Why?

Why not?

I will not be buying a license.

Tomorrow for the 2nd year in a row I will be turning in a catch card with not a single salmon punched on it. And this is also the 2nd year in a row I didn't make a single cast for either a salmon or a steelhead.

Saturday I drove out to Banks lake to find it frozen so I continued on to Burke lake and caught a quick limit of trout. Although I love catching and eating trout they just are not worth my time and money. As I sat soaking a nugget I got to wondering if this was the last day I'd ever fish in the state of Washington . Until I can buy just a lake license for cheap I will not be buying another license.

Fishing is my first love and is how I met most of my friends so this is a very sad day for me indeed!

The big test of my resolve will be when the alpine lakes melt out sometime in late July and I get hungry for a trout. Will I be able to leave my trout rod at home? We will see but till then...............

.......fuckem!!!

I will be buying an annual BC freshwater license and steelhead stamp again this year. If they ever open up the C&R seasons on the S'rivers again maybe they will get me to buy a license. I haven't even been out after searuns in the last 2 years because of all the river closures. Living less than 5 minutes from the Stilly the minimal amount of searun fishing I used to do was enough to keep me buying the license but now I can't even rely on that. So yeah, F'em!

I will. But only because my drift boat will become a trout fishing party barge for friends and family. Regardless of the politics, most of my best days have included a body of water. Fish or no fish, i'm not ready to let go of that.

I have plans for Wyoming. For WA, if I can find some interesting places (to me and my preferences aren't mainstream) then I'll buy one here. If not, I know we're spending more time in CA, where I have some spots staked out, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Australia, Yellowstone, and maybe AK so the opportunities are out there.

Probably will buy deer and maybe waterfowl if I am in the state in Sept and Oct. The deer is mostly for the weekend with some great friends (the landowners).

If there was a cheap C&R freshwater license I am sure I'd get one of those.

I'll be buying one and likely always will.
I haven't fished for steelhead in three years and don't see it happening again soon, but I probably fish more now then I ever have.
The species I fish for have changed, but some that are pretty cool and fun to target.

Though fishing isn't what it used to be, it is still a release valve and keeps me on an even keel. You'd probably be reading my obit soon if I didn't fish.

Being on the beach yesterday morning at 6:00 with just the eagles keeping me company was a pretty good feeling. I fished four other beaches and didn't see another soul fishing. Fishing was pretty good as well.

Salmon and steelhead are certainly the gold standard. If they are the only species a person likes to fish for, I can easily see why and can't blame them for not buying a license.
As hard as they try, WDFW hasn't broken me yet.
SF

Maybe not. Bought one last year to crab a little, one evening salmon fishing, and one day winter steelhead fishing.

Going to buy my Oregon out of state license online next month.

No. This will be the 2nd year in a row of no WA license. There are alot of fishing opportunities that don't revolve around salmon and steelhead, but i feel like overall management in WA is a joke, therefore I will continue to buy licenses in the surrounding states.

It's funny how WA best anadruomous fishery(Columbia) is centered around catching hatchery fish that were released by neighboring states.

Look on the bright side.....it's a humpy year

you Bet!

While I don't fish steelhead much any more and the salmon fishing has been in decline still find plenty of opportunities for salmon , kokanee, various trout, shellfish, and warm water species that I typically spend approximately 100 days a year fishing.

Even better I turned 70 today so when I buy my new license tomorrow it will cost at least $55 less!

curt

Welcome to the 70s! I hit that in November so have already enjoyed purchasing my 2017 license at the lower cost. Sure felt good! Now, if I can only find some salt water salmon opportunities this year in P.S. and make more of an effort on ling and coonstripe shrimp in Possession Sound.

HBD Curt. Thanks for all that you do to contribute to this board!

WDFW and I are keeping it together for the kids...

I'm going fishing. Not gonna miss ya's.

And, being way over 70, it's a cheap thrill!

fp

Wooly Bully thanks!

fp -
I agree but then it sure beats the hell out of the alternative!!

Curt

I already have bought the new license.

Happy Birthday Curt!!!

"I fish, therefore I am"....

Yes, I'll buy.......born in Washington State, before WWII....have fished since I was 4 or 5....caught 1st steelhead in 1965, on a fly while fishing for sea run cutthroat...that got me hooked on "big fish".

Teaching career started in Aberdeen, salmon, steelhead, sea run, off the beach ocean fishing became very much apart of my life..

Got to fish "the old days", in Grays Harbor before Bolt Decision, before all the gill netting got carried away, before steelhead were netted at all. Before the rivers were jammed with drift boats, jet boats and guides EVERYWHERE !!!!!!!

Old, old, old, so its cheap for the license.....

I am pissed that I won't be able to fish Chehalis Springers, but QIN and Chehalis tribe will be able to net on them......grrrrrrrrr

I got my money's worth for my 2016 license, which was inexpensive considering all the fun I had with my friends and family...

-Wild Steelhead C&R on the Humptulips in February/March 2016
-Caught a few Spring Chinook outta the drift boat Kalama April/May 2016
-Fishing with buddies for trout Cottage Lake May 2016
-Neah Bay was rough weather for the Memorial Day halibut opener but we got out and caught some flat-siders & lingcod.
-Westport bottomfish trip in May yielded limits of rockfish & lingcod.
-June 17 I caught my earliest Albacore for the season
-Late June Skykomish opener there were plenty of summer kings & steelhead around and we found a few.
-July we had plenty of crab cookouts thanks to area 9/10
-Buoy 10 trip with coworkers to Buoy 10 was fun
-Westport Tuna trip in August was tough fishing but glad I went.
-Fished mouth of the Lewis for the first time and we caught a couple.
-A few Snohomish coho trips, a few nice fish I think October?
-A shotload of weekend road trips to the Humptulips in October/November with the drift boat.
-Great fishing for hatchery steelhead on the coast December

Last year was a turbulent time for fisheries management, but I always say you get out what you put in.

I respect your choice if you don't buy a license because you won't use it, but I don't respect negative online posts that will deter others from fishing because you weren't happy because of politics. There were plenty of great opportunities in 2016 and this years should be even better!

Yeah, I'm buyin'

People are willing to spend $50/month on Internet access to bitch about how it isn't worth $50/year to fish. I eat self-caught seafood 2 or 3 days a week and I'm a homebody that barely qualifies as a weekend warrior anymore. I feel for the Puget Sound crowd that has been largely shut down locally but if you are willing to travel a bit and play the seasons, opportunities abound. And that is before you even hit the east side of the state.

Fishing has ups and downs. Even with that plus work and a family I get salmon steelhead tuna bottomfish crab and other opportunities each year. It often isn't great fishing but is always a good time. And it's getting better as my kids get more able.

Like doc, yeah, I'm buyin'. X4 in my case

Oh yeah, what's a few more dollars to throw in the crick? Besides have to have an excuse to get out of dodge once in a while.

Have you looked at the Seafood Prices in the store? Yes, I'll be buying a license, I feed my family year round with it. The only thing I ever buy in the store are 15/20 Scallops.