Fishing License clarification-Kayak

Saltwater Kayak Fishing
1

Hey group,

Need an answer to settle a bet.

Do you need a fishng license to fish from kayak? The DNR website says “to fish from privately owned boat” Kayaks are privately owned but they do not need to be registered. Does that mean they are privately owned?

Also, HWY 17 is the line for saltwater/freshwater license. Do you guys have both? I have only salt but when fishing some rivers it comes into question.

I guess it better to pay the extra $10 to be safe come next June.

2

Medgar, I was told at the Charleston Angler that if I used any watercraft to fish from or to transport me to fish then I’d need a salt water lic. If I just fished from the beach nada. $10 buys a lot of piece of mind. Thanks for the earlier directions.

3

I’ve been checked multiple times, yes you need a licence. And there are definete lines for the salt/freshwater lines. If you know exactly where these lines are -good, if not get both.

4

I am pretty sure the dividing lines are further north and west than hwy 17. If not, I have done some pretty illegal fishing lately! And like Cut said, if you use the boat to fish from or to get to the fishing grounds you need a license. Don’t forget your PFD and a whistle as well.

DD

Annoy a Liberal, Work Hard and be Happy!!!

5

The dividing line really depends on where you fish. In most if not all of Horry county the line is hwy 17. Down here, it’s all over the map; as far up as Bushy Park on the Cooper

There is nothing - absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Kenneth Grahame

6

Hope this might help? If not, check out the map that Coastal Expeditions sells at a lot of stores around here…give or take $10. It marks every cut off point along our coast.

[img]http://old.charlestonfishing.com/Freshwater/Saltwater Dividing Line www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/dividingline.html
The dividing line between saltwater and freshwater on the rivers listed is defined in
this section, and all waters of the rivers and their tributaries, streams, and estuaries lying
seaward of the dividing lines are considered saltwaters, and all waters lying landward or
upstream from all dividing lines are considered freshwaters for purposes of licensing and
regulating commercial and recreational fishing. Except as otherwise provided below, the
saltwater/freshwater dividing line is U.S. Hwy. 17:

  1. On Savannah River the dividing line is the abandoned Seaboard Railroad track bed located
    approximately one and three#8209;fourths miles upstream from the U.S. Hwy. 17A bridge.
  2. Wright River is salt water for its entire length.
  3. On Ashepoo River the dividing line is the old Seaboard Railroad track bed.
  4. On New River the dividing line is at Cook’s Landing.
  5. Wallace River, Rantowles Creek, Long Branch Creek, and Shem Creek are saltwater
    for their entire lengths.
  6. On Edisto River the dividing line is the abandoned Seaboard Railroad track bed near
    Matthews Canal Cut.
  7. On Ashley River the dividing line is the confluence of Popper Dam Creek directly
    across from Magnolia Gardens.
  8. On Cooper River the dividing line is the seaward shoreline of Old Back River at the
    confluence of Old Back River downstream from Bushy Park Reservoir.
  9. Wando River is saltwater for its entire length.
  10. On the Intracoastal Waterway in Horry County the dividing line is the bridge across
    the Intracoastal Waterway at the intersection of S.C. Hwy. 9 and U.S. Hwy. 17.[/img]

Mud

7

Thanks everybody for the replies. Your replies helped me win the bet. I am going to enjoy my winnings of Flying Dog Imperial Porter and my free freshwater fishing license.

Thanks,
Medgar

8

cutmullet told me that the cove there at Bushy Park on the salt water side was considered fresh water, therefore needing a fresh water fishing license to fish from the dock, boat or otherwise…the DNR man could probably screw up some folks days there…which I think is wrong, wrong, wrong!!
Folks fishing from the bank or pier are NOT depleting your fishing stocks! Know this, Study this, Monitor this…they are truly recreational, fishing for dinner folks. They are not using the state funded landings, they are not polluting the water, they are not forcing the state to spend money on DNR agents, DNR boats, DNR gas, insurance, etc., etc…
They are catching miniminal fish, enjoying the freedom of our land.
I do not mind contributing $20/ yr. for the preservence of our waterways but, I DO NOT like paying the salary of a DNR agent who wants to write me a $400 ticket for a shark caught off the dock that he cannot identify without a picture book!

“No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem”

               beer
9

I agree with beerbuzz, last spring I was fishing bushy. we was past marker 89 and a dnr guy came up and asked us for our license. we all showed him our licenses and he told us that we don’t have to worry about freshwater licenses on the saltwater side. later that day we was up by nucor and got stopped by the same man and he checked us again and told us that we didn’t need a saltwater license past marker 89. I told him for twenty dollars it is worth the piece of mind because not everyone knows how to understand the laws. that is one reason why I fish the surf.