ok im out fishing and some where along the way i drop my punch card. no big deal i, ill just pick one up at teds on the way home. i get to teds and they say that my new punch isnt valid for steelhead and sturgeon. so what do i do? does this mean that i cant fishsteelhead until april? there has to be a way to get a new valid one. please help me. WHAT DO I DO?

The way I understand it is how you stated it. I think your s*** outa luck, although you might try to contact the WDFW and see what they have to say.

You have to pay the license duplicate fee to get another valid punch card for steel/sturg ect. Ask the dealer behind the computer for a "duplicate." It should print out as your #1 catch record card. #2,#3 and beyond say "not valid for steelhead and sturgeon" on them. $10 and your set.
I guess the wdfw expects you to be able to reproduce your previous tallies on the new one for the sake of data. (Identical to the tallies on the one you lost.)
Cheaper than loosing your drivers license though!

start by going somewhere other than Ted's for a license. If Mike doesn't have the "out of order" sign on the computer he can come up with many other reasons why not to help with licenses. Fred Meyer is a lot more impartial. Or go online if you can.

Does that mean if I was to fill up my current Steelhead punch-card (in my wildest dreams, of course) that no additional card would be available?

IE: Fill up a card and your done?

Mike

Doesn't make much sense the way things are set up....you can get up to three punch cards (for salmon), but only one for steelhead.....yet WDFW puts everything on the same card and ....hmmmmm

There is a good reason behind all of the perceived madness on the part of WDFW.

There is an ANNUAL limit on steelhead (30) and sturgeon (10 now but may be 5 next year)

Without this safeguard, what's to stop Joe Blow from filling his steelhead/sturgeon annual limit and then claiming "Oops I lost my punchcard, can I have another?" Then going out and doing it all over again.

There is no annual limit on salmon. That's why you can buy additional SALMON punch cards. (as many as you like I believe?)

Would you rather carry 4 (or more) individual cards in your license holder (salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut) and have your license fees increased to cover the cost of administering the printing and collection of all of the cards?

Or have the process simplified by condensing them all into one primary card like it is now for less cost?

4Salt:

If you persist in using logic and facts in your posts I'm going to argue with you anymore.

OK Dave, I'll stop!

Have you been out for hatchery winter's at all?

Yup, 30 steelies annual limit, and 10 sturgeon.