New Indiana Lake Permit Requirements

[crappie66]

I understand that, I was using a car as an example. If I must purchase a year plate for my car, then why shouldn't we have to tag our boats for a year. If we don't want to tag our cars, then we simply can't drive them on the roads, if you don't like the year permit for your boat, then simply don't put your boat on those bodies of water.

I am about sick of people crying and whining about the conditions of our fisheries and the work the DNR does or doesn't do. Whenever they try to come up with more money to fund improvement projects 3/4 of the people oppose it

[rangerbull]

I don't think it is all about raiseing money for our fisheries that upset people. they raise enought money but doesn't get where it is intended. As you know or don't know that all the money raised by the dnr goes directly to the the Indiana general fund and then the state allocates it where it see's fit. no matter how high they raise the fee's, the dnr will always come up short. all money brought into the dnr should stay in the dnr and the director should be a elected official.

[crappie66]

Well you have me for a loss of words. I was truely unaware of this. I think it is a crock of ##### myself. What do we as fisherman/outdoorsman have to do to make a change? Writing your congressman or any other politician won't do a thing, they don't even see the letters 99% of the time.

[Topwater2004]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Feb-10-06 AT 07:32PM (EST)[/font][p]Hello All,

The boat registration is still a yearly requirement, just like a vehicle, so I don't under stand what crappie was talking about having multiple vehicles. If you had multiple boats, they still have to be registered to put them on the water.

The boat ramp permit is ok with me. I will probably go out some more now that it is a set fee.

Basically though, I have given up on the IDNR as a management force. They point to fisheries such as Eagle Creek as having great creel rates for bass, yet that is a 10hp lake, set up for small craft.

Indiana is the smallest state west of the Appalachian Mountains, we just don't have the water that other states have. The anglers have the lake from April to end of May, and in the fall. That is when we can get our monies worth.

We are really getting squeezed by taxes in Indiana. I am thinking about moving out of Vigo County over to Clay County because Vigo keeps raising taxes, and coming up with new ones.

We have nice paved roads out in the county now though. I don't know why we need them, but a lot of the county roads are two laned asphalt highways, do to the "temporary" wheel tax imposed 6 years ago. The wheel tax was supposed to last 2 years, LOL.
Last year, they tacked on a 1.5% income tax too. It never ends.

[PL]

What I would like to know is when the tournaments are going on is the CO going to target the out of staters for not having a permit?

With my wife and I having a camp there I buy 2 permits a year for our boats and 1 to get through the gate.

I agree with what was said earlier that alot of the extra money will never be used for taking care of our lakes. The politicans will piss it away like they always do.


Larry

[WaubeeCharlie]

What about people like myself who live in northern Indiana who don't have any DNR type controlled lakes to deal with ramp fees? It's the State resevoirs that are requiring these permits isn't it? The State controlled waters up here have no fee ramps. So A computer fishing site I am a member on have camping/fishing outing across Indiana a few times a year and always the spring outings or down south like Monroe and Patoka. We were at Patoka last spring and have this years outing planed there this April as well. Now do you think it's fair for guys like myself to have to buy a yearly launch permit instead of a daily $5.00 fee.I have no problem with paying my way. Two years ago I bought a yearly permit at Summit and never fished another DNR reservior again that year. Three years ago the state vote to move ($2,000,000)two million dollars from the DNR funds and put it into the general state funds, and the DNR never got those funds back! Wonder how many lifetime license went to generate those $2,000,000. So it doesn't matter who is in charge the DNR still come last with the funds ! Don't be suprised if more funds find their way to the general state fund.

[Topwater2004]

Charlie,

I really didn't understand that either, about people who only need single ramp in, I guess they are getting screwed. The ramp fee is one thing, but I don't like the park fee to just drive to the ramp. That is revenue boom at Harden Res. You get to look at the purdy grass for a couple minutes, for $5. The ramp on the north side is a small drive way, then you gotta go way up the hill and park, then walk back down.

I wondered also about the out of state anglers. We may have to ban all those guys from Louisville from coming up to fish Patoka. It will still be ok for us to fish in Kentucky LOL.

[Moose1am]

Last year I fished Patoka a few times. Each time I launched out of the North Newton Stewart Ramp I had to pay to enter the Park and then pay a launch fee also. I stopped launching from Newton Stewart even though it's close to where I want to fish. I also had to pay for registering my boat. Not to mention the trailer licence and the truck license plate and the insurance. Then I renewed my Driver License this Jan for another 25 bucks. Add up the gas to get the truck and boat to the lake and all my fishing equipment and you see that it's not cheap to go fishing these days.

I am all for helping the DNR if they can improve the hunting and fishing oportunities in IN. I just wish that the Politicians would listen to the trained professional wildlife biology guys and not squander the money received on other state project.

I do think that I read that all one needs now to launch at Patoka is the Lake Permit on the Boat. I believe that is what I saw on the web site explaining how this new permit works. I hope I read that right. I do remember it saying that it will take less State employees to enforce and run this new system and it should speed up the entry and launching at Patoka an other lakes that require this new Lake Permit.

If you have not read the information I would recommend that you copy the link above by highlighting it and coping it to the clipboard in windows. Then just paste it into your browser address text box and go to the web site. That is where you will find most of the answer to how this new permit will work.

You don't need one to fish the Ohio River and I think that sites like the F&W areas may not need this permit. I have been fishing Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area and I don't think I need the permit to launch there. But Monroe and Patoka definitely will require that you have this new permit. And the Conservation Officers will be enforcing this new permit requirement on the affected lakes and reserviors.

Regards,

Moose1am

[WaubeeCharlie]

It's the State reserviors. Patoka, Monroe, Brookville,Cataract,Racoon Salamonie,Mississinewa,Huntington,Summit Lakes are what they have planned I think. These are all DNR controlled. Not Fish&Wildlife Areas like Tri-County or Bluegrass

[PL]

It looks like those who only fish a few times at those lakes that require entry fees will get screwed along with those out of staters. I can see some very unhappy folks in the near future.

I guess this type of permit will try and eliminate all those that go through the gate at Patoka before it opens up and never pay? I hope the state has notified those bass clubs that have taken out permits to fish tournaments so their members can be aware of what is going on especially those tournament guys that will come from out of state.

Does anyone know if the Conservation Officers will be selling the permits out of their boats to keep people from getting fined?

I'd hate to be one of those boaters that gets pulled over for not knowing about the permit. Gonna be some unhappy folks for sure.

Nothing worse than money hungery SOB's


Larry