Most fishing legislation is designed to protect fish stocks to ensure that our children’s children have fish to catch. While some legislation is designed as a revenue grab, these usually bring in very little and are at the regional level as most tax levy’s raised at the federal, state and provincial level.

Protecting Endangered Species

Some restrictive legislation is designed to protect bass species like the Redeye bass or Roanoke Bass that have a limited distribution and are susceptible to shocks to the environment.

Managing Fish Populations

State and Federal agencies employ fish biologists and scientists to keep fish stocks healthy, introduce fish to new environments and reintroduce them to environments that fish have left. Not all reservoirs and lakes are able to stay stocked with fish without state and local agencies seeding them with juvenile bass. Most revenue for these activities usually come from license fees.

Invasive Species

Legislation is also designed to keep out invasive species like the Asian Carp and snakehead. These species have now taken a foot hold in the United States and their numbers are expanding rapidly, pushing and starving out local bass and other native species.

 

We don’t want to take political sides, but it’s clear that there is a lot of legislation designed to protect local fish stocks. We just hope that they’re able to make better headway against the Asian Carp and Snakehead.

Fishing Licenses and Regulations

Modern fishing electronic equipment, faster fishing boats and better tackle make it easier for anglers to catch many fish. Some even argue that the modern equipment removes the “sport” from “sportfishing“.

 

Because people learn about angling through web sites like ours, by watching angling programs and reading books and magazines on fishing, it’s important for us to stress the importance of understanding fishing licenses and regulations.