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License confusion...

3K views 34 replies 26 participants last post by  freestoneangler 
#1 ·
I stopped by Cabela’s today to pick up my 2013 fishing license and since I’m not sure what I need, I go by to the Fly Fishing area to get some advice. I told the guy I would be fishing Puget Sound beaches for Sea Run Cuts and fresh water streams/lakes in both Eastern and Western Washington. He told me I only need the Freshwater license. I asked about the adder for the Columbia River and its tributaries and he told me I didn’t need that.

Is it true I don’t need a saltwater license? I want to be sure

Also – since every river on the east side eventually runs into the Columbia don’t I need the adder for the Columbia and its tributaries??

Thanks to everyone for the education :)
 
#9 ·
And, don't forget the Discover Pass. You only need it at certain sites, but do you really want to do the research every time you get a chance to chase fish someplace? Basically, my WA resident licenses, fishing only and no shellfish, cost me $92 if I remember right last year. By contrast, my annual nonresident license in Montana is $70, including the sportsman tag. But, hey, Montana doesn't have the great trout fishing we do........wait, forget that part.
 
#12 ·
Don't know about Ranier but the national parks are inconsistent. Glacier says go fishing, Yellowstone has a license and a boat pass for toons, tubes and boats. And, In YNP, you cannot float the rivers (unless of course you fell and are now acting as "driftwood". I'd get on the website for each park you intend to fish.
 
#17 ·
haha washington is ridiculous with licenses even tabs. I would just get the combo like a couple people said you dont know where the year will take you. and you might want to look into a discovery pass now to most parks require one and most lakes i dont get where all this money is going we should have a better wildlife program than alaska and montana put together ;/
 
#18 ·
i dont get where all this money is going we should have a better wildlife program than alaska and montana put together ;/
I suspect what you mean here is that, with the fees we pay, our F&W program should be much better than other states where people pay less. However, that's a pretty naive view.

The cost of maintaining a healthy F&W program in states with much larger areas of intact habitat and many, many fewer people (e.g., MT or AK), is going to be much less than to try to maintain some sort of F&W program in a state, such as WA, where the impact of development and hordes of people have left fragmented and decimated habitat and populations of fish and wildlife. We're lucky we're paying no more than we are, given the destructive practices we (yes, all of us are to blame...) have wrought on this state in the slightly over 100 years of statehood.

D
 
#19 ·
Its still cheaper than playing golf or most other hobbies... I will say that I fucking hate the fact I have to buy a Discover Pass though.. at the very least we should get discounted ones since we buy fishing / hunting licenses!

I'm going to look through the reg's, but I believe you were given the right info on sea run's, you can fish for them in the salt with just your freshwater license... I don't think the same applies to pinks, coho's, etc.. time to call the flipping lawyers!

What's the difference between a dead lawyer and a dead snake on the highway?






There are skid marks in front of the dead snake! :cool:
 
#31 ·
Its still cheaper than playing golf or most other hobbies... I will say that I fucking hate the fact I have to buy a Discover Pass though.. at the very least we should get discounted ones since we buy fishing / hunting licenses!

I'm going to look through the reg's, but I believe you were given the right info on sea run's, you can fish for them in the salt with just your freshwater license... I don't think the same applies to pinks, coho's, etc.. time to call the flipping lawyers!

What's the difference between a dead lawyer and a dead snake on the highway?

There are skid marks in front of the dead snake! :cool:
Haha man, not sure the difference with the whole lawyer thing! I do know one thing, it is a hit in the wallet here for fishing - especially for a non-resident. I like that is AK you buy one fishing license for everything, except for a nominal price for a king stamp. Crazy here that you need to buy a salt, fresh, and additional stamps - ect ect. Although my Comlumbia River Trib stamp was worth in in the fact that I got my first WA steelie! Anyway, I guess rules are rules and I would rather pay the upfront cost than get caught without the proper license for the fish I was chasing...
 
#23 ·
Since trout are listed in the marine area rules, I would think that you would need a saltwater license. A call or email to WDFW should get your question answered.
Don't try to make it any worse that it is. If that was the case the folks over on the dry side would have to but a license that they would never use. You all have way to many licenses on fish that don't exist. Steelhead for one. I think that is just somebody's pipe dream.
 
#21 ·
Buy a saltwater license if you're fishing the salt. Buy a columbia endorsement if you're fishing a river connected to the columbia. You can use your finger to trace it on a map. Go really slow, it's wildly confusing and actually very scary to have to look at a map. So big.... so many folds. HARD 2 REED!!!1

Anyone having serious trouble with figuring out what license to get... please PM me your social security number, bank account #, routing number, and mother's maiden name. I will be happy to straighten it all out for you.
 
#33 ·
Buy a saltwater license if you're fishing the salt. Buy a columbia endorsement if you're fishing a river connected to the columbia. You can use your finger to trace it on a map. Go really slow, it's wildly confusing and actually very scary to have to look at a map. So big.... so many folds. HARD 2 REED!!!1

Anyone having serious trouble with figuring out what license to get... please PM me your social security number, bank account #, routing number, and mother's maiden name. I will be happy to straighten it all out for you.
Are you being sarcastic again? I'm never sure.
 
#22 ·
I actually don't think the licenses are that hard to figure out:

If you fish in Salt water, buy the salt license.
If you fish in freshwater, buy the fresh license.
Take a look through the regs and decide whether you think there is a chance that you will fish one of the rivers that requires the columbia river endorsement--they are clearly marked.

I'd say that the licenses are one of the easier parts of the regs to understand. Openings and closures and special rules, etc are the more difficult part.

That seems pretty straightforward to me. I can't imagine they would allow you to fish for SRC in the salt without a salt license. It seems that anyone fishing the salt could just say that they are fishing for SRCs and never bother to buy the salt license--if they hooked a salmon or other fish, they could say it was an "accident." That doesn't make sense.

Jason
 
#25 ·
I'm doing some salt water fishing in Florida as a non-resident. It is interesting to note the differences from Washington. The salt water regulations are about 2 pages, of course they have a lot more species here to list. If you live here and are 65, your salt/fresh water fishing license is FREE!
 
#26 ·
Yeah, what Jason Rolfe said!

Just look at page 6 of the regs. It says:

Freshwater License: Allows you to fish in freshwater areas only (optional catch record card included; catch record card requirements on page 8).

Saltwater License: Allows you to fish in saltwater areas only (optional catch record card included; catch record card requirements on page 8).

It's not rocket science, folks! (Well, maybe a bunch of the other convoluted regs are but licensing's pretty straightforward!)
 
#30 ·
Thanks for all of the feedback people. I went back and got the Saltwater license and punch card to go along with the freshwater license. The Columbia and it's tributaries adder pertains to salmon and steelhead fishing only on the east side. I wont be doing that so......
 
#32 ·
The Columbia and it's tributaries adder pertains to salmon and steelhead fishing only on the east side. I wont be doing that so......

Not totally true! Many of the Columbia River tributaries that require a salmon/steelhead endorsement are in western WA:

 
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