ATTN TOURNAMENT ANGLERS

[url]http://www.bassfanarmy.com/bfa_news_article.asp?id=183[/url]

That could realy change the way things are done. Not to mention what it will do to local hotels, gas stations ect. I also think that it would make KY lakes more crowded than they are now.

you can bet if one state gets this done it will become monkey see monkey doo others will follow.I bet they will lose more in state tax revenue than they will collect if just indiana does it.if other states follow across the board this will put millions to billions in the funds.they know we won't stop,them green fish are like slot machines ADDICTING.

Remember the big tax on Yachts made in the USA.. Big Luxury Tax. Well it drove all the business overseas. Big Yacht Builders here went out of business. This is the same stupid Idea.
We pay taxes.. WE all pay taxes. Rich or Poor. The richest 10% of the country pays something like 70% of the taxes.. Now Indiana wants to dump the funding of state facilities and departments back on the 90% who use the facilities. Sounds fair.. right?
Look, taxes are supposed to be used for the PUBLIC good. This is an effort in my opinion by Animal Activists to create enough cost to get a LOT of people out of the fishing and hunting sports. These sports support numerous businesses, and in turn those businesses pay taxes. Those taxes should support the efforts to maintain Fish and Wildlife and State Parks and Ramps. It is an INVESTMENT in REVENUE. "FIX IT UP.. KEEP IT UP.. and "THEY WILL COME" and pay taxes and fees..
Indiana.. get a life. This is Democratic NONSENSE.. elect Republicans.. that from a LIFELONG Democrat.

For the Fishers of Men No Ky trail, we had to put out $450 in order for us to have a tournament on Cave Run back in March this year. Because of this new fee, we won't be having any more tournaments there.
Bassky

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-26-06 AT 02:52PM (EST)[/font][p]On the face of it, it wouldn't seem to matter much to me. I have no interest in fishing Cave Run, and definitely none in fishing Indiana, but it's the trend that worries me. If the IN DNR can find a way to extricate some money from tourney anglers, as someone already said, other states will follow.

This fee is idiotic and unfair for a number of reasons, but I've found time and again what makes sense and is fair holds little water in government operations. Are they charging a 'pleasure' fee on houseboaters, skiers, jet skiers, etc? I doubt it.

The sad thing is they'll probably get their way, my past efforts to fight government stupidity have shown me that anglers are an extremely passive group of people as a whole. We also seldom agree on anything, and fight with each other more than anything else. There is a vocal minority, but most anglers just want to go fishing, be left alone, and stay out of politics. That's fine I guess, but sooner or later money grubbing, self serving politicians will screw that up like they have many other things. But don't worry it'll be in the name of democracy and fairness.