New Permit fees

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on March 5, 2013 at 11:19pm

  I got a call tonight from one of our members in Borderline who spends a lot of time trying to work with the state to fix things that we want to see changed.  He talked to someone who is high up on the chain at the WDFW for around an hour about this and the bass regs on the Columbia.  He said it was a heated discussion.  Not attacking each other personally but lots of back and forth of differing opinions.  He never got a clear explanation as to whos idea the app. fees were or why they are being put in place but he found a potential work around. 

  There are no guarantees this will work and it will take help from everyone but it sounds like its at least worth a try.  After lots of back and forth without getting anywhere, Bob finally asked the guy from the department what would happen if instead of applying for each tournament on a separate application, we applied for all of our tournaments on one application?  The way you can think of it is instead of having 7 separate tournaments, you're having one tournament on 7 different lakes and dates.  The guy from the departmant (I think his name was Chris but I missed his last name) thought about it and said he might be onto something and that might work.  Particularly if every club filled out their permit app in this same manner.  If it worked, we would only end up paying a one time fee of the normal $24 fee + the new $70 fee. 

  It sounded like there was a sense of optimism on both sides that this might work.  Will it? I would have to wait to see it to believe it but what do we have to lose?  Worst case? We get the first date on the app only and then we have to sign up for the other apps after that.  We wouldn't be any worse off for trying though.

  Just thought I would throw this idea out there.  Some of you may think its stupid and doesn't have a chance of working.  You may be right but the more clubs that we get to try this, the better chance it will have of working.  Also, if we do this and it doesn't work, it will still bring it to their attention that something needs to be done to correct this situation and that we are going to do all we can to find a way out of paying all of those extra fees.

Permalink Reply by Chris Hollick. on March 6, 2013 at 9:10am

In my opinion, if clubs refused to apply for permits for club tournament, (just have a fish-in) the State would lose money not gain it from entry permits and the extra fees they are looking to receive, this I think would make them re-think the new fee they are trying to squeeze out of the fishermen. What the State is doing, in my mind, would weaken Bass Club membership due to the extra cost which members would have to absorb as dues.

Bigger tournament, I'm afraid, the fees would have to be paid.

Just a thought.

Permalink Reply by Brian Calvert on March 6, 2013 at 3:25pm

I see four paths a club can take and for our club the first two are not options.

1) Close up shop - give up , quit, declare "them" as winners.

2) Go 100% underground - no permits, no fees, no reason to follow any of the states fishing rules, take your chances and roll the dice.

3) Go grey - skirt the details of the written law - fish-ins (slot limits do apply unless your on the columbia, and that is a whole other topic), 5 man tournaments also staying with in the slot limits.

4)2Legit2Quit - tough it out, raise dues, entry fees, share permits with other clubs, cut back on awards and make it work.  For those who are in clubs who are taking this route, David's suggestion is a valid option to try. 

Our club met last night and the general consensus was to do what we needed to do to get those permits.  I for one, will be working with our tournament director in conjunction with Borderline and David to ensure we apply for our 7 tournaments on one application and pay one processing fee. 

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