The Oregon Legislature recently approved large increases in fishing and hunting license fees for 2010 (and beyond). ODFW agency representatives are shining the best light possible on the fee hikes that sportsmen might have a tough time swallowing. Fee and tag increases are to help offset the increasing costs of managing fish and wildlife in Oregon, and also offer us the following:
· Habitat restoration projects to benefit deer and elk populations
· Increased trout stocking for lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers
· Two additional Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division officers in Central Oregon
· A two-pole option: A new $17 validation will allow licensed anglers to fish with a second fishing pole and line on most lakes, ponds and reservoirs
· Fish passage and riparian and in-stream habitat enhancement programs
· Additional funding for commercial fishing law enforcement
And here’s what you really want to know – how much are fees and tags going up? Here’s a partial list. The whole list can be found on the ODFW website at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/budget/. There’s a box on the right side of the page that will link you to the fee increases.
· Annual Resident Angler - $33.00 (was $24.75)
· Combined Angling Tag – $26.50 (was $21.50)
· Annual Resident Combo Hunting/Fishing - $58.00 (was $43.75)
· Annual Nonresident Angler - $106.25 (was $61.50)
The Resident Shellfish License is still a good deal at $7.00 (was $6.50) as is the Hatchery Harvest Tag at $16.50 (was $13.50).
There are definitely some things that caught my attention in the ODFW press release. First, increased trout stocking in local lakes will do little more than feed the cormorants unless stocking methods are changed. Hatchery planting should take place in the late evening or overnight. It will give fish a chance to disperse and maybe give us a chance to catch them. More stocked fish being delivered the same way won’t help. I am very willing for fee increases to go toward enforcement, especially in the ocean and on the Columbia River. Too many fishermen feel like its not against the law if nobody sees it. On the other side – fee increases really hurt the average guy who wants to introduce the family to the outdoors. Sometimes it feels like we’re moving toward how they fish in Great Britain: only the rich can afford to fish for salmon and trout. Everyone else is reduced to fishing for rough fish.
See You On The Water,
Action Jackson
(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)
Thursday, August 6, 2009
You Guides Make Too Much Money
It seems that people want to give me a piece of their minds all the time. Last week I was talking about my bookings for the upcoming fall salmon season when someone asked, “how much do you charge?” When I told them my rates, they proclaimed, “that’s too much.” At first, I was offended by this accusation. Obviously this person thinks what I charge per day is pure profit. Far from it! There are many costs associated with being in business for yourself – and its no different with guiding.
Having literally thousands of dollars tied up in boats and motors, a truck, rods and reels, tackle and lures, traps, nets, electronics, and safety equipment is only the start. I use all top-quality equipment – folks paying money for a fishing trip deserve to have gear that won’t fail on them in a critical moment. You won’t find any duct tape on any of my gear. I could go with lower-quality equipment, but I wouldn’t have as much confidence in it, and you wouldn’t have as much confidence in me.
There’s a whole other side of business costs too. Fuel, insurance (truck, boat, liability), bait, licenses, maintenance are just a few of my expenses. I can easily burn $50 worth of fuel in a day, and $50 worth of bait. Insurance is well over $100 per month. If something needs repaired on my truck or boat, a minimum expense is $250. To obtain my U.S. Coast Guard licenses, I traveled to Astoria and took classes, one 1-week class and one 2-week course. This doesn’t include state licenses or tags for my truck and trailer. I am also required to attend CPR/First Aid courses every year. And then there’s advertising: we traveled to a Sportsman’s Show in Idaho and I distribute brochures in the area.
Finally, my day doesn’t start when I meet folks at the dock and end when they get off the boat. If I meet folks at 6:00, I’m up and getting stuff ready by 4:00. Lunch needs to be made, coolers packed, load gear, double check to make sure all equipment is ready and secure. Pulling out of the driveway by 5:00. I try to get to the launch at least 30 minutes early to account for any crowds and because its inevitable that fishermen always get there early. I have to be ready to go. Fast-forward to the end of the day. We’ll fish for a minimum of 8 hours (unless we get early limits), many times fishing for 10 hours. I clean the fish and pull the boat out. I stop by the gas station and fuel up. Boat gets washed and motors flushed. All the rods get re-rigged and prepped for the next day. I brine and prepare the bait. Whoa, its 7:00 p.m.! Time to slam down dinner so I can make some phone calls before it gets too late. During the season, I can easily put in 14-16 hour days.
You get what you pay for. Many folks choose to come fishing with me a few times a year rather than buy their own boat because owning and maintaining a boat is a big expense. Way bigger than going with a guide a few times a year. My prices might seem high to some because they don’t realize all that goes into the guiding business. If guiding was the easy way to be a millionaire, there’d be a lot more people doing it.
See You On The Water,
Action Jackson
(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)
Having literally thousands of dollars tied up in boats and motors, a truck, rods and reels, tackle and lures, traps, nets, electronics, and safety equipment is only the start. I use all top-quality equipment – folks paying money for a fishing trip deserve to have gear that won’t fail on them in a critical moment. You won’t find any duct tape on any of my gear. I could go with lower-quality equipment, but I wouldn’t have as much confidence in it, and you wouldn’t have as much confidence in me.
There’s a whole other side of business costs too. Fuel, insurance (truck, boat, liability), bait, licenses, maintenance are just a few of my expenses. I can easily burn $50 worth of fuel in a day, and $50 worth of bait. Insurance is well over $100 per month. If something needs repaired on my truck or boat, a minimum expense is $250. To obtain my U.S. Coast Guard licenses, I traveled to Astoria and took classes, one 1-week class and one 2-week course. This doesn’t include state licenses or tags for my truck and trailer. I am also required to attend CPR/First Aid courses every year. And then there’s advertising: we traveled to a Sportsman’s Show in Idaho and I distribute brochures in the area.
Finally, my day doesn’t start when I meet folks at the dock and end when they get off the boat. If I meet folks at 6:00, I’m up and getting stuff ready by 4:00. Lunch needs to be made, coolers packed, load gear, double check to make sure all equipment is ready and secure. Pulling out of the driveway by 5:00. I try to get to the launch at least 30 minutes early to account for any crowds and because its inevitable that fishermen always get there early. I have to be ready to go. Fast-forward to the end of the day. We’ll fish for a minimum of 8 hours (unless we get early limits), many times fishing for 10 hours. I clean the fish and pull the boat out. I stop by the gas station and fuel up. Boat gets washed and motors flushed. All the rods get re-rigged and prepped for the next day. I brine and prepare the bait. Whoa, its 7:00 p.m.! Time to slam down dinner so I can make some phone calls before it gets too late. During the season, I can easily put in 14-16 hour days.
You get what you pay for. Many folks choose to come fishing with me a few times a year rather than buy their own boat because owning and maintaining a boat is a big expense. Way bigger than going with a guide a few times a year. My prices might seem high to some because they don’t realize all that goes into the guiding business. If guiding was the easy way to be a millionaire, there’d be a lot more people doing it.
See You On The Water,
Action Jackson
(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)