# Liscense question?



## j.moulder (Feb 17, 2011)

Where does Florida determine the need to have saltwater or fresh water liscense ? The reason for this is on a trip down for redfish and specks we caught a lot of black bass. I've looked on the FWC site and not found any reference to it . Do not want to be breaking any law on future trips !


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## TRG (Jun 30, 2012)

It's determined by what you are fishing for and not where you are at.
Saltwater fish or freshwater fish. This is what a FWC officer told me when I asked about throwing my net in the river to catch mullet. He said it was legal as long as I didn't keep freshwater fish.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

I asked the same question as part of a post earlier this week because I will be in the same boat (no pun intended... ok maybe a little) in a couple of weeks. Like you, I did not find the answer on the website. There was a little discussion and a number of people echoed the same response... if you are targeting salt species and you get freshwater bycatch, you're fine if you're not keeping them. It's not about the geography, it's about your targeted species and what's in your cooler/livewell.

License determines your ability to keep fish, and unless you're just very clearly targeting largemouth for example, you're not going to get in trouble with a salt license even if you're up in brackish water and catching both largemouth and redfish... as long as you are following your limits for reds and throwing back the black bass. 

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f28/blackwater-bay-vs-escambia-138759/


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## j.moulder (Feb 17, 2011)

Reading the regulations I was not sure. Somewhere on there it states if you fish to release or to keep a species you have to have the proper liscense and permits if applicable. I have my nonresident saltwater liscense but would for sure not want to be fined for by catch of freshwater fish that did not know they were not supposed to hit a redfish bait!


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## Yaksquatch (Mar 23, 2009)

If you're targeting or keeping freshwater species, then you need a freshwater license. If you are targeting or keeping saltwater species, then you need a saltwater license. Or just bite the bullet and get both licenses.

Alex


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## j.moulder (Feb 17, 2011)

Not challenging the information given its just I like to be able to see it from the rules and regulations. If the targeted species is true you could essentially be fishing in the bay using a cane pole and cork catching whatever would bite and tell the FWC that you was targeting bream if you had a freshwater liscense and could be up the river a ways with a 4/0 and cut bait catching catfish and say you were after sharks if you had saltwater liscense as long as you are releasing what you catch.


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

by law u need both most officers are lenient in that brackish zone if u dont keep species u are not lisenced for but just because u are not keeping any fish isnt an excuse to not have a liscence they look at where u launched your tackle and fishing methods best bet if u fish both fresh and saltwater have both of all things i complain about with all the regs i dont mind buying a liscence 

one thing i did just wonder about was stripers and hybrids stripers i know live in both fresh and salt water and the hybrids migrate to the back bays from freshwater does anyone know if they are regulated as both a fresh and saltwater fish or is it just a fresh


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## Trucker (Sep 25, 2008)

*trout*



weedline said:


> by law u need both most officers are lenient in that brackish zone if u dont keep species u are not lisenced for but just because u are not keeping any fish isnt an excuse to not have a liscence they look at where u launched your tackle and fishing methods best bet if u fish both fresh and saltwater have both of all things i complain about with all the regs i dont mind buying a liscence
> 
> one thing i did just wonder about was stripers and hybrids stripers i know live in both fresh and salt water and the hybrids migrate to the back bays from freshwater does anyone know if they are regulated as both a fresh and saltwater fish or is it just a fresh


The same would be for trout wouldn't it? Like speckled trout and white trout, do they require a salt or fresh water license?


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

that is true with trout and reds but they are saltwater fish just as a large mouth bass is a freshwater fish while in the spring they are caught in river mouths to me those are no brainers we all know how the law works with these but stripers ,stergon,salmon and im sure some other migrate from fresh to salt water to spawn we dont have salmon stergon are protected so stripers are the only fish here that i could se being in question


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

Without reading all this, it's the type of fish you have in your POSSESSION that determines the license you BETTER have if you get checked!!! If you have a slot spec or red and you have only a fresh water license - you're in trouble. If you have a legal largemouth and you have only a salt water license - you're in trouble. So, if you're fishing in the Backwater River around Milton - purely fresh water - and you land a slot red, and you only have a fresh water license - you MUST release the fish immediately.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

This came up a few weeks ago on another thread. I have an out of state friend who comes down for several weeks during the winter and we fish a lot in the Chocatawhatchee River Delta area. He gets the freshwater out of state license since we fish way up river for crappie, but we also fish in lower river as well.
I called FWC in Panama City with the question about catching specks and reds when we are fishing bass baits or with live minnows. Red and specks bite the same bait. They advised there is no problem for him if he catches a red or speck and it is released. So I'm going with this as a license guide for this year. He will be here in about 2 weeks. One license will meet his recreation needs and state law.


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

That's exactly what I said in my previous post. If you have ONLY a fresh water license and you land a salt water fish - you MUST immediately release it!!!

Happy fishing...


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

OOPS!!!! Forgot this...

My brother lives near B'ham, AL and is a very avid crappy fisherman. He visits me only to fish for saltwater species so he buys the out-of-state saltwater only license.


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## j.moulder (Feb 17, 2011)

Thanks for the info. Will feel better about running up the rivers for specks and reds without freshwater liscense .


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## jmw70 (Jun 6, 2012)

And by the way they include strippers as a freshwater fish! I think this is crap since Strippers were at first only believed to be a saltwater fish until they dammed up a lake and seen that the strippers survived. Up along the north east they catch strippers a few miles offshore.


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

wheather u agree or disagree its streight forward what u can and cant catch with either liscence outside of the striper and as jmw70 just informed me stripers are clasified as a freshwater fish so that clears it up more


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## jackstraw (Jan 3, 2011)

if i remember correctly. systems that have both fresh, salt or brackish water in them at the same time have a clear "demarcation" line. you need the license that corresponds to either fresh or salt. BUT, like mentioned before, if you are in a fresh area, and catch a salt species you must have a salt license to posess the fish and vice versa. if you have both, you are covered regardless.


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## j.moulder (Feb 17, 2011)

Alabama does have a "demarcation " line and the regs state if you are fishing below that line you have to have a saltwater liscense regardless of what you pursue. If you are above that line you have to posses a freshwater liscense. To keep saltwater species a saltwater liscense.


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## BrakeTurnAccelerate (Jul 1, 2012)

j.moulder said:


> Alabama does have a "demarcation " line and the regs state if you are fishing below that line you have to have a saltwater liscense regardless of what you pursue. If you are above that line you have to posses a freshwater liscense. To keep saltwater species a saltwater liscense.


http://www.dcnr.alabama.gov/fishing/images/swfwmap.jpg


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## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

If this is the law where it only matters what you keep not what you catch seems you wouldn't need license at all if you were doing catch and release. If you ever got a ticket and could get this statement in writing seems you could wiggle your way out of it in court.


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

rfh21 said:


> If this is the law where it only matters what you keep not what you catch seems you wouldn't need license at all if you were doing catch and release.


I wouldn't want to fight that because [by law] you are required to have a fishing license unless exempted by established criterion.


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## rfh21 (May 17, 2012)

Oh me either I was just playing devils advocate. I prefer a line of demarcation system but every state is different.


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## jackstraw (Jan 3, 2011)

maybe this for demarcation http://www.myfwc.com/media/310640/EO_10_46_ReopenStateWatersGulfDeepwaterHorizon.pdf


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## j.moulder (Feb 17, 2011)

I would being from out of state like to have a demarcation line also. I purchase a nonresident annual saltwater liscense each year but do not pursue freshwater species in Florida so I do not buy a freshwater liscense. Most of the time when I'm down fishing I'm well away from any freshwater tributaries to the bays. This only come into question a few weeks ago when down and fishing for specks and reds and caught black bass out on the points in the bay out from Escambia river
Some other fisherman told me to run up the river to find the reds and specks. I did not venture north of the bridges to fish because of not knowing the laws regarding the areas covered by the separate liscense . Will look to the FWC for better understanding and clarification before I come back.


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## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

You do not need a freshwater license fishing in the river for trout and redfish! Yes you will catch bass and stripers/hybrids you just can't keep. We go all the way to the x which is about a mile north of hwy 90 and have never had a issue. I have a lifetime sportsman license so I don't have a issue everything is covered but my friends just have saltwater and the man says its fine as long as no freshwater species are kept by them. They know the reds and trout are there.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Flats how much is the lifetime license?


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## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

Ox it's $1001.00 and covers everything freshwater, saltwater and hunting. Just fishing is like $500.


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