Columbia Fishing guide tax

[WAPatriot]

In recent years the number of fishing guides has exploded. I'd like to see them have to pay a large tax that would go to hatcheries. Guides are responsible for an extremely high percentage of the harvest quota especially on the Columbia. In bouy 10 for example with the 1 fish limit guides are going to be able to do 3 trips a day. Why should they get to kill 18 fish a day when on my boat I can only kill a couple. Because of these guides fisheries close super fast. I'd guess without guide boats fisheries like bouy 10 would be open twice as long. Weekend warriors getting the shaft again.

[WAPatriot]

If I go fishing with a buddy and we limit on a sat and Sunday that's 4 fish a guide fishing a week of 3 a day trips kills 126. 

[3dvapor]

More taxes will never solve our hatchery programs.   You could triple there budget and very little of that money would make it to the actual fish.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Oh, the irony!

[WAPatriot]

Ya I'm not really a tax guy either I just wish there were less fishing guides they ruin fisheries.

[WSU]

They also provide a valuable service and get a lot of folks involved in fishing that probably would otherwise buy licenses.  More anglers means more people to support the sport and means more license dollars to pay for WDFW.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I understand where you are coming from, just couldn't resist.  No hard feelings!

[boneaddict]

How about a gill net tax?

[Gringo31]

I can only imagine being a guide, trying to earn a living for those short periods of time of year and get thumped with a tax on top of it. 

I agree it puts newbies into the seat to experience things they'd never have a chance at doing....which is good.  Just don't think the guides make enough of an impact as to say....... predators, nets etc.

Quick example on nets.  There has/was a particular net in the columbia that sat there same spot, unchecked for months.  I made a point to talk to a native I saw netting and tell him about it.  He asked me a bunch of questions (what size mesh, if there were fish in it etc)  I told him I'm not touching it but please check it out.  No idea what happened, but would hate to have to see what was in that net.   

[deerlick]

the guide is taking licensed clients that all payed for their chance at fish. if you would like more fish caught in your boat have more people waiting to go after you limit, if your worried about it.

[Taco280AI]

[sarcasm]Or how about the people who are good at fishing have to pay per fish they catch!  Yeah, let's punish those who know how to fish and catch fish often 

And let's start a trophy fee for big bucks and bulls and put it on a sliding scale so those who consistently get big racks pay more and more each time! It isn't fair they get big antlers and I don't.  [/sarcasm]

Guides have more fish in their boats, but it is their clients who are taking them home and notching their catch cards. What does the guide matter and why punish them because someone else has fish in their freezer?

[Dhoey07]

I would rather see the end of commercial fishing, not to include guides

[allen]

Are you serious?
(Full disclosure - I'm not a guide.  I don't know any guides other than to say hello to a few as we meet at the launch or on the river)
I'm with Deerlick, WSU & Gringo on this.  All those clients are licensed fishers & have the same catch limits as I do & bundled together those clients in that boat add a lot more back to the fisheries than do the people in my boat.
The last thing we need to do is pit one group of sports fishers against another.

[Curly]

It might be a better idea to tax patchouli oil or Birkenstock sandals.  The damn sealion huggers are the ones to blame for the out of control sealion population that is devouring the fish runs. 

[WAPatriot]

Actually the best thing I think the state could do would be to have the limits be twice the size for recreational guys. This would be good for the guides too cause they could do more trips.