Ok...makes sense to me....NOT!

[Papa gone fishing]

Today I was checking on getting my wife a fishing license. Being disabled she asked me to see if they had a special license for people with a disability. In Wisconsin, if you have a disability you can get a "Disabled Fishing" license that runs $13 cheaper then a regular "Annual" license. Ok...I get that. But here is where it gets weird. With a disabled fishing license you're not allowed to use a electric trolling motor unless you have a "Fish or Troll With Electric Motor Permit Application" form number 3600-162 filled out by a doctor and sent back to the DNR who then, if ok by the doctor will send you the permit. It doesn't matter what your disability may be, if you have this license you have to get this permit to use a trolling motor. The permit is free, but you still have the cost of an office visit at your doctor. I called the DNR and asked about having a disabled license and using gas engines and apparently there is no permit require for that. Ok...so my wife could row a boat and that would be fine...she could jump on a bass boat with a 150 hp engine and do 40+ mph across the lake and that's cool...but she's not allowed to twist the grip on a 30 pound thrust trolling motor without a permit to do so? And this makes sense? :der:

Whoever came up with that little ditty must of had a really good time in the 60's. :hippie:
Needless to say she ended up with a Annual license, and next year we'll get a "Husband / Wife" license.

Papa :fish2:

 

[scottmm73]

Re: Ok...makes sense to me....NOT!

Oh...the idiosyncrasies of politics.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Ok...makes sense to me....NOT!

Leaning a little towards the golden state are you?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Ok...makes sense to me....NOT!

Sorry for your confusion, but I would bet it was caused by a misinformed retailer/kiosk agent selling the license.

The permit is not required with the disabled fishing license.

The permit is an additional allowance the state gives to disabled people.
The permit, if you qualify, would allow you to use a trolling motor in waters where trolling is not currently allowed.

From the permit application:

Permit to Fish or Troll
with an Electric Motor
Class A permit holders automatically receive
authorization to troll with an electric motor. Other
persons, missing a hand or an arm, or those who
have permanently lost significant function of a
hand or arm, may qualify for a trolling permit. To
apply, you must complete and submit application
form #3600-162 (Permit to Troll) to a DNR office.
Note: Permit holders must also possess a valid
fishing license to make use of this permit. Persons
in the boat who do not possess trolling permits
are subject to normal trolling restrictions.

So she could have gotten the disabled license and fished with you, following all the current regs on trolling.



http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF\forms/3600/3600-162.pdf

 

[Papa gone fishing]

Re: Ok...makes sense to me....NOT!

roscoe,

That makes much more sense. Thank you for the clarification. Sad part is the confusion wasn't caused by a retailer, but by the DNR representative I was talking too on the phone. Preferring to give people the benefit of the doubt, I think I'll chalk this up to comedy of errors and misunderstandings on both our parts. Thanks again.

Papa :fish2:

 

[generator12]

Re: Ok...makes sense to me....NOT!

I've lived in four different state and have found Wisconsin to be among the more sane of them in regard to rules which help/hinder individual activities. Illinois and Pennsylvania were much less so.