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cmorjoe · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 256 Location: Seymour CT.

I noticed an article in the Sunday Ct. Post this morning. In the sports section; I hope I am reading this wrong maybe you guys can shed some info and hopefully I am wrong. Our Governor wants to double the price of a fishing liscence from $20 to $40! Not only this but it said saltwater liscencse would be a charge of an additional $20. Am I the only one who is pissed off at this and are there any moves to try and block this. cmorjoe

CTBASSIN · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 175 Location: Southbury, CT

This was emailed to me last week

In the following section, not inclusive of all sportsmen fees/tags, the All Waters Fishing license is included. The DEP proposal was reasoned with minimum increase, This bill doubles fees before it is even passed. The effective date indicated, July 1, 2009, may be moved to an earlier date by making it effective on passage. Nothing is ever certain in the legislature.

Sec. 52. Section 26-28 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2009):

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the fees for firearms hunting, archery hunting, trapping and sport fishing licenses or for the combination thereof shall be as follows: (1) Resident firearms hunting license, [fourteen] twenty-eight dollars; (2) resident fishing license, [twenty] forty dollars; (3) resident marine waters fishing license, thirty dollars; (4) one-day resident marine waters fishing license, fifteen dollars; (5) resident all-waters fishing license, fifty dollars; (6) resident combination license to [firearms hunt and] fish in inland waters and firearms hunt, [twenty-eight] fifty-six dollars; [(4)] (7) resident combination license to fish in marine waters and firearms hunt, fifty dollars; ( Cool

resident combination license to fish in all waters and firearms hunt, sixty dollars; (9) resident combination license to fish in all waters and bow and arrow permit to hunt deer and small game issued pursuant to section 26-86c, as amended by this act, eighty-four dollars; (10) resident firearms super sport license to fish in all waters and firearms hunt, firearms private land shotgun or rifle deer permit issued pursuant to section 26-86a, as amended by this act, and permit to hunt wild turkey during the spring season on private land issued pursuant to section 26-48a, as amended by this act, one hundred sixteen dollars; (11) resident archery super sport license to fish in all waters, bow and arrow permit to hunt deer and small game issued pursuant to section 26-86c, as amended by this act, and permit to hunt wild turkey during the spring season on private land issued pursuant to section 26-48a, as amended by this act, one hundred four dollars; (12) resident trapping license, [twenty-five] fifty dollars; [(5)] (13) resident junior trapping license for persons under sixteen years of age, [three] fifteen dollars; [(6)] (14) junior firearms hunting license, [three] fifteen dollars; [(7)] (15) nonresident firearms hunting license, [sixty-seven] one hundred thirty-four dollars; [( Cool

] (16) nonresident inland waters fishing license, [forty] eighty dollars; [(9)] (17) nonresident inland waters fishing license for a period of three consecutive days, [sixteen] thirty-two dollars; [(10)] (1 Cool

nonresident marine waters fishing license, sixty dollars; (19) nonresident marine waters fishing license for a period of three consecutive days, twenty-four dollars; (20) nonresident all-waters fishing license, one hundred dollars; (21) nonresident combination license to firearms hunt and inland waters fish, [eighty-eight] one hundred seventy-six dollars; [and (11)] (22) nonresident combination license to fish in all waters and firearms hunt, one hundred ninety dollars; (23) nonresident combination license to fish in marine waters and firearms hunt, one hundred seventy dollars; and (24) nonresident trapping license, two hundred fifty dollars. Persons sixty-five years of age and over who have been residents of this state for not less than one year and who meet the requirements of subsection (b) of section 26-31 may be issued [a lifetime] an annual license to firearms hunt or to fish or combination license to fish and firearms hunt or a license to trap without fee. The issuing agency shall indicate on a combination license the specific purpose for which such license is issued. The town clerk shall retain a recording fee of one dollar for each license issued by him.

*ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009

The Environment Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 11: 00 A. M. in Room 1E of the LOB. Please submit 50 copies of written testimony to Committee staff one hour prior to the start of the hearing in Room 1E of the LOB. Sign-up for the hearing will begin at 9: 30 A. M. in Room 1E of the LOB and will be conducted by lottery. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for public officials. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes of testimony. Unofficial sign-up sheets have no standing with the Committee.

SUBJECT MATTER: Department of Environmental Protection Issues, Farmland Issues, Open Space [Partial List]

*H. B. No. 6371 AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Sec. 3. (d) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or any regulation adopted under this title, on and after July 1, 2009, any fee in effect pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant to any section of this title that is greater than one thousand dollars shall be increased by two hundred fifty dollars, any such fee that is greater than or equal to one hundred fifty dollars, but less than or equal to one thousand dollars, shall be increased by twenty-five per cent and rounded up to the nearest whole five-dollar increment and any such fee of less than one hundred fifty dollars shall be doubled.
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Justin · Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Farmington, CT

Our governor is trying to raise money for the state, but in reality this will have a detrimental effect on outdoor activities. Not only does she want to increase the price of sporting licenses, a ridiculous increase I might add, but the new house bill suggests that the funds raised from the sale of sporting licenses would go directly to the General Fund and NOT to the DEP. Yet another political step towards the devastation of our natural resources.

On the CT Federation website, there were links to finding your local politician to voice your opinion and try to get this absurdity voted down. All three that I talked to said they were in agreement with my opinion that it would have the opposite effect of what the governor is trying to accomplish.

I have no problem with there being an increase in the price of a sporting license, but make it reasonable, and make sure that at least the majority of the money goes towards conservation efforts.

CTBASSIN · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 175 Location: Southbury, CT

The money from licenses always went into the general fund. This will just put more money into that fund
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Fitzwater Lures- Best custom jigs on the market
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slimecoat · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1576 Location: Newington, CT.

It sucks, but if enough people don't voice their opinion we'll be paying $40 next year for a fishing license.
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Nickp · Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 708

Who cares. You dont feel like you get your moneys worth out of it?

$40. I know the vast majority of us serious fisherman get out more then 40 times a year. I must be closer to a 100.

All its gonna do is stop bucket brigade from getting liscenses (if they did) and hopefully get caught.

cmorjoe · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 256 Location: Seymour CT.

I can remember a time (when I was alot younger; and the economy was alot better) when I had about the same feelings you do nickp, unfortunatly we see things a little different when we get older. cmorjoe

Bass Addict · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:42 pm Post subject:

chuckc · Forum Police Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 1440

Stratos17 · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 372 Location: Bristol, Ct.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous! Period!! I fish and hunt in this state. Between licensing and permits I spend $200.00 a year. In some local states you would spend less being a non-resident! We have great hunting and fishing in this state, why should the sportsman of Ct. suffer for it. It's not right!!

Maybe an alternative to this could be purchasing trout tags. Kinda like buying pheasant tags. Let the trout guys buy as many tags as they want. I dont know 10 cents each. The state spends a ton of money on this fishery. It spends very very little on the bass fishery. Why should the bass fisherman pay for the trout?
Makes no sense to me. I know that this may piss off some of the trout fisherman, but for the most part that style of fishing in Ct. is "put and take"

Most bass fisherman dont "take" We put back. For the most part we are fishing for native and natural fish. We keep them that way! You should be able to fish them for free!

The state spends money on stocking based upon how many fisherman there are, licenses sold. The problem with the system now is that they have NO idea how many trout fisherman there really are.

Don't get me wrong I have trout fished before. Opening day is your best chance to get your limit or maybe right after the second or third stocking.
After the license increase it will probably be cheaper to just go by the fish at a fish market.

A day of bass fishing........is way better than a day of trout fishing.

Think about a family going to the lake to fish. forget about gas and food. A family of four with two 16 year olds. Imagine if they hunt as well.
Four combo licenses are over a hundred bucks now, plus hunting tags in the spring and fall. Holy crap!! It shouldnt be a money thing for a person not to enjoy the outdoors.

I'm not a cheap skate, I still by licenses for my children who by the way are 20 and 17. I do what ever it takes to get them into the outdoors. Like my dad did for me. This tradition will fade fast.

just my 2 cents!

slimecoat · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1576 Location: Newington, CT.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying stratos17. I have long felt like the trout guys have reaped almost all the benefits of the state funding coming from fishing licenses. I also believe that they dirty up the banks with their empty worm containers, soda and beer cans, etc., and give our sport more of a bad name than any bass fisherman ever does. I like the idea of tags or some other way of monitoring the actual trout fisherman buying licenses. I think a vast majority of the white bucket bandits have never purchased a fishing license ever. The main problem I see with creating more rules and regulations, is that there aren't enough DEP officers out there now to monitor and control these violators. How can we expect them to keep up with more regulations? They have a hard time keeping up with them now. It is basically the honor system now, it's just too bad there aren't more honorable people out there.
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Bass Addict · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:24 am Post subject:

"Why would the guys that use it more pay more? They are the same guys are buying $20,000-50,000 dollar boats, buying more gas, paying to launch more, buying more tackle, etc. You stop those guys from coming and there goes any chance for a local business to profit from fishing. When is the last time you saw 12-15 bucket fisherman go into a restaurant and drop $300-$400 tab? There should be a flat rate not matter what. If you want to fish pay the fee. Not that I agree with the price increase but I defiantly don't want to see a "welfare" system in recreational sports too."

Because they have more of an impact on the fisheries. Last time I checked the purpose of licenses wasn't to stimulate the economy but rather to protect and maintain the lakes. More fishing means more pollution, higher mortality rates and more maintenance.

It has nothing to do with welfare. It is pretty crazy to me that I am going to have to pay 40$ to take my 3 year old fishing maybe 4 times a year and the tourney guy who is fishing 100 is paying the same price. There is a big difference in the impact between the two.

Just out of curiosity, how do you know that bucket bandits haven't bought a license?
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Sorry honey, looks like we will be late again due to motor problems.

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pdcrack · Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 727 Location: Wethersfield CT

justin, i think its pretty safe to say that 99.9% of the bucket bandits do not have a liscense.... I can see your point tho however.... I dont think this issue will ever be completely solved to suit everyone, were going to have to come to some sort of consensus even if it means giving in a little bit...
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slimecoat · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1576 Location: Newington, CT.

I guess I'm just being stereotypical. I'm sure there are some of you white bucket bandits out there that play by the rules. Most that I've seen don't look like they can even spell the word "License" never mind, actually buy one. Most of them that I have witnessed, have had illegal fish in their buckets, such as a 14 inch bass at Moodus, a bass management lake, and when I asked them if they knew what a slot limit fish was they, said "a what limit ". They said " they didn't care what species or size the fish were, they all taste good". I guess that's why I have no tolerance for those that don't play by the rules.
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