Fish & Game :(

[XCR-700]

Hockeypuck hit the nail on the head, "where has common sense gone"

What a great way to ruin young peoples weekend.

So for the "law is the law" folks out there, is this what you mean?

I will say yet again, thiis is not the Winnipesaukee I grew up going to every summer,,,

I still very much enjoy Winnipesaukee, but stories like this sure put a damper on everyones experiences and memories.

I think it time to rethink the role of our police, marine patrol, fish and game, etc.

Protect and Serve before enforce and punish!

[Loony Singer]

Two summers back, my elder son (no kid, he was 29 at the time) was fishing from our dock, something he does maybe twice a year. Sure enough, a Fish and Game person came alongside. He was unfailingly polite, but the fine was issued anyway. That seems to be their norm...be nice about it, but hand the ticket out anyway. He did say that Fish and Game is not funded out of the state budget, but have to support their work through licenses and fines.

My son was pretty down about it, then decided that it wasn't so bad when you consider that it wasn't so bad if you amortize the $90 bucks over all of the years he's fished since he turned 16.

My 25 year old nephew just picked up a fine yesterday. His excuse was, "but we just live one cove over." That didn't cut it, either.

[tis]

In our neighborhood, we have a problem with F&G because they never seem to be available when you call them. My neighbors and I have called them several times over the years for help with injured animals. They have never once responded to our calls. They probably are too busy issuing tickets to really help when help is needed.

I think I may have posted this before but a deer was trapped in the ice and a guy came to my house and asked me to call F&G. I made several calls, one telling me to call the next and finally was told to tell the guy to shoot the deer. I went back out and relayed the message and the guy said no way was he shooting the deer, he would get in trouble. You know, I can't remember how it all ended (ashamed to say, but it was a long time ago) but F&G never came, I know that.

[TomC]

Originally Posted by Loony Singer

Two summers back, my elder son (no kid, he was 29 at the time) was fishing from our dock, something he does maybe twice a year...

Has anyone ever tested this provision of the licensing laws?:

214:2 License Required; Exception. –
I. The provisions of RSA 214:1 shall not apply to resident land owners while upon their own land...

This reads to me that a landowner standing on the shore of their property (since the dock might not be considered the property owner's "land") does not need a license.

Not a lot of attention is called to this exception, for instance i could find no mention of it in the NH Fish & Game site and had to read the specific fishing related RSAs to find mention of it.

I am interested in hearing of any successful use of the "its my land and i don't need a license" exemption.

incidentally, i personally get licensed since i often fish from a boat


http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/.../214/214-2.htm

[Kamper]

Next time you see injured or stranded wild-life call the Humane Society. They'll probably just call F&G too but since they have a PR machine I doubt they'll be ignored.

[tis]

That's a good idea, will they deal with wild animals? The incident I mentioned happened many years ago, before we even had an humane society in this neck of the woods!!

[Skip]

Originally Posted by TomC

...Has anyone ever tested this provision of the licensing laws?:

214:2 License Required; Exception. –
I. The provisions of RSA 214:1 shall not apply to resident land owners while upon their own land...

Good point.

But while you may be standing on your own land lakeside, when you cast out into the water (Winnipesaukee) you are fishing in property owned by the State of New Hampshire. Therefore you need a license.

This limited exception is for resident landowners alone while fishing a waterbody that is entirely within the limits of that landowner's property line.

[topwater]

Tom, how long did it take you to try and beat the system. The kids broke the law! The kids got a ticket! Did it ruin their week-end, NO! It takes more then that to ruin a teenagers day! Mom and dad will pay the ticket, and the kids will diffently think about what they are doing in the future. Thats a cheap lesson in life, maybe mommy and daddy should have been thinking more about what their kids were doing instead of assuming that kids never break the law. The law is there for a reason, break it and pay the penalty.

[TomC]

Originally Posted by topwater

Tom, how long did it take you to try and beat the system. The kids broke the law! The kids got a ticket! Did it ruin their week-end, NO! It takes more then that to ruin a teenagers day! Mom and dad will pay the ticket, and the kids will diffently think about what they are doing in the future. Thats a cheap lesson in life, maybe mommy and daddy should have been thinking more about what their kids were doing instead of assuming that kids never break the law. The law is there for a reason, break it and pay the penalty.

did I say anything about breaking the law? i have a fishing license, so I am very confused about your message.

I asked if anyone ever tried using the landowner exception..

But if it made you feel better to get on your soapbox, i'm glad...

[topwater]

Tom, how long did it take you to try and beat the system... Does not imply YOU broke the law, yes I did read you have a license, it was directed at the way of trying to get around the tickets of others who have broke the law. I hope this un-confused you.

[Jeanzb1]

I find this whole thread about F&G very interesting and very timely, as just this past week I had occasion to contact them about a dead bird floating next to our dock that had two bands on his leg. One would logically assume that if a bird had been banded that someone was tracking his whereabouts.
The woman who answered the phone for F&G was, first of all, rude and, secondly, unhelpful. She was able to offer no suggestions on who to call next or how to track him and from the tone of her voice I could tell she was annoyed that I even called over a dead bird! (She was probably sitting there playing solitaire on her computer!) The bottom line....I called the Audubon Society (very friendly and very helpful) who gave me a few other phone numbers to call. As it turned out, the bird was a homing pigeon who had been released 400 miles away just the day before and was on his way back home to Biddeford, Maine.

[Grant]

Yeah -- never really had a "quality" interaction with F&G, and most times I've had my license checked, they were simply floating down our shore, stopping everywhere where someone was fishing from a a dock. In fact, if I see them in the area, I will intentionally throw out a line just to make them stop again. Then look worried as they approach.

But for all the cursing I do as I pay my $53 (plus ridiculous $3 online transaction fee) each spring, it's certainly a lot less than it would cost to be caught w/o a license.

Oh, and this year is going great....

[RailroadJoe]

Just think. When you turn 68 (not 65 mind you) you can get a permanent license at no cost. But, you have to live that long.

[topwater]

Grant, thats one heck of a fish right there !! Congratulations----

[WinniTroll]

Originally Posted by Grant

Yeah -- never really had a "quality" interaction with F&G, and most times I've had my license checked, they were simply floating down our shore, stopping everywhere where someone was fishing from a a dock. In fact, if I see them in the area, I will intentionally throw out a line just to make them stop again. Then look worried as they approach.

But for all the cursing I do as I pay my $53 (plus ridiculous $3 online transaction fee) each spring, it's certainly a lot less than it would cost to be caught w/o a license.

Oh, and this year is going great....

Love your post. Perfect way to handle F&G at home. Next time say your licence is in your other pants at the house and kinda trot up there to get it. They'll chase you down doing 'the one hand on the gun' canter.

[MikeF-NH]

I know this iisn't going to be a popular response but it needs to be said. A license in required to fish or hunt in NH once you reach 16 PERIOD! That's the law and it doesn't only appy to "bad kids" - it applies to everyone. Fines are not just revenue generators, they are designed for a purpose and need to be followed. The F&G officer was doing his/her job and should be commended for correcting the action and the fine was 100% warrented and necessary.

If you got pulled over on the highway for doing 100 mph and said "but I'm a good guy and besides, I only drive this highway one time per year" do you think the officer would be a jerk for fining you? Of course not.

I run into F&G regularly while hunting and fishing and have always ALWAYS found them to be polite and professional. They have a job to do and deserve our support. Given that I don't think either of these young people will make this mistake again, I would rate the COs response as 100% effective. If it were my boy being cited, I wouldn't (under any circumstance) indicate that the officer was a jerk but would rather recommend that he take responsibility for the action and pay the fine himself.

I'm sorry if this seems harsh but I don't see anything done by F&G in this occasion as a problem.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by WinniTroll

Love your post. Perfect way to handle F&G at home. Next time say your licence is in your other pants at the house and kinda trot up there to get it. They'll chase you down doing 'the one hand on the gun' canter.

And it is responses like this to a CO, asking a question that is of their concern to ask, that you folks get treated the way that you do. Act like an a** and you will get treated like one!

And we all wonder why out of staters get a bad rap from the locals.

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by Grant

Yeah -- never really had a "quality" interaction with F&G, and most times I've had my license checked, they were simply floating down our shore, stopping everywhere where someone was fishing from a a dock. In fact, if I see them in the area, I will intentionally throw out a line just to make them stop again. Then look worried as they approach.

But for all the cursing I do as I pay my $53 (plus ridiculous $3 online transaction fee) each spring, it's certainly a lot less than it would cost to be caught w/o a license.

Oh, and this year is going great....

$53 for a fishing license!!! WOW that sounds crazy,,,

I had no idea they were that much.

So what exactly does that fee pay for???

WOW, now I know what sticker shock is,,,

[dragonfly03246]

Sorry, I should have included that the $35 is for NH Residents. The $53 is non-residents which is still a small price to pay - about $5 a month.

Those kids also could've gotten a 1-day or 3-day pass for a small fee.

[jrc]

They do seem a little steep. I think a cheaper basic license and special stamp for trout and salmon would be a good idea.


N.H. RESIDENT
Fishing $35.00
1-day Fishing $10.00
3-day Fishing N/A
7-day Fishing N/A

NONRESIDENT
Fishing $53.00
1-day Fishing $15.00
3-day Fishing $28.00
7-day Fishing $35.00

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jrc

They do seem a little steep. I think a cheaper basic license and special stamp for trout and salmon would be a good idea.


N.H. RESIDENT
Fishing $35.00
1-day Fishing $10.00
3-day Fishing N/A
7-day Fishing N/A

NONRESIDENT
Fishing $53.00
1-day Fishing $15.00
3-day Fishing $28.00
7-day Fishing $35.00

If memory serves, they used to offer a $14 warm-water-species-only license. When it went away, I stopped fishing.

I have no desire to fund what I think is an absurd practice of raising feral species of fish for the sole purpose of "put and take fishing", nor do I wish to fund the practice of video-taping teenagers playing with little kid's fishing rods on a paddle boat. They've really got nothing better to do?

Bear in mind, I'm not condoning the actions of the teens, I'm just bothered by the absurdity of the whole situation. Fish and Game is funded by license fees, is this the best way to use the money?

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Dave R

If memory serves, they used to offer a $14 warm-water-species-only license. When it went away, I stopped fishing.

I have no desire to fund what I think is an absurd practice of raising feral species of fish for the sole purpose of "put and take fishing", nor do I wish to fund the practice of video-taping teenagers playing with little kid's fishing rods on a paddle boat. They've really got nothing better to do?

Bear in mind, I'm not condoning the actions of the teens, I'm just bothered by the absurdity of the whole situation. Fish and Game is funded by license fees, is this the best way to use the money?

Funny enough is they actually do not have anything better to do. A CO's job is to enforce the wildlife laws of the state. They do not stock fish, F&G has biologists for that and other than assisting someone with a wildlife related issue, all they do is patrol for violations, check licenses and registrations of OHRV's, boats, etc. There are only a few officers for the entire state http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Law_...ment/index.htm so they typically do not handle issues other than the items noted above.

The reason that they video tape suspected violations prior to approaching is that it creates an open and shut case if the accused decides to take the issue to court. It eliminates the "Oh, I was just holding the rod for my friend" excuse. It is more likely than not that anyone fishing on a lake the size of Winni, has at one point or another been observed by a CO at a distance. This is how they do their job. Ice fisherman are often viewed from a distance to determine if they have the proper amount of lines in the water per person.

Dave R, I hear what you are saying regarding the options for fishing licenses, but I think the issue becomes greyed when viewed from a selection standpoint. Unlike hunting, where you purchase a license to hunt deer you are likely not going to harvest a bear. With fishing, the vast majority of people fishing are just looking to catch something and then identifying what they have. That is the equivelent of shooting a bear when you are deer hunting and when you realize that you shot the wrong thing, just moving on to continue to look for a deer.

I am fully aware that some folks can target a specific species of fish and that is all they catch, I have friends that are quite good at this task. But, someone like myself that only goes fishing a few times a year are not going to be able to be that specific and good for that matter.

When you take a good long look at what the NH F&G, as a whole, does for the conservation of wildlife in the state, I would say that we are getting a pretty good return on our investment.

[MikeF-NH]

Originally Posted by jmen24

Funny enough is they actually do not have anything better to do. A CO's job is to enforce the wildlife laws of the state. .

Actually this is not entirely true. COs are also responsible for:
-Primary search and rescue group for both water bodies and forested lands
-Hunter Education Instruction
-land owner assistance for wildlife and OHRV access questions/issues
-work in cooperation with Coast Guard for maritime violations
...I'm sure there are more that I haven't listed.

They are VERY understaffed in their endeavors and do a terrific job in my opinion.

Also, your fishing license fees do not just go to pay for stocking efforts. All of the above are also funded by fee revenues. When some idiot walks off onto Mt Washington in May with a shortsleeve shirt, shorts and sneakers and thousands are spent to find and rescue him...guess where that $ comes from? Aquisition of new land for public access (ramps) and the building and maintaining of ramps come from there. Educational programs for our schools and non-profit programs all come from Fish and Game funding (some of which comes directly from fees).

I not only don't complain about buying my licenses, I am happy to pay the fees because I get much more than my money's worth back in return.

[TOAD]

Well said Mike!

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by MikeF-NH

Actually this is not entirely true. COs are also responsible for:
-Primary search and rescue group for both water bodies and forested lands
-Hunter Education Instruction
-land owner assistance for wildlife and OHRV access questions/issues
-work in cooperation with Coast Guard for maritime violations
...I'm sure there are more that I haven't listed.

They are VERY understaffed in their endeavors and do a terrific job in my opinion.

Also, your fishing license fees do not just go to pay for stocking efforts. All of the above are also funded by fee revenues. When some idiot walks off onto Mt Washington in May with a shortsleeve shirt, shorts and sneakers and thousands are spent to find and rescue him...guess where that $ comes from? Aquisition of new land for public access (ramps) and the building and maintaining of ramps come from there. Educational programs for our schools and non-profit programs all come from Fish and Game funding (some of which comes directly from fees).

I not only don't complain about buying my licenses, I am happy to pay the fees because I get much more than my money's worth back in return.

Did I miss something in my post or any of my previous posts regarding F&G and how important I think they are? Sorry I kept my example short.

I think you might have missed the point of my statement. It was to redirect a comment that implied that CO's are wasting time picking on kids.

Just as an FYI, the idiot that has to be rescued off Mt. Washington for not be prepared to the changes in weather conditions or the known/posted weather at the summit receives a bill for the cost of the S&R. A family member has been involved with K9 S&R for close to 15 years now, in Maine, NH and VT.

I am well aware of ALL the things that my license fees go toward. If you took a step back, you would see that we are on the same side of this arguement. Maybe I am taking your post out of context, if that is the case than I appologize.

[MikeF-NH]

Hi jmen24...I'm not sure my response was directly at your post as there were several posts that were very negative on F&G and insinuated that they do nothing but harass kids. If you posted something different then this then you and I are on the same side of the argument.

I am aware that irresponsible hikers do get billed IF F&G can prove they acted recklessly. I think it would be naive to assume that they are successful in these billing practice even "most of the time". For S&R operations where negligence is not an issue, F&G foots the entire bill and yes a portion of that does come from our fishing (and other F&G sponsored) licenses (which to me is just wrong).

I didn't want to wag my finger at anyone in particular but did want to emphasize my support of our COs and specify that we are all responsible for our actions and that includes being fined for breaking the law whether we know the law or not (knowning the law is our responsibility the moment we touch a fishing rod). Not being a frequent fisherman is no excuse. Why should someone who only fishes a few times a year be exempt from the laws the rest of us follow?

[NHgirl]

Sorry guys but not too be rude or anything, but you do need a fishing license on that lake when you reach the age of 16+, sorry. Sorry that happened to her and her boyfriend. Best of luck to all fishing there.

[XCR-700]

Assuming the previous posts are accurate (and I have no reason to questions them) all I can say is what a mess!

These programs are so convoluted no wonder it costs so much to run government. But then we could debate that until the webserver crashes,,,

I stand by my comment that $53 for a fishing license is crazy, my truck registration is not that much!

If they need to generate revenue for search and rescue or wildlife management or whatever then they should be looking at better/other options.

Its easy for some of us to say I’m happy to pay for certain things like boat or snowmobile registration as these are luxury items, but fishing (excluding the organized events) is a fundamental activity and one that should be within the reach of everyone.

The people involved in the original thread post can probably well afford the license fee, so I will not attempt to argue for them, but I know plenty of other folks that might struggle to pay that amount for the privilege of dropping a line in from shore hoping to enjoy what Mother Nature gave us (not the state)

Sorry, not disparaging the fish and game people or anyone else, just making the point that fishing is not like carving a trail out of the woods and grooming it all season for our snowmobiles, its inherently a natural activity and one that should be readily within the affordability of everyone. Somewhere we have lost sight of that,,,

If you believe that fishing licenses are a reasonable requirement (and I’m sure we could debate that until everyone is PO’d) but assuming it is accepted as reasonable, then maybe a better way to deal with it would be to have tiered licenses such as; no fee or very modest fee for fishing from shore, modest fee for fishing from an unpowered or electric powered or under a certain HP powered boat, and a “full” fee for fishing from a power boat over a certain HP. At least that might better reflect the ability of some to pay what they can legitimately afford, while still allowing others to enjoy this activity without undue financial hardship.

I’m done on this one,,,

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by MikeF-NH

Hi jmen24...I'm not sure my response was directly at your post as there were several posts that were very negative on F&G and insinuated that they do nothing but harass kids. If you posted something different then this then you and I are on the same side of the argument.

I am aware that irresponsible hikers do get billed IF F&G can prove they acted recklessly. I think it would be naive to assume that they are successful in these billing practice even "most of the time". For S&R operations where negligence is not an issue, F&G foots the entire bill and yes a portion of that does come from our fishing (and other F&G sponsored) licenses (which to me is just wrong).

I didn't want to wag my finger at anyone in particular but did want to emphasize my support of our COs and specify that we are all responsible for our actions and that includes being fined for breaking the law whether we know the law or not (knowning the law is our responsibility the moment we touch a fishing rod). Not being a frequent fisherman is no excuse. Why should someone who only fishes a few times a year be exempt from the laws the rest of us follow?

No worries Mike, I really wasn't sure and of course I have a hard time just biting my tongue. You and I are in complete agreement on this issue and our support for F&G. Thanks for the clear up.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by jmen24

I am fully aware that some folks can target a specific species of fish and that is all they catch, I have friends that are quite good at this task. But, someone like myself that only goes fishing a few times a year are not going to be able to be that specific and good for that matter.

When you take a good long look at what the NH F&G, as a whole, does for the conservation of wildlife in the state, I would say that we are getting a pretty good return on our investment.

I hear ya. I just got disgusted when they stopped selling the perfect license for me and forced me to pay for fishing I had no intention of participating in or just give up the occasional fishing I did. When I fish, I use barbless hooks and just wish to catch and release a few indigenous and thriving species of fish a year. Last time I bought a license, I probably fished for 4 hours all season and myabe caught 20 fish. I wasn't catching rainbow trout on spinnerbaits and rubber worms...

The all-species license was perfect for those who were unsure of what they were going to catch, or those who wished to fund the put and take efforts.

To put manpower into fishing license law enforcement for people catching warm water species from a paddleboat using kiddie rods is absurd when trout fly fishing season is in full swing. I think they should be patrolling the stocked rivers instead. I also think the fine for fishing for stocked fish without a license should be $1000, not the same as the fine for illegal bass fishing. Bass don't require any funds to manage, they take care of stuff like breeding all on their own. Mercury poisoning has done a great job of preventing over-fishing of them because eating too many of them will make you ill (they are also terrible eating when they don't come out of the ice, IMO).

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Loony Singer

Two summers back, my elder son (no kid, he was 29 at the time) was fishing from our dock, something he does maybe twice a year. Sure enough, a Fish and Game person came alongside. He was unfailingly polite, but the fine was issued anyway. That seems to be their norm...be nice about it, but hand the ticket out anyway. He did say that Fish and Game is not funded out of the state budget, but have to support their work through licenses and fines.

My son was pretty down about it, then decided that it wasn't so bad when you consider that it wasn't so bad if you amortize the $90 bucks over all of the years he's fished since he turned 16.

My 25 year old nephew just picked up a fine yesterday. His excuse was, "but we just live one cove over." That didn't cut it, either.

Loony Singer:

Don't you think that your son and nephew should follow simple rules? They aren't kids and by the sounds of it they purposely avoid getting licenses and my guess is you support their behavior. The way I view it is all of us who pay for our licenses are supporting freeloaders like your son and nephew. Your situation is clearly different than the seemingly innocent kids who got bagged on the paddle boat. Maybe it is because of repeat offenders like your family that make the fish and game officers so quick to issue tickets.

[4 for Boating]

I guess I will share my story as it seems like the F&G were pretty active this weekend. So here it goes.

On my dock fishing with my two sons on and off for about an hour. (Ages 4 and 6) Kids get bored; walk off the dock and on to the beach. (About 25 feet away) I’m left with the rod (kids Zebco) and hook a fish. (Nice won actually) Call to the boys to come help. They get to the dock with my brother who helps lift the fish up, show it to the boys, let them touch it and get a picture of my older son with it. Quickly tossed back in and then F&G arrives to say they saw the whole thing and watched me land the fish and I did not appear to be “helping” my son how to learn. $93 later and off they go.

I understand the law but sort of rough I think. Funny this was as they were writing the ticket; my youngest son comes up and asks “Can we still fish?” I’m speechless as what to say and the officer’s don’t even bat an eye.
Well, I hope the money goes to good use.

As a somewhat unrelated topic, they tied up and disembarked on my dock which I did not really have a problem with but in general, does F&G and or Marine Patrol have the right to do this?

[hockeypuck]

I don't think the "Old Man" of the mountain fell down, nor do I think he was pushed. I think he jumped when he saw the way things were going in the "Live Free or Die" state.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by 4 for Boating

I guess I will share my story as it seems like the F&G were pretty active this weekend. So here it goes.

On my dock fishing with my two sons on and off for about an hour. (Ages 4 and 6) Kids get bored; walk off the dock and on to the beach. (About 25 feet away) I’m left with the rod (kids Zebco) and hook a fish. (Nice won actually) Call to the boys to come help. They get to the dock with my brother who helps lift the fish up, show it to the boys, let them touch it and get a picture of my older son with it. Quickly tossed back in and then F&G arrives to say they saw the whole thing and watched me land the fish and I did not appear to be “helping” my son how to learn. $93 later and off they go.

I understand the law but sort of rough I think. Funny this was as they were writing the ticket; my youngest son comes up and asks “Can we still fish?” I’m speechless as what to say and the officer’s don’t even bat an eye.
Well, I hope the money goes to good use.

As a somewhat unrelated topic, they tied up and disembarked on my dock which I did not really have a problem with but in general, does F&G and or Marine Patrol have the right to do this?

F&G has the right to search you and your property without a warrant if a strong suspision of guilt for a wildlife related crime is perceived. So, yes, F&G can dock without your permission, I do not believe Marine Patrol has the same authority.

The thing to remember is this, when taking a child fishing, the idea is for the adult to have a license and then teach the child how to fish. If you had the license then there would be absolutely no issue with what you did. It sounds like you understand that.

Just to put these fines in perspective. The F&G officer could have done all of the following in the OP's situation. Confiscated the paddle boat, superman fishing rod, all tackle aboard the boat, suspended the oppurtunity to even purchase another license for up to four years and given a fine of $93. All of this is well within the scope of what they can do, for charging someone with poaching, which is what fishing and hunting without a license is.

You got off with a warning that you had to feel, by only having to pay a fine. Verbal warnings in situations like these do not deter it from happening again.

When I hear of people saying that I have never had a good experience with a F&G officer, I think to myself, what were they expecting to receive for service for breaking the law (in some cases).

Personally I have never had an experience with a CO that was not appropriate for the situation. I have been yelled at for driving an ATV down a dirt road, been talked to about why we were not allowed in certain areas after a certain date (closing of an atv park) and been helped in a quest to find a stock of game.

[Loony Singer]

Secondcurve,

It seems you misinterpreted my original post. In no way did I condone the behavior of my son or nephew. In the former case, he was of the impression that fishing from one's own dock did not require a license. He was ignorant of the law, and paid the price. In the second case, I was attempting to illustrate that F&G simply don't accept excuses, legitimate or weak....they're friendly but firm, as stated in the title of my post. Neither one of 'em got any sympathy or "support" from me...I'm a firm believer in "you did the crime, now pay the fine."

So please be a little more careful of your assumptions in the future, and you might want to avoid value-laden terms like "freeloaders" and "repeat offenders" unless you're 100% sure of the ground you're standing on. Thanks.

[Dave R]

I think there should be a free (or at least very cheap) warm water species license for residents who catch and release warm water species. F&G does not stock warm water species. Seem silly to me that I have to pay for a fishing license to cover the cost of stocking rivers with rainbow and brown trout, species that I'm pretty sure aren't even indigenous to the area, when I don't fish for them. I used to love to fish for bass and other warm water fish, now I just don't bother because the license is absurdly priced.

[dragonfly03246]

I don't understand how people can complain about a license that cost them a whole $35/year which equals out to a whopping $2.92/month! Even if you bought it in May with 7 months left of the year it's still only going to cost you a total of five bucks a month to fish. I'm pretty sure people waste more money than that buying a Dunkin Donuts coffee.

[Resident 2B]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Hockeypuck hit the nail on the head, "where has common sense gone"

What a great way to ruin young peoples weekend.

So for the "law is the law" folks out there, is this what you mean?

I will say yet again, thiis is not the Winnipesaukee I grew up going to every summer,,,

I still very much enjoy Winnipesaukee, but stories like this sure put a damper on everyones experiences and memories.

I think it time to rethink the role of our police, marine patrol, fish and game, etc.

Protect and Serve before enforce and punish!

As one of the "Law is the Law" folks, I agree this is over the top. This is good kids/young adults having a wholesome, good time. They could be doing many more things much, much worse.

I believe a friendly warning would have been the most appropriate action from the F&G. That would have been educational, effective and harmless all at the same time.

R2B