As the year closes out, the cold and stormy weather will keep most fishermen off the water, so it”s the perfect time to purchase a 2009 fishing license.
All fishermen 16 years and older need a 2009 fishing license starting Jan. 1. There is no grace period and if you”re cited for not having one, it could cost you up to $400 in fines. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has assigned a boat to Clear Lake and there are now three game wardens also assigned to the county. They will be out checking to make sure all fishermen have a 2009 fishing license.
The cost of a basic license is $41.20 and if you want to fish with a second rod, it will cost another $12.85.
The good news is that many fishermen qualify for a reduced-fee license for only $6.25, or even a free one. According to DFG sources, very few of those eligible for the reduced-fee or free licenses take advantage of it.
A reduced-fee license can be purchased by any person 65 years of age or older who is a resident of California and whose total monthly income from all sources does not exceed the income levels below. Income verification from your Social Security office is required.
1) $870 for single persons, or:
2) $1,524 for married persons (combined income).
3) Any honorably-discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or more. Proof of eligibility from the United States Veterans Administration or a copy of last year”s license is required. The following persons can obtain a free five-year fishing license if they have a central vision acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the aid of the best possible correcting glasses, or central vision acuity better than 20/200 if the widest diameter of the remaining visual field is no greater than 20 degrees. Certification of blindness by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is required.
4) Any person who is a resident of the State and who is so severely physically disabled as to be permanently unable to move from place to place without the aid of a wheelchair, walker, forearm crutches or a comparable mobility-related device. Verification by a licensed physician or a copy of the previous year”s free fishing license is required.
Any developmentally disabled person can receive a free fishing license. Certification by person in charge of the regional center or a licensed physician is required.
Eligible for a free one-year fishing license is any American Indian or lineal descendant who is a resident of the State and whose total annual income does not exceed $10,400 for the head of the household, plus $3,600 for each additional family member living with them. Certification by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A.) or proof of being on a tribal registry is required. Verification of income on Form FG371 is required.
To request an application for a free or reduced license, call (916) 928-5805. You can also go online and e-mail LRB@dfg.ca.gov. Give your name and mailing address and you will be sent an application. After you fill out and mail the application with the required fee, you will receive your license in about two weeks.
At Clear Lake, certain boaters will have to purchase a 2009 quagga mussel sticker. According to Deputy Water Resources Director Pam Francis, boats were registered in Lake County last year and already have a sticker won”t be required to have a 2009 sticker.
Out-of-county boats are required to have the 2009 sticker even though they have a 2008 sticker. Francis said local residents whose boats don”t have a sticker are required to purchase a 2009 sticker. The fee for the sticker is $10 and can be purchased at most of the local tackle shops, chambers of commerce and the Visitor”s Center in Lucerne. She said that starting on Jan. 1 the county will issue a set of two stickers per boat and one sticker should be attached to each side of the boat right after the CF numbers.
