Fishing guides might have to be licensed
Fishing guides in the state will have to be licensed through the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation if Gov. Brad Henry signs SB 277, which lawmakers passed this week.
If the governor signs the bill into law, state wildlife commissioners are expected to set the license fee and establish requirements for the guide license at its June meeting.
To be licensed, fishing guides likely would have to buy liability insurance and complete CPR and first aid training. Vessel inspections also might be required.
Both Arkansas and Texas license fishing guides. SB 277 applies only to fishing guides, not hunting guides.
SB 277 started out as a bill about commercial hunting operations, but was changed last week to the fishing guide licensing bill.
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Comments
Very curious how a SB starts as a licensing bill for commercial hunting operations and then suddenly gets changed to impact only fishing operations.
Meantime, I’m fine with licensing fishing guides as long as it’s not just a tax and has some reasonable health or safety benefits to the end consumer. I think if properly implemented, it could increase the quality of fishing guides in the state of Oklahoma.
Sean Baker
Guide
Three Rivers Fly Shop
Broken Bow, OK
I suspect some guide lied and said he made money last year or possibly he upset a senator he took out and now the senator is out for revenge. I don’t understand why he is picking on us fishing guides when in reality he couldn’t hit a quail if it was sitting on a fence post.
Been guiding for 12 years and wondered why it hasn’t happened befor now. Like to know what the fee is going to be and will there be a senior citizen discount. I was hoping to guide a little after retirement.
Jesse King
Old Guide
Three Rivrs Fly Shop
Broken Bow, Ok
I am surprised this didn’t happen sooner. I often get asked if you need a license to be a guide, all I can say is not in Oklahoma you don’t. If it was required I would have it! I also could not agree more with Sean B’s. comment..(above) Can you imagine the look on your customers faces if you tell them that will be $$$ + TAX? That would open a whole new can of worms. Oooop’s there goes your tip………
All that’s needed to get a Texas Fishing Guide License is $125 every August. If it’s similar to the TX law, it proves nothing, solves nothing while costing guides $$$ and the lawmakers time while putting money in some body’s pocket.
As a fishing guide, I have no problem with being required to get a license that makes sense to someone operating a 18-25 foot boat on inland lakes. Some sort of boating exam based on the real life inland lakes and rivers. Get serious, Texoma ain’t one of the Great Lakes.
A actual sixpack or USCG license question is…
The symbol which appears beside a light on a chart reads “Gp Fl R (2) 10 sec 160 ft 19M”. Which of the following describes the light?
CRP & first aid certification would also make sense.
But a time consuming, $3,000 license so I can cross the Atlantic Ocean piloting a 100 Ton ship, using a sextant really isn’t how I plan to feed my family.
The laws have always been on the books. They fall under the Code of Federal Regulations. Ignorance is no excuse for the law. Why should the Texoma guides get different treatment than other guides across the county? Why should they be different than any other small business operating on the same type waters?
This issue has come into the spot light becasue of the death back in March on Texoma.
It’s time to get real people — these guides are being hired for large amounts of money, usually cash and are taking families with children out onto a large body of water not a pond!
I would be all for this IF we are required to obtain USCG license, as for liability insurance, I don’t think that should be up to the state to tell a guide whether they think they need it or not
What this ends up being is just another tax on business thats passed on to the customer, and the result increases costs for us all !!!
I had a guides license in Texas for years , you paid your tax and voila , you were an automatic fishing guide.