensive current active Florida freshwater/saltwater/snook license expires in February 2020, about 3 weeks before I turn 65, at which point I will no longer need a license. I'm already debating with myself whether to renew then or take my chances. I've had a valid state fishing license for over 45 years and no one has ever asked to see it.
Glaucus reply :
I would never put myself in that position in Illinois. This state bends order backwards to fine citizens and steal property to sell for the state. There would be no understanding on the part of these officers as far as accepting that you have a license but forgot to have it on you.
A-Jay reply :
On 7/3/2019 at 10:54 AM, hawgenvy said:My fairly expensive current active Florida freshwater/saltwater/snook license expires in February 2020, about 3 weeks before I turn 65, at which point I will no longer need a license. I'm already debating with myself whether to renew then or take my chances. I've had a valid state fishing license for over 45 years and no one has ever asked to see it.
Well, Dang it - I want to see it - and right now !
Happy Birthday too.
A-Jay
Big Mike in Fl reply :
Some years back I was fishing the Indian river lagoon system here (brackish water) when I happened to see two guys wade fishing I. A spot where my cousin and I used to wade fish as a kid, as I got closer low and behold it was my cousin, with a buddy of his. Well of course I invited them to climb aboard and we went off and fished, about an hour later an FWC officer cane tooling along and checked us all, both of them got tickets as they only had shore bound licenses.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, same cousin who now lives out of state is in town visiting and we head out to fish, he of course made sure to get a license. So we’re at a ramp waiting in a thunderstorm to make up its mind where it’s going go, and a sheriffs wildlife deputy pulls up. We proceeded to BS with him for about ten minutes before he headed off to continue patrol. My cousin was ticked he didn’t check his license, I said you know he would have checked us if you didn’t buy one!
Another time some years ago, I was out with my buddy on Garcia when we headed back to the ramp we could see the FWC officers doing spot checks at the ramp. At that very moment it occurred to me that my license might have expired. I convinced my buddy to cruise on by the ramp and head back out to the lake, sure enough I was expired. So I called the number on the back of the license and renewed it in the water. Got back to the ramp and got spot checked, officer asked me when I had renewed it and I told him that morning... trouble averted!
I got in some one serious trouble with wildlife when I was younger, I try my best to behave myself these days. I enjoy the outdoors too much to risk it, and while the first time was a slap on the wrist, I know the second won’t be.
Mhan7 reply :
On 11/25/2014 at 8:00 AM, Paul Roberts said:There's an old saying. (I say it's old bc I'm old lol.) It goes something like this: "There may be only a handful of CO's (Conservation Officers) in the state. But if you are in the wrong they have a way of being there." It can be uncanny.
Here in Florida, it's a whole different ballgame. There's A LOT of FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) officers. And they are always where they're needed. It's not uncanny. They're mobilized. Like a little army. There are some places where I have fished, that I've literally been asked for my license, every single time that I've been there. Usually by a plain clothes officer.
That being said, I'm just not sure why anyone in this day and age is still required to carry a physical copy of their license. I mean... You're already on file. You know d**n well they run a check on your license, to make sure that it's real. So what's the point? You are engaging in activities in, on, or next to, water, for God's sake. And it's a piece of paper. And the paper that they give us, even if it never sees the sun, seems to fade into unintelligible oblivion, before it's even expired.
On 7/3/2019 at 10:54 AM, hawgenvy said:My fairly expensive current active Florida freshwater/saltwater/snook license
You live in Boca, and consider that expensive? Maybe I have my stereotypes all wrong...
That is what I call seriously cheap entertainment. It's definitely cheaper than putting tags on a second car or motorcycle. 
Mhan7 reply :
On 6/29/2019 at 10:07 PM, A-Jay said:What may be equally as 'sad' is when people conduct themselves in a manner that elicits that type of response from the brave men & women who chose to protect us and put their life on the line every minute of their entire work day (and night) for total strangers.
A-Jay
Maybe even more sad is that there are people who tow that very same line, day in and day out, choosing to overlook every transgression committed by the police who are actually bad. Not all people who do the job are protecting us, and certainly not all are brave.
Let's not put our heads in the sand. Every profession - every single last one - has mediocrity in its ranks. When we put an entire class of people up on a pedestal, and choose hero worship over accountability, we allow their mediocrity to become the norm. Their bad gets badder. We definitely have issues amongst the citizenry - but it we're being honest with ourselves, we have a police problem, too. One is not better or worse than the other.
My little town that I grew up, recently voted to disband the local police department. They were more trouble than they were worth. They were definitely not "brave men and women". They were just people doing a job. Sort of.
AlTheFisherman313 reply :
On 7/3/2019 at 8:23 AM, schplurg said:These people do not care about the fisheries, they just bring a bucket so they can feed themselves and their families. Some use strings of treble hooks to snag them off beds.
We've all seen 'em and we can spot 'em a mile away. So can the authorities. People that do this and litter are not fishermen or anglers, they are 100% douchebags (or pick your favorite term).
That’s a fair point. I really don’t keep anything I catch unless it’s a legal walleye. At least in my normal fishing grounds. I guess it’s a predicament I hope to never be in fishing to feed my family, but I couldn’t imagine eating a 15 pound carp.... yuck! Even a big catfish usually tastes awful. The best catfish are the barely legal ones.
As far as the guys who are keeping things for the sake of keeping what you catch we can roll with douchebags haha. I literally wanna throw their poles on the ground and jump on them.
I mean for f*** sake I feel bad foul hooking a fish even on topwater, I could never keep a dink. I want him to remember he was caught till he hits 5+ pounds and than he can forget about it and come jump on my line haha.
ike8120 reply :
I wish there were more CO in NJ, people will take a fish the size of a guppy and most don't even have a license. In this day and age I don't like to confront any one about a license, since you could possibly lose your life over it.
I am 70 and in NJ you are exempt from the trout stamp and license, you just need proof of age.
cgolf reply :
I have never fished without it. I carry the paper copy in my river bag, and we paid to get the credit card style license in WI that I carry in my boat or wallet.
I will say the DNR really annoyed me one time they did a boat check on the water. I had my fishing license on me that day, so no problem, but I didn't have my wallet with my drivers license which was almost a problem. They ultimately were fine, but it was a good reminder to have your DL with you as well.
Rip_lipz reply :
I have been checked, even at the high volume fishing areas. Guess I am lucky? I buy my license every single year no matter what. I don't see why people try to get away with it. I live in CT and for all waters I think its 65 dollars. That's a whole lot better than losing 5000 in fishing gear, not counting the boat. I know this topic is on fishing licenses. But, if your a younger guy and plan on buying a boat in the future or already have one. Do you self a favor, make sure you have ALL the required safety equipment/licenses.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 7/3/2019 at 12:03 PM, Mhan7 said:Here in Florida, it's a whole different ballgame. There's A LOT of FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) officers. And they are always where they're needed. It's not uncanny. They're mobilized. Like a little army. There are some places where I have fished, that I've literally been asked for my license, every single time that I've been there. Usually by a plain clothes officer.
That being said, I'm just not sure why anyone in this day and age is still required to carry a physical copy of their license. I mean... You're already on file. You know d**n well they run a check on your license, to make sure that it's real. So what's the point? You are engaging in activities in, on, or next to, water, for God's sake. And it's a piece of paper. And the paper that they give us, even if it never sees the sun, seems to fade into unintelligible oblivion, before it's even expired.
You live in Boca, and consider that expensive? Maybe I have my stereotypes all wrong...
That is what I call seriously cheap entertainment. It's definitely cheaper than putting tags on a second car or motorcycle.
Many F&W agencies are under-funded. That was the case with NYS, when I lived there. It's certainly the case here in CO, where I now live; At least for the warmwater program.
Choporoz reply :
I"m with @schplurg. Check my license. Please.
Between State and county officials, the waters I fish are pretty heavily patrolled. I used to get checked frequently.
For some reason this year, the four of the last eight times I was out, I was passed by officials without being checked. Must be the Hobie...
DogBone_384 reply :
Nope. Massachusetts has a “sporting license” that covers hunting and fishing. Archery, black powder, and salt water are add ons. Mass licenses are January 01 to December 31.
It’s all done on line. I keep a digital copy on my phone and print deer tags come hunting season.
Mhan7 reply :
On 7/4/2019 at 12:46 AM, Paul Roberts said:Many F&W agencies are under-funded. That was the case with NYS, when I lived there. It's certainly the case here in CO, where I now live; At least for the warmwater program.
Yes sir, no doubt about this. The case is that here, we make a ton of money off of people coming to fish. It's a huge revenue generator. So, the case for the officers is well defined here...
BassThumb reply :
A few times on the ice. They just look up your name and drivers license number to see that you're licensed. Now the MN DNR has a licensing app so you can bring up licenses on your phone or print off as many copies as you'd like.
Mhan7 reply :
On 7/4/2019 at 1:29 AM, BassThumb said:A few times on the ice. They just look up your name and drivers license number to see that you're licensed. Now the MN DNR has a licensing app so you can bring up licenses on your phone or print off as many copies as you'd like.
That's awesome. The other process is stupid and archaic. Glad to see that all those taxes you guys pay up there are working for something good. Better than all those roads to nowhere.
BassThumb reply :
On 7/4/2019 at 1:52 AM, Mhan7 said:That's awesome. The other process is stupid and archaic. Glad to see that all those taxes you guys pay up there are working for something good. Better than all those roads to nowhere.
Those roads all lead to lakes and rivers.
boostr reply :
On 7/3/2019 at 5:33 PM, ike8120 said:I wish there were more CO in NJ, people will take a fish the size of a guppy and most don't even have a license. In this day and age I don't like to confront any one about a license, since you could possibly lose your life over it.
I am 70 and in NJ you are exempt from the trout stamp and license, you just need proof of age.
Yep, I see them at every body of water I go to. Even when it's a catch and release only lake, they still take them. Oh and God forbid you forget YOUR license, and your the one they check.
whitwolf reply :
I haven't been checked in years. I know all the wildlife folks on a first name basis. It makes no difference they are friends, they have a job to do. I buy my license each year and would never strain those friendships.
I will leave the sub topic be, other than to say @A-Jay stated my thoughts to a tee.
Topwaterdog reply :
On 7/3/2019 at 5:02 AM, jbsoonerfan said:You should consider getting your lifetime hunting/fishing license before they go up or they do away with them all together. Best investment I have made when it comes to hunting and fishing.
I would but I don't plan on being here for the rest of my life. Okie born and raised -I've done my time here and soon I'll be on to the next phase of the journey, god willing.
Dwight Hottle reply :
I have been caught without my license three times left in my wallet back at camp while fishing in Canada. Each time the officer followed me back to camp to verify I had one. What a waste of time. Now I take a picture of my license on my phone in case I ever forget my wallet again.
senile1 reply :
Missouri has both "MO Fishing" and "MO Hunting" apps that one can download to phones. Access the section of each app for permits and enter one's conservation number and birth date to allow the apps to display permits. Each app displays both hunting and fishing permits. If you have your phone and just one of the apps you can present your permits to anyone who asks. However, I still carry my paper copies.
Sphynx reply :
I ended up getting caught without my license on me in TX when I was stationed at Ft. Hood, I had a license, but it was not on me, it had somehow not made it back into my tackle box after I organized it, I was cited but upon presenting my license it was dismissed and cost me an afternoon of fishing and a smirk from the judge telling me that this sort of thing happened all the time, that I wasn't a criminal, and that he had no interest in throwing the book at a fella who had made an honest mistake, the only other time I can recall any interaction with a Game Warden about fishing was fishing for Redfish near Port Arthur on the Louisiana coast, and he was no bother to me as he was checking to verify fish that were being kept were proper size, and we were not keeping what we caught.
stratoliner92 reply :
Fishing a small lake this warden pulls down to shore and starts yelling and waving at us. We go over and he ask for me by name. He said I ran your plate in parking lot on truck and your license expired a couple of days ago????. He said I want your drivers license and you can get it back at office after you get your fishing license renewed instead of a ticket. I told him how about I get on my phone right now and renew online, he allowed it and we finished the day out.
redmexican5081 reply :
I've been stopped 3 times in freshwater and just about every trip in the ocean. The only time I was without was when I was 14. We took a trip to China Lake in Maine. I asked at the local bait shop if I needed a license and was told "no because you are under 16". My buddy and I fished all week out a a canoe catching and releasing white perch by the 100s. The last day of our trip the warden came out to see us. He had been watching us all week from his porch. Asked us about life jackets and safety equipment, then asked where we were from and for our licenses. We told him the guy at the bait shop told us we didn't need one because we were under 16, the warden told us that non-residents needed one if you were over 12. We pleaded our case, he followed us on our bikes to the bait shop and we talked with the guy behind the counter who confirmed we had asked about needing a license earlier in the week and were told we didn't need one. The warden let us off with a written warning and informed the bait shop guy that he needed to brush up on his regulations and make sure to ask if the kids under 16 but over 12 are from out of state when vacationers stop in asking about licenses.
Randy Price reply :
I was fishing at a local lake when two CPO's approached me and asked to see my license. I handed them my St. Croix Legend Xtreme with a Shimnao Stradic Ci4 while I got my wallet out. As I'm retrieving my license one of the CPO's says I'm sure this guy has a license, he gave just handed me a $ 600.00+ rod and reel to hold while he's digging for it. I started laughing and showed them my license. They both really liked the Legend Xtreme rod.
TOXIC reply :
While I have been going to Wisconsin for 21 years on the same chain of lakes that gets patrolled heavily by the sheriffs, I have never been checked there. 2 years ago, the sheriff was sitting in his boat on the water so I motored up to him and asked why he never checked me. His response....”You bass guys always have your chit together and it’s a waste of my time”. ????. We both laughed and I continued on.
NYWayfarer reply :
Just yesterday as I was done fishing at 11am I saw an Encon Officer in the parking lot. He had a fellow by his truck and it looked like he was going to give him a ticket.
I was loading my rods in the back of the car and the officer came walking towards me. Same question they always ask "Did you catch anything?" I answered sure did, got 6 Smallmouth and a bunch of Sunfish as I pulled my wallet out and produced my fishing license. He answered "Ahhh, someone who knows the drill. Good until the 10th of August, thanks." "Did you catch and release?" I answered, yeah who would eat anything out of this stretch of the river? He laughed and I told him thanks for everything he does as I know its a tough job.
I got to thinking on the way home about the question "Did you catch anything?" MY theory is if the officer didn't see you actually fishing he needs you to admit that you were. In this case I was loading rods in my car. I could have told him I just bought these at a garage sale and I wasn't fishing. It would be interesting to see how that would have played out.
I always have my fishing license. I purchased my first one when I was 18 and have renewed it every year since then.
Krux5506 reply :
On 7/29/2019 at 11:39 PM, NYWayfarer said:I got to thinking on the way home about the question "Did you catch anything?" MY theory is if the officer didn't see you actually fishing he needs you to admit that you were. In this case I was loading rods in my car. I could have told him I just bought these at a garage sale and I wasn't fishing. It would be interesting to see how that would have played out.
I've wondered this too. When I was about 19 I got nabbed for fishing without a license at a local park with a buddy. On the way there, my buddy was making a big deal out of me not having a license (I always had a valid one until that ONE outing) and I shrugged it off and told him he worried too much. Sure enough, we were walking up a trail with our rods and got stopped and checked. The officer didn't actually see us fishing, and I still got a ticket. He told me to mail in a copy of a license with my fine and they would drop it. I did that, they dropped the fine, but I still had to pay the $100 surcharge.
Mhan7 reply :
On 7/29/2019 at 11:39 PM, NYWayfarer said:I got to thinking on the way home about the question "Did you catch anything?" MY theory is if the officer didn't see you actually fishing he needs you to admit that you were. In this case I was loading rods in my car. I could have told him I just bought these at a garage sale and I wasn't fishing. It would be interesting to see how that would have played out.
If you are in possession of rods near a body of water, you are presumed to be fishing. They can write you the ticket, and if you have proof to substantiate your case, the judge will hear you.
Pretty much the same deal as if you have an open container in your automobile. Do you actually have to fail a breath test?
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