The calendar may say otherwise, but for anglers the New Year is just days away. That's because 2007 Pennsylvania Fishing Licenses go on sale December 1.

Not only are the 2007 licenses available in December, they're also valid immediately at the time of purchase. In essence, buying a Pennsylvania fishing license in December is like getting an extra month at no additional fee.

It's easy to take advantage of this "baker's dozen" of months of fishing fun. To purchase a license from the convenience of your own home, simply fish the Fish and Boat Commission to go “Get Your Fishing License.”

You can then complete your transaction online and print out a valid license on a home printer.

Don't worry if you haven't fished for a few years and don't remember every rule. Issuing agents hand out a free Summary of Pennsylvania Fishing Regulations and Laws with each license purchased. This same information is available online.

A few things to know up front: a valid Pennsylvania license is required for anglers 16 years of age and older. Additional permits may also be required, such as a trout/salmon stamp for those fishing for trout or a Lake Erie permit for anglers fishing in Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay or their tributaries. A combination Lake Erie/Trout Stamp is also available at a discounted price as compared to purchasing the two permits separately.

“At pennies a day, it’s hard to beat an annual fishing license. Of course the real value of a Pennsylvania fishing license is the full year's worth of fun with friends and family on some of the best fishing waters around,” said PFBC Executive Director Doug Austen. “With more than 83,000 miles of rivers and streams and some 4,000 lakes and ponds across the state - not to mention 470,000 acres of Lake Erie - there are great fishing opportunities close by for everyone.”

One thing that won’t be available December 1 is a new on-demand license issuing system currently being developed for the sale of Pennsylvania fishing and hunting licenses. The vendor developing the system, which will move the license-buying process into the technological age, is still working on the electronic backbone required to make the system work seamlessly.

“The Pennsylvania Automated Licensing Service will be a great step forward when it is activated. Because the system will simplify the license purchasing process for anglers and agents and provide the Commission with better tools to understand our customers, we’re very anxious for it to be implemented. However, we will not authorize it to go live until we are completely satisfied that it will provide the best benefits for everybody,” Austen said.

The PFBC expects that the vendor developing the system will be ready for the peak license sales period in late winter/early spring. Until that time, the traditional paper-based licenses will continue to be issued.

More than just a permit to fish, a fishing license is a direct investment in Pennsylvania's aquatic resources. Unlike most state agencies, the PFBC receives no General Fund tax dollars to operate its programs. Instead, the PFBC relies on revenues from the sale of fishing licenses and boat registrations to provide fisheries management, stocking, habitat improvement and law enforcement for the anglers and boaters of the Commonwealth.

11/24/2006