At the November meeting for planning Major Events IDFG personnel were on hand and advised us of the proposed fee increases that they will take to the legislature when they convene next month. It has been several years since a fee increase was imposed on licenses and permits so it is certainly expected that the department needs additional revenue. For those who are unaware, IDFG is a user-funded agency of the state of Idaho, they get no General Fund monies and due to reluctance on the part of last years Legislature to grant fee increases the department has depleted emergency funds.

There are two items of importance to bass anglers on the proposed fee increase schedule. A fishing license will be increased from $24.00 to $27.75. The Tournament Permit Fee will increase to $100 from the current $23.50. That permit increase is 359% while the average increases are 20%. Since learning of these proposed fee increases

I have spoken with several groups and yesterday attended a meeting with the board of directors for the Idaho Sportsman’s Caucus Advisory Council. Fish and Game Director Groen attended the meeting and gave a good number of reasons for the requested increases. I brought up the proposed Tournament Permit Fee increase and he stated that he had received several communications regarding the increase and that they would study the objections. Also in attendance was a representative who sits on the committee that will consider these proposals after the Fish and Game Commission sends them to the Legislature. His comment to the room and directed at me. "If bass fishermen come to us and tell us that they don’t want this fee it will not happen”. Additionally he stated “If you are not into politics or politicking you will be lead by idiots.” If I interpret that correctly, he is telling us, not to sit on our hands but to make ourselves heard to assure our own destiny. Is your comment one that Director Groen has received? If not, why not? I do not believe that any club in Idaho will be able to afford $100 permit fees for their normal club tournaments, many of them with less than 10 boats. I anticipate that larger tournaments (IBM Open, North Idaho Open, Jack N Jill, Snow Bowl, Walleye Classic, etc.) will be faced with a higher permit fee. I believe that we can find ways to work with that.

Idaho Fish and Game Commission is expected to meet about the middle of January at a location yet to be named. I will be in attendance at that meeting. Will you? If we cannot alter this proposal at that meeting we will be faced with the task of doing so when it comes to committee in the legislature. If it gets past those two hearings it would then be up to everyone to contact their individual legislators.

During the meeting with the ISCAC Board it was apparent that those members knew nothing about the fee that we pay to tournament fish and I can only presume that if they don’t, legislative members certainly will not and it will be passed out of ignorance.

Please contact Idaho Fish and Game regarding this proposal to increase tournament permit fees.

The 2009 Club schedule has been proposed and updated on the Club Tournaments page: http://idahobassmasters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=29.  Permits will be submitted in November, so please give feedback to the discussion board if there are any huge concerns.