Time to think about getting your new license for 2019/20.

Nice idea BUT No Thanks! I'll take my $$$ elsewhere like I have for the past 4 years!

One thing to consider, at least with the fishing license, is to buy single day licenses if you want to go out. I did this a could years when all I did was hit Kennedy and Minter creeks a time or two.

Used to be I would buy hunting and fishing licenses (and tags) early on the supposition that I would go. Now, I will buy them the day before the trip.

It'd be interesting to see 2 pie charts:

One pie chart showing the income for WDFW

and

2nd pie chart showing the expenses for WDFW

then let consumers/public, decide where/if... they want to spend their $$$$


Old saying "you get what you pay for"......not sure this is true when dealing with WDFW, might be closer to "pay more, get less" !!!!!!!

I am thinking that if WDFW presented income, it would show Licenses, Federal, WA GF, Mitigation (local), dedicated funds like special licenses. This makes license sales look like a small piece of the pie.

But, in the Fed money is DJ and PR that is tied to license sales as it comes from a tax on hunting and fishing gear. Plus, each DJ/PR three dollars matches one state dollar. Lose license sales (and I think it sales (number) and not actual income) and there is a big loss in available money as the state pays for only 1/4 of each person supported by DJ/PR.

Carcassman:

My comment was to find out how many "think we are getting our money's worth"...…

When I take a look at the salaries of WDFW from the 2015-16 budget, I'm sure they have gone up since then...…. less fish, WDFW personnel no decrease maybe even increased, gillnets back in the Columbia ????, Cowlitz fish are less numbers, sure don't feel that is a good use of "sports dollars"... IMO

We're getting what we're willing to be involved in. The policy folks are making some "odd" decisions, for sure.

The sporties are getting the short end but there are a lot of reasons that eventually will get back to just how involved folks want to get and what exactly do they want.

Want wild fish? Less hatcheries. More fish to catch, less wilds. More ocean fishing? Comply with ESA and MMA? Limit/reduce human population? There is a lot going on, it's pretty complex, and there will be winners and losers.

One of the things I think WDFW needs to do is to hold meetings where they will actually model the "desired" fishery. Say the WB folks line out the fishery they want. What kind of run size is needed and what kind of outside fisheries at current runs? We all want something, but there seems to be no effort expended by WDFW to show just what that would involve.

Drifter-
The following has some of what you are asking for

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/budget/graphics/2-17-2019/slide1.jpg

I'll buying a new license next though I understand why there is a growing resistance from many to continue buying licenses - decrease salmon opportunities across the state, decreasing steelhead opportunities, continuing expansion of game fish closures on anadromous rivers, etc. Still have decent kokanee and lake fishing and I find enough shellfish and limited other opportunities to once again buy a license
Curt

Count me among those whose resistance to buying a new license has about topped out!

Senior citizen here...… I don't hunt so you know what it costs me to do the "fish, clam, license"....

I really feel for the family man, has children, and works 4/5 days a week. Would like to take family fishing......more people fishing, less to fish for and if he is a bank fisherman, just less area for family to try to fish,,,

Heaven help this same family man if he likes to hunt....priced out....

What is the "long range" problem for WDFW.....Dad gets pissed, kids lose interest, …. fishing loses another bunch of license funding, hunting loses license.....downward spiral for funding but bigger "hands outs" to reach into public dole for fancy buildings and always increase salary rises.....if WDFW employees, better hope you are close to retirement !!!!!!

My concern about getting new participants is, with fishing, the emphasis on boats. Personally, I have ever been much of a boat fisherman. Most of it is boring, plus there is seasickness. WA has a lot of great fisheries but they are almost all boat-based; ocean salmon, PS salmon, OD lakes, walleye, kokanee, drift boat steelhead, and so on.

Who is going to start out, from ground zero, if you need a boat?

As to the mindset of WDFW, when I started out things like "Opening Day" were a "Really Big Deal". Not only was there a lot of press, press releases, and news clips but on OD much of the staff was out at the lakes doing creek checks, which were duly reported in the papers. This staff was office staff, bios, administrators, and so on because it was recognized that the agency ran on license sales and this event was one of the big sellers. I'm pretty sure that few in upper echelons do OD checks any more; just another disconnect from the stakeholders.

Carcassman:

I remember the "WDFW Old Days", with lots of news, new papers, radio, coverage. Many of the lakes in Region 6 had trout derby 's for the kids...my boys spent time at Lake Aberdeen, still have the pics from 35-40 years ago.


In my youth, 40's and 50's...lots of hours were spent at Lake Meridian. Shadow Lake, and others in the Kent area....then I moved to Redmond, in the 50's, Cottage Lake became my Lake of choice.....and Bear Creek.


I agree that so much of the Washington waters, take some kind of boat. I saw the advantage of a boat when my career started in Grays Harbor....took me 7 years before I could get my own boat....14', 15 hp prop boat that allowed me to fish areas that I couldn't get to. Chehalis for salmon and sea run cutthroat, all the other tide water areas that I could go with a prop, added drift boat and more rivers were accessible. Late 80's, added a cheap jet boat....

I love fishing from the bank BUT bad knees and older age limits my ability to "walk the river banks". No boat during salmon and winter seasons, no fishing for me!!!! Wish I could turn back time...my out look on types of fishing would change.....I'd love to walk the gated off areas of rivers, but just can't....

Just killed me, not to be able to launch at the lower boat launch, on the Satsop, for Coho and winter steelhead..... grrrrr to major river changes,

I am also collecting years and unstable legs. Still, a nice stream (obviously not on western WA with a reasonably open bank is what I like. Wade a little, rock hop a little. Farm pond with open banks....

I had a pontoon boat and tried it a couple times on some local lakes. Just took too much time to set up, take down, and catch nothing.

Address doesn't work for me..... Kinda like WDFW/QIN, information...doesn't work in Region 6....

Does anything work in Region 6??
t

I am opting out. Been buying the full pachage fishing license required to do all of my favorite stuff every year for at least 25 or maybe even 45 years or more...it is no longer a good Investment. I did it to help pay for good stewardship of the resource even if I didn’t directly benefit for all of it. No more. Done.

I'm wondering...…..

I'll buy my f@$%!&# license again. I know it, the rest of you know it, and (here's the problem, folks) WDFW knows it. Hell of a racket they're running....

Does anybody know the probable cost of a ticket if you're fishing without a license? If you don't have any fish, just fishing, like in a lake? I'M NOT ADVOCATING INTENTIONALLY FISHING WITHOUT A LICENSE, JUST CURIOUS.

I don't think advocating for fishing without a license, which sounds a lot like advocating for poaching, will change the views at WDFW.