Fishing license

[Gunlove5656]

I’ve never understood the need or reason the GOV can require people to have something like a fishing license especially if they’re just catch and release like myself.

[Whisper]

Careful there, Gunlove.  When you start asking questions like this, the next step will be asking why the .gov requires a license to braid hair.  Then you're going to start looking at other things the .gov does that have no purpose other than to take money from citizens.  And the thing that elected officials fear more than anything else is people asking, "Why does my government do this?"

Quite down and get back into line, or no Soylent Green for you. 

Cheers,

Whisper

 

 

[gregintenn]

The same reason I have to buy a boat registration and then pay at the dock to launch said boat. And pay gas tax on the fuel burned in said boat although it has never touched a road.

 

You gotta pay your fair share, man!

[RED333]

Because we have to send BILLIONS, hell TRILLIONS over seas to people that want to kill us!

[Garufa]

The fees paid for a TN fishing license have nothing to do with overseas.

They are to support wildlife management in the State which needs even more support now that they repealed the measly 10 cent a box ammo tax we used to have.

[monkeylizard]

Yep. Even if it's catch & release, those fish came from somewhere and there's a good chance they came from a TWRA hatchery, not natural population growth within our lakes and rivers.

[RED333]

7 hours ago, Garufa said:

The fees paid for a TN fishing license have nothing to do with overseas.

They are to support wildlife management in the State which needs even more support now that they repealed the measly 10 cent a box ammo tax we used to have.

This is correct, I buy a fishing license every year, only went 3 times last year.

[DWARREN123]

Because they can. If we all said no they would not be able to.

Edited March 17 by DWARREN123

[peejman]

11 hours ago, Garufa said:

The fees paid for a TN fishing license have nothing to do with overseas.

They are to support wildlife management in the State which needs even more support now that they repealed the measly 10 cent a box ammo tax we used to have.

Because without the management, there would be nothing left to catch/hunt in short order.  Remember those old pictures of guys with hundreds of birds, fish, and dozens of deer? Remember how species were hunted to extinction? 

Now don't get me started on how overly complicated the TWRA license system is.  It's truly ridiculous.  However, game management in the bigger picture is necessary in our current world. 

[OldIronFan]

A world record Walleye came out of Old Hickory Lake in 1960. In the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's it was a regular practice of northern anglers to come down to Tennessee to walleye fish in the winter to get some "warm weather" fishing in while their home lakes were frozen over. It was nothing for them to pull dozens of walleye out a day. 
Now there are few if any walleye left in Tennessee. There is a small population in the Caney but it is not significant by any stretch. 
Licenses and limits are in place for just those sorts of conservation issues. 
Snag fishing for paddlefish is another prime example, without a limited season and limits there would be no native populations left. 
Most anglers now target crappie, bass, or catfish not because they are a preferred species but but because they have breeding rates that allowed them to proliferate through extreme overfishing. There is simply not that much else left to target. Even if you are a trout fisherman in Tennessee you are not fishing natural/native populations but rather controlled hatchery spawned populations. Hatcheries paid for by the a portion of your fishing license as others have mentioned. 

[Jason in TN]

Just purchased mine buy one every year. More people fishing than ever before. Need a way to fund management or there would be no fish left. Really don’t mind purchasing a license. 

[gregintenn]

I just pay the fee and enjoy myself. Cheaper than golf or chasing women.

[mike243]

I quit buying them in 2006, grandkids never bought 1, I bought them 1 that lasts forever. try it you will like it lol

[jpx2rk]

On 2/16/2024 at 5:06 PM, gregintenn said:

I just pay the fee and enjoy myself. Cheaper than golf or chasing women.

Agreed, one can just throw back the ones you don't won't to keep, they won't cause problems at home by calling you or showing up at the wrong time to create an embarrassing, possibly very expensive situation either.  They don't complain and harass you whether you keep them or throw them back, and are just as "fickle" as a female hooman.  LOL 

[Toy4Rick]

I love it when you go to register your boat, their website actually says, it's not a fee but a contribution

hmmmmm

[tacops]

Thanks to this thread for reminding me.  Mine expired two days ago so I have to hit the web site and renew before the weekend.

[pop pop]

I purchased a lifetime license and lost my copy for my billfold. How or where can I go to get a copy to carry? Going on a fishing trip in early May. 

[Spots]

1 minute ago, pop pop said:

I purchased a lifetime license and lost my copy for my billfold. How or where can I go to get a copy to carry? Going on a fishing trip in early May. 

You should be able to pull it up on the twra app if you download it. It runs off your birthdate and some other info and has it saved on there then you can just go to a library or a home computer and print it

[tercel89]

I disagree with having to pay for a license  to hunt deer when I investigate car and truck crashes for a living where people hit deer all the time and crash into them with their cars !  You'd think they would back that hunting fee off a tad but nnnoooooooooooo ! 

[derf]

On 2/16/2024 at 4:06 PM, gregintenn said:

I just pay the fee and enjoy myself. Cheaper than golf or chasing women.

Guess I’ll have to pay to fish. I can still catch them and know what to do with em’.