Anyone thinking of not renewing their license for 2025-26?

Anyone thinking of not renewing their WA fishing license for 2025-26?

  • I will (plan to) renew my license

    Votes: 45 90.0%

  • I will (plan to) not renew my license

    Votes: 3 6.0%

  • Not sure yet

    Votes: 2 4.0%
  • Total voters
    50
I feel your pain, but there are more than just steelhead. I know....nothing like swinging up steel. I lived in Monroe from 94 to 2003. I could be making my first cast at Buck Island 15 minutes after backing out of my driveway. So I know man. But, you gotta fish!
Planter trout keep me fairly entertained March & April. Nothing like the C&R season of old, but that's been gone forever.
The bass start showing in May. There is decent to great bass fishing in LOTS of the the westside lakes.
By June you can target more bass, musky, river trout, shad and carp. Even some steelhead in a couple places.
By July you can start trying for steelhead in more places, including Oregon. I know...more $$, but they actually exist there.
By August you can start targeting salmon. It's a pink year for God's sake! You gotta buy a license just for that. Just don't tell @Stonedfish 😁
And you got SRCs all year.
You get the idea... Don't give up. Your protest won't make a damn bit of difference except get you a ticket (odds are long, but maybe).

I mean, what are you gonna do? Golf?? Which reminds me-
 
Try as they may, I won’t let WDFW kill love for fishing.
It’s not going to happen. I buy a combo license each year, but could probably get away with just buying a saltwater license as I only fish freshwater a few times per year.
Even though I’m not a big fan, I may need to travel some in the future to get some fishing fixes.
I do understand your frustration when it comes to steelhead fishing. I caught my first in 1968 and gave it up totally in 2014. That was the last time I fished for them and the last year I caught one.
SF
 
Yes, as a matter of civil disobedience. If I did it would not stop me from fishing..
You cannot offer less opportunity of poorer quality and charge more for it.
 
Nope not a consideration for me, as long as they offer one I'll buy it. I'm transitioning into full time retirement from part time and can't imagine my remaining time, as long as I can do it without Fly fishing. Yes the fishing and catching has diminished and changed in the state over my lifetime, in many cases dramatically but there are still great opportunities out there for nature, beauty, solitude and even catching. The photos I enjoy on this site of the variety of waters, landscapes and fish still available sometimes blow me away. I still manage a handful of native winters on the swing each season often without anyone breathing down my neck by operating outside the box in approach, timing etc. Salmon off the beach and lower river, dapping dry flys in tiny blue line OMJ type streams like I did when I was a kid. Last summer I did a 4 mile in/out day hike into an Alpine lake with my daughter and son in law that I first did with my pops in 73 when I was nine, I stopped midway and dapped yellow humpies in the plunge pools and pockets and couldn't keep the beautiful little trout off my line, exactly like it was 50 years ago, it was a powerful homecoming. I'm still vexed by SRC off the beach, at least finding them in numbers but that day will happen. I also buy licenses in the neighboring states for summers and some specific trout trips. Happy to still be in the game and wave a stick around.
 
My entire adult life has felt like where I love to fish closes and as soon as I find and figure out a new fishery it is gone. Then repeat. That’s 30 years now. When I do find a new fishery or spot it gets blown up with people in a year or two because they are doing the same as me. We are all nomads and our home water is closed, we are all trying to find the next green pasture so to speak.

It’s time the resource managers accepted this as a problem and opened more places to fish with greater angling restrictions to reduce impacts. I am sure the old farts will come in here and tell me I am wrong but that is what I have lived and it and it’s the only solution I can think of. Nearly all the rivers are only open for 3 months or less out of the year now. I mean come on! It’s ridiculous. They are all still as full of fish as ever in modern times based on poaching reports which is becoming more and more common; even the guides are doing it now. I don’t poach so don’t get mad at me but it’s a natural draw for angling addicts who have lost nearly everything.
 
It's too late for that consideration for me; I bought my 2025 license in March because I was fishing in April. I do resent WDFW's lack of attention to its constituency that pays the preponderance of the costs of keeping the doors open and lights on and salaries for the agency. Recreational anglers and general state taxpayers pay for most of WDFW operations, and WDFW directs most of its energy to treaty and non-treaty commercial fisheries and Canadian salmon fisheries. Pretty bass-ackwards on the economic scale, making the purchase of non-resident Idaho and Montana licenses a true bargain. I'll continue to buy a Washington fishing license because I fish in Washington despite the incredible erosion of fishing opportunity here. Now part of that diminished opportunity is due to circumstances beyond WDFW's control, and part of it is due to WDFW's inability to evolve with changing times and thinking outside their mid-20th century box.
 
I'm a Hood River resident I generally stick to the OR side and only fish in WA occasionally. If/when I do I will definitely buy another annual license.

There is no way that I can justify poaching as civil disobedience. As inept as our respective DFWs may be (and I'm not sure they necessarily are) I believe that they are acting in good faith with conservation and environmental stewardship in mind. Anyone that does that is OK by me!
 
Salmo_g said:
It's too late for that consideration for me; I bought my 2025 license in March because I was fishing in April. I do resent WDFW's lack of attention to its constituency that pays the preponderance of the costs of keeping the doors open and lights on and salaries for the agency.
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This ^^^

I am disappointed that the "SB 5583 - 2025-26 Concerning recreational fishing and hunting licenses" Final Bill Report (pdf) appears to eliminate a Veterans disability discount I had squeaked in under but retains a significant combination fishing license seniors discount. But it's still a bargain.
Steelhead has not been a big thing for me as my "goal oriented" nature; a nice way of saying impatience, or ADD could not retain the motivation needed for the first 999 casts of "the fish of a thousand casts", along with the second 999 casts (+repeat).
Plus it was self-justified by the sharp decline of abundance in the early 1980s and beyond.

As a result my interest moved to
iveofione said:
....seek out your own Curtis Creek.
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I have three where I rarely encounter anyone else, and some additional nearby year-round opportunities.

Salmo_g said:
I'll continue to buy a Washington fishing license because I fish in Washington despite the incredible erosion of fishing opportunity here.
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Also this ^^^ It's still more than a pastime despite the erosion.
 
I should have answered Chris’ question instead of bitching; it’s just too easy to bitch on this topic. Honestly the main reason I buy my freshwater license now is so that I can take my son fishing for stockers and bass and the only other freshwater fishery I partake in is the Skagit CnR which is likely doomed due to budget. If I didn’t have my son, I would probably just fish the salt nowadays and who the fuck knows how long that will last. It seems like just about all the river gurus I know have bought salt boats and given up on the rivers. Salt is going fast better get it while you can! WDFW is going to shut it all down because too much pressure since it’s the only thing left and even salt is nothing like it was 10 years ago, not even close.
 
This question does make me laugh a bit.

If I added up the $$$$$ in boats, trailers, fishing-specific vehicle, rods, reels, lines, waders, boots, fly tying materials, tying desk, fishing-specific clothing, tanks of gas, patched and replaced tires, campsite and lodging fees, and the fact that I retired 15 years early from a lucrative career that I enjoyed, specifically so I could fish more before I'm too old...
Yeah, I'm gonna cough up $70 for a license!
 
Northern said:
This question does make me laugh a bit.

If I added up the $$$$$ in boats, trailers, fishing-specific vehicle, rods, reels, lines, waders, boots, fly tying materials, tying desk, fishing-specific clothing, tanks of gas, patched and replaced tires, campsite and lodging fees, and the fact that I retired 15 years early from a lucrative career that I enjoyed, specifically so I could fish more before I'm too old...
Yeah, I'm gonna cough up $70 for a license!
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Interesting...I also retired 15 years early from a lucrative career that I loved...I told myself that I did it so I could spend more time fishing...but the truth is so I can spend more time doing what my wife tells me to do...
 
Brute said:
Interesting...I also retired 15 years early from a lucrative career that I loved...I told myself that I did it so I could spend more time fishing...but the truth is so I can spend more time doing what my wife tells me to do...
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I too had my fishing the 'honey hole' replaced by the 'honey-do' list.

So I am buying a boat that I can man-handle myself tomorrow so I have the excuse that I need to check it out (frequently)...
 
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As frustrating as the loss of opportunity is I don't fish just for salmon. When I was first getting started I would spend more time on beaches looking for cutthroat than looking for salmon. I think there may come a time where I don't buy a freshwater license though, but at the moment I still want to try several stillwater fisheries, and while we have the ability to fish for them locally salmonids. As it slowly goes away I may resort to buying short term licenses for 1 or 2 freshwater trips a year
 
Brute said:
Interesting...I also retired 15 years early from a lucrative career that I loved...I told myself that I did it so I could spend more time fishing...but the truth is so I can spend more time doing what my wife tells me to do...
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Interesting... I've been married >30 years and have NEVER had to ask my husband to do a chore that needed doing (and vice versa) before he goes out to play.
It's like we're fully functioning adults or something* 😉

*I normally stay off my feminist soapbox here in Testoroville, but directing THIS tired old saw at one of the only chicks on here deserved a back atcha!
 
Northern said:
Interesting... I've been married >30 years and have NEVER had to ask my husband to do a chore that needed doing (and vice versa) before he goes out to play.
It's like we're fully functioning adults or something* 😉

*I normally stay off my feminist soapbox here in Testoroville, but directing THIS tired old saw at one of the only chicks on here deserved a back atcha!
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Generally speaking, it usually has nothing to do with chores…
 
@Northern - your perspective is always welcome here. My wife, bless her, has never said 'do this before your go'. More likely, you need to go fishing 'soon'.

As @Brute says, it is not chores. Mine are projects taking weeks or more to finish one. Last year it was building a metal 2-car carport, painting the house and rebuilding a landing. Other years it has been rebuilding/replacing 1500 sq. ft. of decks, finishing off the 1600 sq. ft. of daylight basement, remodeling the master bath, etc. It has allowed us save 10's of thousands of dollars and adding value to our place. Result ---> retired early :)
 
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