Fishing Licenses

Recent mail delivered the hard copy of a North Carolina fishing license and trout permit that I'd bought online a week or so earlier, and as I slipped it into my wallet I realized that I have half a dozen current annual licenses for different states. I get to fish in a lot of different places, so I buy a lot of licenses, but I think that's more active annual licenses than I am normally carrying.

The annual vs. short-term question is one I face frequently, and I often find myself comparing costs, looking at expiration dates and pondering possible fishing plans. In some states it's easy. I pretty much always get an annual for Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama because I know I'll be back often enough, and I get them at least semi-often in several other states. It's a bit of a guessing game, though, and I often guess wrong. Either I opt for annual and fail to make it back before it expires, or I buy a short-term, and then end up returning and needing another, and another, and another...Trout and saltwater licenses add another level of complications.

I don't mind fishing licenses. Much of the money goes where it should, and I'm very thankful for all that state fisheries departments do to provide access and create the best possible fishing opportunities. I'm admittedly no crazy about the structure in some states, and sometimes picking the best license seems like more of a game than it should be. For the moment, there are half a dozen states where I can fish without giving the license any thought!