DOVER (May 31, 2013) – Been thinking of casting a line into a nearby stream or daydreaming about a sunny afternoon at the beach with your surf rod, but just haven’t gotten around to purchasing your 2013 Delaware fishing license yet? Then you’ve got an angler’s good luck already for catching the opportunity to try fishing for free for a couple of days, thanks to DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.
To celebrate National Fishing Week, June 1-9, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife invites you to test your favorite Delaware waters for a taste of this year’s fishing, clamming and crabbing seasons by offering free fishing days on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9. On these two days, anyone may fish the state’s waters without a fishing license.
Anglers are reminded that even though they don’t need a license on those two days, if they intend to fish June 8 or 9, they are still required to obtain a free Fisherman Identification Network (F.I.N.) number. A free F.I.N. number can be obtained online at www.delaware-fin.com or by calling 1-800-432-9228. Anglers also are required to comply with Delaware’s fishing regulations, including size and daily catch limits.
National Fishing Week festivities will also include DNREC’s 27th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8. Sponsored by the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Enforcement Section, the event will take place at a pond in each county: Ingrams Pond in Millsboro, Wyoming Pond in Wyoming’s Town Park and the dog training area at Lums Pond State Park in Bear.
The Youth Fishing Tournament is part of Delaware’s Children in Nature Initiative, a statewide effort to improve environmental literacy in Delaware, create opportunities for children to participate in enriching outdoor experiences, combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles. Delaware’s multi-agency initiative, which partners state and federal agencies with community organizations, is part of the national No Child Left Inside program.
With the exception of this one weekend, resident and non-resident anglers from the ages of 16 through 64 who fish, crab or clam in any Delaware waters – including ponds, impoundments, streams, rivers, bays and ocean – are required to purchase a fishing license. Delaware residents 65 or older and both residents and non-residents under age 16 do not have to purchase a license. Licenses are required for non-residents age 65 and older.
Fishing licenses for Delaware residents cost $8.50, while non-residents pay $20 a year or $12.50 for a seven-day license. Licenses may be purchased online, at DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, or at license agents located in sporting goods stores, hardware stores, bait and tackle shops and other businesses throughout the state.
The 2013 Fishing Guide, which includes complete details on fishing regulations, licensing, the F.I.N. program and exemptions, is also available from the DNREC Dover office, licensing agents statewide and on the Division of Fish and Wildlife website.
To purchase a Delaware fishing license online, view the Fishing Guide, or for more information on fishing licenses, please visit the DNREC Fisheries homepage at www.fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Fisheries.aspx. For more information, please call 302-739-9918.
Contact: JoAnna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
Vol. 43, No. 221
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