[LongReacher]

Can anyone help me straighten this out? The lower Saint John. Does one need a licence to fish it? I always buy one (because I fish Trout lakes and streams), but I hear at least once a year from various relatives that they don't need a licence as long as they are in Tidal waters. Since the strip of the Saint John River we are one is tidal, they consider it the same as fishing out in the bay. I do remember a case a few years back of someone out fishing salmon in a river (perhaps the Restigouche) without a licence, and when stopped by the rangers he fought it, claiming they had no jurisdiction. I can't remember the outcome of that case.

Any thoughts? Where is the line between ocean fishing and river fishing? Is it at the mouth of the harbour? Reversing Falls? Oak Point (That's as far upstream as salt water penetrates) Fredericton (still tidal there, albeit not much)

 

[relic]

No you do not need it but if you are in the river(tidal influence) anywhere I believe you can't keep any fish of any kind without one and with one you must still observe bag limits in the river(tidal influence)

 

[Bigbass]

You don't need a license to fish in tidal waters - the Saint John river is tidal to up above Fredericton somewhere, I think it says exactly where in the fishing regs booklet. I'm not sure about keeping fish - I seem to think you're just not allowed to keep sportfish without a license.

 

[ipop]

no license below the boat club in freddie in tidal water. no license needed for retention except provincial rules for limits apply (the fed's agree and inforce them). none sport fish? fed rules apply, so for instance you can keep one legal striper per day (62 cm> 26.75" min.). for keeping, when in doubt go with the provincial rules unless stated otherwise. you can fish 24/7 in tidal.

that story you remember? that was the worst mistake the local dnr made politicaly in the last 30 years or so. a provincial dnr officer pulls up to a boat fishing the harbor (tidal ocean!), richibucto i believe, and asks to see their provincial fishing licenses. 2 people in the boat, father and son. the son starts to pull out his license and the father tells him to put it away and then tells the warden to go away, they are wrong and out of their jurisdiction. the warden goes off the deep end and charges the younger for not haveing/showing his license and the older for telling him not too...and it turns out it was the head of federal fisheries and his son!!!! bad move!! we payed big time for the idiots at dnr to fight this to the supreme court and lose!! the feds have been po'ed ever since and with good reason. i wonder how many fish could have been stocked or how many dnr officers wages could have been paid for that court battle they knew they were going to lose.

 

[BobD]

"You do not need a fishing licence on tidal waters unless Atlantic salmon is retained."

This according to the NB Government site below:
http://www.gnb.ca/0254/TidalWaters-e.asp

It also lists a lot of the main rivers and where their tidal boundaries are.

One river it misses is the Oromocto river, which is tidal up to Pride's Landing. That would include French and Sunpoke Lakes.

This site doesn't say it, but ipop is bang on that any limits in place by the province are in full effect on tidal waters.

 

[Well Hooked]

I noticed a rule in the 2010 Guide that I'll bet many of the muskie fiherman aren't aware of. Fredericton from the city bridge up to the busket club is closed to non-residents, so anyone from out-of-province fishing this area needs a guide.

 

[Jim VE9WH]

You are also allowed 2 lines in the water in Tidal waters.