I feel like i'm getting ripped off
 

Does anyone else feel that the state of NH is gouging the "out-of-staters"?

$66.00 for a fishing licence and $55.00 for a derby ticket! $121.00 per person to have the opportunity to win a 16' tracker boat?
that should be the first place Junior division. on top of that "all fish must be DEAD" or you would be "admittedly disqualified"? wasn't it a couple of years ago that they canceled the derby because of lack of healthy salmon? "they" should have a big-old swimming pool on weris boulevard to show-off, display and promote the incredible salmon and lake trout of lake winnipesaukee! plus the kids would love it, in fact I would love it.
if i was in charge i would have a clear plastic shute from weris boulevard to the lake to release the fish back into the big pond.
in my opinion the state and derby officials are grabbing as much money as they can from the "rich people" (on the lake) to pay for the poor people in the state. (don't get me wrong I was a boy scout and would do anything to support them) but this year i'm NOT getting a derby ticket. I fish it to reunite with good friends and family, not to make the state get richer.
I am the first person to shut down the moaners goners and complainers about living life on winni, (the best place on earth) but this year the state is just taking the greed a little to far, probably to pay for the new marine patrol headquarters.
so watch out this year the MP is going to be out in full force this year.
but i don't care, there's no place i would rather be. (plus they would never catch me) i hope
P.S. We have property on SP.

Moaning and Groaning
 

SP...your issue seems to be with the Fish and Game Dept not Marine Patrol. Not sure why your grumpy...your home state charges the same ($63 vs $64) for a non-resident fishing license! The derby fee is set by the sponsors not the state. Also, please educate yourself on the funding of the MP Building. It would make no sense to claim the Marine Patrol would try to generate revenues to pay for the building...fines go to the general fund. MP's budget does not benefit from the general fund.

Just trying to quell the moaning and groaning!

I JUST FEEL LIKE I'M BEING RIPPED OFF! BW I'm just trying to say that $121.00 per person seams a little "EXCESSIVE"
we have 2 fishing boats 1 W/4 people and 1 W/3 people ends up to be $847.00 just to show up. Plus boat registration,s plus tuck fuel, plus boat fuel, plus restraint, plus,plus,plus,etc
last year for a fishing license was $55.00 this year is $66.00! WTF the extra money has got to be going somewhere i'm guessing its the brand new marine patrol complex.

Marine Patrol is funded by boat registrations for the most part. F+G is funded by your license fees, OHRV registrations, etc. While I feel your frustration, one of their key missions is rescue:

"The department typically makes between 175 to 180 rescues a year, most involving hikers. Fish & Game says it's already close to reaching that figure, with the two busiest rescue months yet to come.

Speaking to NHPR’s Morning Edition, Colonel Kevin Jordan says this comes at a time when the department is down six positions, with another two set to retire."

We have to pay to play! We can start a second topic on getting hikers to pay somehow...

that fishing derby should be eliminated all together. if you saw all the trash left behind and the dump truck loads of crap left behind after the derby its a disgrace to our beautiful area. its awful what some people do with no respect to our enviornment.

If you feel its cost is too high, just do not participate.

If I'm not mistaken, this was discussed in the forum after the Derby and most organizers of such events, and the Derby, make significant efforts to clean up after the event. They are aware of the problem and working even harder to deal with it.

Part of the problem is that people, some there BEFORE the Derby and remaining on the lake long after the event, continue to make a mess and then just walk away from it.

I know this is a post complaining about too many and too high fees but here's another case where perhaps a fee should be assessed to all bob houses or even added to the fishing license and then use the money to pay to go around and clean up at the end of the season?

I'm a snowmobiler but not a fisherman. My registration fees pay for trail maintenance and grooming (with the help of LOTS of volunteer efforts!). It's a cost of the sport. When there is a snowmobile accident, F&G (and others) has to manage it. It seems fair to me that the groups that want to participate in the activity have to pay for it. It also helps them understand the TRUE cost of their sport. I guess it would be really slick to put the snowmobile trail costs on someone else's charge card. (Would that be considered Identity Theft?)

Someone always has to pay. There is no free lunch. The alternative is to build a massive state budget to pay for everything. New Hampshire, out of necessity due to its limited tax structure, so far resists that. I think that's smart considering the number of states that opened up their spending and are now massively in debt.

The Derby in question is NOT the Winter Ice fishing derby...it is the Spring WinniDerby for salmon. There has not been a history of left behind trash from the latter.

While both costs were grouped together, each is entirely seperate:
1.) the cost of a license (or registration for that matter) is set by the state. It is what it is and every state charges more for out of state than in state licenses. If you only fish 10 days all year thats only $6.5 per day to fish...not a bad deal. We all wish it was cheaper but nobody can argue that NHF&G is over funded.

2.) the cost of the ticket went up this year by about the same amount you would be charged for the dinner that is included in the price of the ticket on Friday night. I think the idea of the Dinner/Expo is a good one thought it also has its drawbacks. The "good" includes: putting customers in front of sponsors at the Expo is a draw for sponsors to come back next year and new sponsors to participate in future derbies. We've all seen participation at awards dwindle over the past few years and its no coincidence that sponsors have also wained. Also the provided meal saves us from cooking that first night though many would prefer to buy our own groceries and make a fine meal at "derby camp". The drawbacks include: we all have to stop fishing at 6PM according to currently posted derby rules on Friday night. Many don't like being forced to do anything including not fishing during legal fishing times and paying for/eating food that we many not have chosen to pay for if it weren't included with the price of the ticket. BSA had to do something to inject enthusiasm back into the event so that it will continue to run. I think this is a good idea though a significant % of participants will disagree but it is what it is. I reached out to Daniel Webster Council through my contact channels and mentioned a well known lack of response from the Contact Us links - historically DWC is very good in considering new ideas. Opinions should be directed there also but also keep it positive and offer solutions. I think the days of the 40 derby ticket are behind us.

I know some on this board also participate in derbies on Champlain and Sebego....can price comparisons for out of state licenses and tickets for those events?

A couple of points the op attempts to make escape me. To call people who fish and pay for a license "rich people" is not how I would define them. If you think of all of the other things to do in the area like playing golf, downhill skiing, having and using a snomobile, then fishing is a relatively cheap hobby if you want it to be. It can be done without even owning a boat, and many people do.

As far as the "MP being out in full force this year" I say great! Although it is not clear how he makes the leap from fishing licenses to that I would welcome the change. The past few years the Marine Patrol budget has been down and as a result there have been fewer patrols on the lake. There are a sufficient number of "Captain Bozos" out on the lake and additional enforcement of the rules might help. Even just stopping violators to re-educate them without ticketing would be welcome. Many people violate the rules without knowing that they are doing anything wrong.

Like above the cost of the license can get you fishing for a season. Sure everyone hates paying it but when I compare it to the cost of day skiing I think its a good deal.

...... $45 + 2 = $47 ...... go fish-NH!
 

New Hampshire has two free fishing days, no license required, in 2017; the third Saturday in January, and the first Saturday in June.

For NH residents, a year long fishing license costs $45 & two dollar service fee, $47-total, when purchased at Wal-Mart. I like to think that by buying it at Wal-Mart, and paying with a credit card, it means the 45-dollars will truly go to the NH Fish & Game with no hanky panky associated with a cash payment, and a small local business, which can be a very tempting challenge for a small business ..... like yikes ...... it's $45-cash .....just look at that!

Like, why do they call the NH town clerk, the town crook ...... what happens with all that tempting cash ....which can be just too tempting for a very honest and hard working individual ..... what with all the monthly expenses such as food, heat, electricity, car, gasoline, rent/mortgage/prop tax, NH state liquor store, and a 47-dollar fishing license......omg!

So...
 

So, maybe...stay "home" in Maine. Go to Sebago, save $800+, have yourselves a 7 person catch & release "derby", $500 for the winner?
And...save us all from the whining & ill informed conspiracy theories?
Just a thought.

Move here
 

If you move here and promise to stop complaining and learn how our unique fiscal system works, when you reach a certain age, you can fish free for life, ski Cannon Mtn. for free and walk/swim at Hampton Beach and many other parks for free. Just please don't move here and then try to change a great system that works.

And for an even better deal for NH residents only...

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/lice...time-rates.pdf

Things have changed with the free fishing license for life after a certain age. Do some research please.

There is always a bigger fish.....


https://crosbyja.files.wordpress.com...igger-fish.jpg

??
 

It appears there are two types of licenses. Permanent that continues in force even if you change residence to out of state, and a lifetime NH Resident only (don't move) license which was free in the past. Maybe not anymore, but certainly not $50. Details at F & G HQ 271-3412 or in the 2017 guidebook (my friend says page 7.)

Here is the info about the changes that are now seniors with a discount, and free if you were born on or before December 31, 1947.

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/licensing/senior.html

I'm Just saying that $66.00 to cast a line in the water 1 time sesames a little excessive. and if you want to have a chance to win a (substandard boat) for additional $55.00 its just not worth it.

Smith Point, save yourself some money. One day nonresident = $15, 3 day = $28, or 7 day = $35. You have absolutely no reason to spend $66 "to cast a line in the water 1 time".

I buy my 16+ year old grandson a 3 or seven day license if he is up in NH and we can go fishing.

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I picked up the free, permanent fishing license, even though I don't fish. Why? Because it also confers the same benefits as a Hike Safe card.

When did you get the free license? Picked up? At F & G headquarters or just from an agent?

I did it by mail, and I don't remember if I had to pay a transaction fee or not, but it saved me a drive to wherever the closest F&G office was. Here is the application form: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/lice...ver-68-app.pdf

I got mine at Amilynn's in Alton Bay a few years back (agent) Still had paper licenses and the special free license.

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Good day for the fish
 

Now the fisher-people must be really unhappy. Pretty windy out there. Haven't seen a single fishing boat all day down here in the rattlesnake/barndoor/head of alton bay area

Pretty tough to troll out there, few guys have tried over the past couple of hours but they are getting pushed all over the place with this wind. Always good to know of a few protected honey holes on a day like today. Can only imagine it's far worse down your end of the lake.

Wow!!! Wavy Here
 

Large waves rolling past our dock on East Bear Island earlier this morning, A pontoon boat came past, loaded with fishing gear. Saw them catch a salmon as they trolled by. 🐻

As someone who lives full time on Cape Cod, I say gouge the tourists/visitors. If you don't like what it costs, you could always stay home.