Region Specific Fishing License??

[Pilar]

Is anyone else out there sick of the crowds at the fishin hole of your choice? I sure am!!!!!!!!!

What if the licensing of fishers was similar to the restricted hunts east of the cascades? Years ago I quit hunting over there due to the swarm factor. People would literally invade a few areas, rendering them useless to the residents and the hunters too.

I don't know how to apply this to sports fishing. Here is a thought though. Every fisher picks a river system, bay or area of the state and the license is only good for that area. I'm thinking that it would prevent the invasion and pressure that ruins so many once great fisheries.

So many of the issues on this board center around competition, excessive fishing pressure and unethical, unsportsmanlike conduct. I'm just trying to figure out a way to reduce the pressure and make the river time more enjoyable!

Any thoughts on this?

The bend is your friend!

[roadsend]

I agree, as long as no drawing was involved. I live where I live because of the outdoor oportunities and I would hate to have to travel a long distance to fish.

[Phish_on]

Doesn't work for me. I want to fish the whole state.

[Pilar]

Hey Petermac, you know there's a juicy one in every can-o-worms. I think you hit it right on. What if there was one strike, your out? Snag a salmon in my river and get caught and you lose your priviledges for a year? a lifetime?

That way we could eliminate the people that make us grind our teeth in frustration and reduce the pressure on the resource at the same time.

I was thinking more like a choice made by the sportsperson when the license is purchased. Like the east/west deer hunting tag used to be. Only problem is most people would chose a certain few areas.

Let's dress the snaggers and car break-in experts in work crew orange coveralls and put them on a chain gang. They can walk the tide flats and pick up the seaweed in Tillamook bay at low tide every day. That gets them off of my river and I won't have to do a bait check as often when trolling T-Bay.

The bend is your friend!

[Bait O' Eggs]

pilar
I would rather use them as live crab bait. (alive at least when the pot when down) Wouldnt even need a rope and float, no reason to pull them back up.

I like the concept of your regional fishing license/tag. The bulk of the fishing is West, so West would have to be broke into several small areas. The areas would be so small you could fish the Trask but not the Wilson . Then the land owner preference system would tick a lot of people off. The hunting lottery system works for hunting, because their is a lot more huntable land than their is fishable water in a state system (even on a planet that is 2/3 water). The point system for hunting helps guarantee that you will get to hunt sooner or later in an area. How many preference points would you need to accumulate to fish Bouy 10?

I think it would be easier to make more rivers than implement your system. Making more rivers is impossible, getting rid of the "other" people is not politicaly correct . I guess we can just continue to brainstorm. I dont have the solution.

[PeterMac]

Pilar, how you doing? A couple thoughts on your idea -

Sounds expensive. The reason I say that is that the number of total sportsmen is not likely to change, so the fee would have to be equal to the current state wide fee, and if you wanted to fish inter-region you would have to buy another tag at the going rate?

Also, I agree with roadsend in that the only way the suggestion could reduce the amount of pressure in an area would be to limit the number of licenses. Therefor a lottery, first come first serve, or other system would need to be in place, which could eliminate people from fishing their local waters... That would be a drag!

Reduce pressure. Tough one. You could make licenses more expensive, but that would not be fair to people with fewer means. Limit number of rods per stretch, like England? Or maybe a daily permit with a limit on number of days per person, per week for a particular area?

Eliminate the AS^$&#S? Ah yes. More law enforcement, stiffer penalties, more effective community policing. Problem there is as soon as they ask for the money for enforcement, we as taxpayers always run!

I am not knocking the idea, it just think it would be difficult to formulate, administer and enforce. However, I do think that our licensing costs are pretty low now, and would be willing to pay more if I had to.

Can-o-worms Pilar.

Enough rambling for me.....

PeterMac

[Phish_on]

My solution to overcrowding - -
everyone who wasn't born in Oregon has to leave.

I've been informed this is politically incorrect, also.

[wildwild]

Anyone who thinks that I don't have the same rights here as a "native" Oregonian, just because I moved here after I retired from the Army can kiss my ass..
Is that politcally correct?

[Bait O' Eggs]

pilar
giving this some more thought, how about the same way the state runs the campground reservations now. Figure out how many people can fish a hole on a day and people can make reservations until the slots are all full. A small fee would keep people from reserving every spot every day. Once the spots are full you are SOL. Every body gets to reserve one spot per day ???? No need to launch in the dark and be first.

Would be a pain, but would limit overcrowding. Private land owners would have to do their own reservation system. This would only work on public land. This wouldnt cost us more than any other state ran operation. Dig deep in your pockets folks.

Interesting idea HB. I have a hunch that there would only be fishers with Ifish decals or patches left fishing . Now that would be cool! - RT

[wak'm&stak'm]

I think we are doomed to crowds, factory the growth of the state, then and the lands behind increasing lock gates. Then add ODFW regulatoins that push us into a small quota based fisheries.
"Go west young man go west" Yesyerday I and RJ went to the rock pile, southend and fished 3 hours and caught a 16 pound chinooks, 3 silvers and missed a couple of deep fish (chinooks?) maybe. A charter boat has been limiting out about everyday.
I am getting side track......I would have been happier if I was alllowed to catcht 6 ocean caught coho over a 3 month period rather than 20 of the little buggers in JUly in the first come first serve quota system.
I fortunantly hardly get weekends off and always fish weeekday which does help.
Good Luck on finding answers, I still think it will be limited to the rich and outlaws the way it is going and I will probably be the latter.

[HOGTIDE]

One of my favorite aspects of fishing is the opportunity to fish different regions throughout the northwest. I often get tired of the Columbia, even when I 'm doing well, and head down to the Rogue for an entirely different type of fishery. I get burned out on the 'green' side of the Cacades and head over to the Deschutes for some hot country fastwater fishing. More specific regulations, I believe, would only encumber our opportunities, style and enjoyment of fishing. I'm afraid the restrictions that we would create to give ourselves a higher quality fishing experience today, are the same ones that would jump up and bite us at a later time. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "the government that governs least, governs best." Whoa, editor feel free to delete this entire reply...I got way to serious...I'm even quoting a Democrat!

[garyk]

I've found crowds to be a self-limiting phenomena. When its too busy folks go elsewhere. You might not get your favorite spot, but second choice is usually an option.

When the Oyster House hole looks like a marina, scoot up one of the three rivers there. It's not too hard to find elbow room - and I'm particularly "crowd adverse".

I'm continually amazed at (in Oregon at least) how easy it is in outdoor sports to leave the crowds behind. Time and again, the last couple years, I've found myself in a great place and just marveled -- "Here I am in a state with 3-million other folks, and I'm the only one who opted to come here at this moment and enjoy all this. What a great place to live".
And indeed it is.

Reflections:
- Wildwild, your choice of words may not have been politically correct (or best choice for the BB here), but your words sure were correct!

- Hogtide, was T. Jeff. a Demo? That quote sure sounds GOP.

- Gary, I share your preferences for fishing away from the crowds. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to in order to catch fish, but not always. There are still a few uncrowded places left around Oregon that produce salmon and steelhead. I'd much rather relax my way into a fish than crowd my way into 2 fish! - RT

[happybrew]

BOE, I like the idea of a reservation system, but it would be a bear to administer. Maybe leave a few waters open to non-reservation that don't have such a large crowd, and if not all spots are reserved, leave it for open registration for first-come first-served. But how would you prevent someone from reserving spots on all the rivers and going to the one with the best water conditions or the best bite, thereby taking spots from others? Someone and his buddies could theoretically take a huge chunk of water out of commission, and only fishing one spot. And how would you prevent congestion at certain spots? I've seen the South Santiam packed near the deadline, and almost nothing downriver.

I think the best option would be for ifish members to have the power to arbitrarily ban bozos from fishing for life. If we don't like 'em, they're out, no questions asked. If they snag, they're crab bait, no questions asked. If they're rude, if they're inconsiderate, they are banned and their faces posted in all the news media, no questions asked. If they drink unapproved brands of beer, they're out, banned for life, no questions asked. I think we really need to start working on that Jennie/RT ticket for the upcoming election so we can make this a reality!

happybrew

[wildwild]

RT..
I apologise for my choice of words..
But the sentiment stands.
I will be going to PC on Wednesday. My first time trying the combat fishing. My neighbor, who goes there often, has already warned me that I need to grow a lot thicker skin if I am to go and not get arrested. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Dennis

[wak'm&stak'm]

Hey wildwild take a deep breath (that is what they always tell me to do). There maybe those who go off about people who are new to the area, but they are few and far between now days.
I have been here my whole life and I don't look down my nose at anyone. Sure the ole days were differant but we still have a lot of wide open spaces compared to most the country. In fact I used to like to go fish the Kenai and Ninilchik area in Alaska, but after the last trip in 99' I will not go back to that area becuase of the crowds and how commercial it is now.
You picked a nice area to settle down and welcome to it.
Take the Sietz river for example, the north fork was once up to bait, then it was fly fishing, now it is no fishing, NOW it is close above the falls. And you can't keep chinooks above buck creek. All in all they took about 30 miles of river away from us. Also now GP only unlocks the gate on weekends, they are terrible nieghbors and I can say this because I have worked for them for 25 years and understand their bulls**t.
Anyway, I tried to fish the gorge several time and turned around because there was not a empty rock. Yes it has changed and but is not yours or anyones fault. I blame the ODFW more than anyone, they want to sell tags (even if they close the seasons and quotas early), but have they done a damn thing open more water up, hell NO. Instead they limit more areas and force crowded conditions with more regulations &*&%$^**^%##@&...... NOw I have to go take some deep breaths......before I start with hunting regs and 6000 doe tags in the Alsea unit.