Are You Ready for a Saltwater Fishing License?

george

Administrator
Staff member
Soon after Cuomo was thrown out I predicted that the saltwater fishing license was coming to New York soon. Cuomo always did right by us. But our new Governor, with the strong support of the DEC are right now working behind the scenes trying to push a license through before years end.

This is no longer a guess. It's happening at the speed of light in the hope to have it done before budget time. Right now a $20 fee for the license Is being tossed about But if you want to fish for striped bass that will cost you another $5. In addition many recreational "representatives" are supporting a license while fishing on a charter or open boat. It will be required until you reach 70 years old. They're liking that age because seniors have the most "disposal" income, just as it is for a freshwater license.

It's going to happen and if you care at all about this issue you better make your voice heard. There are many people working behind the scenes that claim to represent you, claiming you want it!

I know that there are some that would love to see the money going back into the fishery, but trust me, is all smoke and mirrors.

I'll make another prediction. The boats for hire, who are well organized, will be quited down and offered a blanket license. The recreational angler will eventually be hit with a stamp for everything you fish for. Just look at Ca. It's cost about $140 a year of you want to fish for all species.

You are the first people to hear this, and I will keep you updated as things evolve.
 
Hmmmmm
Thanks for the bad news
Every time this subject comes up, I get riled up about the fact I reluctantly plunked down $150 for a lifetime license so I wouldn’t have to deal with this. Based on the way you spell it out, I would gladly repurchase the same thing but I guess thats not going to be an option huh?
 
Hmmmmm
Thanks for the bad news
Every time this subject comes up, I get riled up about the fact I reluctantly plunked down $150 for a lifetime license so I wouldn’t have to deal with this. Based on the way you spell it out, I would gladly repurchase the same thing but I guess thats not going to be an option huh?
I’m not sure as it’s early. But I doubt it. I also bought the lifetime then. Even though I was opposed to it.
 
I would not mind it if the money went back into fishing where it belongs. Unfortunately the majority of those dollars will likely never go in the right direction. Thank you for the heads up...
Many anglers agree, but unless we're heard there will be increases and stamps for everything. Im not a fan for many reasons. At the same im a realist, and the current admin wants it done now.
 
Well, I am 70+ so... But back when it started, I bought the lifetime as well, figuring that I would not be leaving Newyorkistan standing up. I got a full refund while my friends who only paid for an annual got ungatz. Now that I sold the boat, I only fish for stripers from the beach in the fall. But I would be targeting bluefish, weakfish, or in season fluke, lol...
But the real question is where does the money from fees go ? When I used to buy hunting licenses before I got my lifetime, I believe that most of those license fees went to conservation, at least that is what the politicos claimed. How do you pay to conserve fish that roam from Maine to Virginia ?
 
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Of course not. Doesn't New Jersey still catch and filet tiny fluke ? Seriously, Joisey went to a slot limit on fluke, with two between 17 and 18 inches and one allowed over 18". I would actually love to see that exact same fluke reg. here but I do not want to take away from the thread, that being we could get stuck with paying for a license to catch migrating fish, fish that can be caught without a license in neighboring states.
 
Guess I won;t be fishing for Striped bass...but how is to say a Striped bass won;t bite my hook!

All these crooks can go to hell and
That is one piece of it that I am opposed to. Why should we be paying to fish for striped bass? There is no fish in the history of the planet that has had more money thrown at it. What makes it different from any other fishery? The truth is nothing!
Once you agree to a stamp you are opening a door to a plethora of stamps. Check out this page on the California Saltwater License. They started with a $20 license also. You need to look at it and think if you agree that NY will ultimately will do the same thing. They got so creative in Ca that you even need an extra $18 license if you want to fish with two rods in the water at the same time. Look at the lifetime options below:

Lifetime Fishing Licenses​

Title​
2022 Fee​
2023 Fee​
Description​
Ages 0-9
Ages 10-39
Ages 40-61
Ages 62+
$594.75
$972.50
$876.00
$594.75
$644.50
$1,054.25
$949.75
$644.50
Available to residents of California. Lifetime fishing licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of issuance. Lifetime Fishing Packages must first be purchased from a CDFW License Sales Office. See Lifetime License Information for more detail.
Fishing Privilege Package$402.00$435.50Includes a Lifetime Second-Rod Validation, Ocean Enhancement Validation, North Coast Salmon Report Card and Steelhead Report Card. The Second-Rod Validation and Ocean Enhancement Validation are valid for 365 days from the date of issuance.

It's crazy! Remember, you have to add the "Fishing Privilege Package" I guess you have to pay up for the "Privilege to Fish"

If they start with the stamp, it is sure to expand into other fisheries, especially if we take this without them knowing our positions. It makes no sense to charge us for a license and then charge for the privilege to fish a certain species. That's BS!
 
Holy do do ! At my age I would go with the annual if I lived in Kalipornia. Fortunately that state must be making a lot of money collecting license fees from all the illegal aliens...
 
I already shell out $250 a year for the "privilege" of covering my charter customers to fish on my vessel in NY. Then I pay another $300 annually for the same "privilege" to do the same thing in CT waters on those days I head north.

How much further will we all have to bend over to satisfy a bunch of greedy politicians??? I know it's a stupid question that has no single answer.
 
You gotta be 70 or older to get a free hunting license and they'll require you to be 70 to get a free fishing license. I wish Cuomo was still Gov.. NYC people wanna end recreational fishing and the upstaters want us to pay for a license like they do. Every time a Boat pulls into refuel on Long Island they buy 50 -60- 100- 200 gallons of fuel and pay an enormous amount of motor fuel tax every year that goes right into the general fund. Why don't they consider that ?
 
You don’t hunt, huh? I paid $70 for my “free” lifetime hunting and freshwater fishing license when I hit 70. I figure the Albany libs will eff us all over again.
 
The state government is totally controlled by the votes from the cities. Anyone who thinks their assembly persons and senators, serving in a government catering to city dwellers, will support fishermen and hunters, without charging you for it and using the fees for the “free stuff army”, is a fool.
 
If and when this happens us true diehards will do what we have to, what concerns me the people that fish illegal already get a slap on the hand I'm not gonna get into who these people are fishing rock jetty's under bridges where ever they are they get away with so much, half of them do not even show up for there tickets and are back out there doing it again anyway guess we will see what the future brings
 
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