State creates new 1-day Lake Erie-only fishing license

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has established a new 1-day fishing license, good anytime though just once.

And the license is intended strictly for persons who want to fish Lake Erie aboard a charter and must be bought before stepping aboard a boat.

What this new 1-Day Lake Erie Charter license does is allow a person to write in the date he or she wishes to fish on a charter.

That way if a charter encounters a weather-day that prevents a fishing trip from starting, a license holder is not stuck with a tag that becomes invalid even though it was never used, Wildlife Division officials say.

Thus such a tag is different from the agency’s other 1-day fishing permit which a holder must first designate when it is to be used at the time of the document’s sale.

“In working with the charter boat industry we found that a lot of clients couldn’t buy a license the day-of the charter,” said Vicki Ervin, a Wildlife Division spokeswoman. “With a Lake Erie Charter One-Day license a person can buy the permit which then becomes valid on the date the consumer writes on the slip. This way, if a charter is cancelled or postponed the license can be used later.”

As for being eligible for use on inland waters or the Ohio River that’s not going to happen, Ervin says as well.

“That’s not the intent of the license,” she said. “It’s to be used only on Lake Erie.”

The reason being, says Ervin, is that the issuance of a date-stamped license is an issue on Lake Erie that rarely - if ever - is encountered on inland waters or the Ohio River.

The cost for this new license is $11 - the same as for a “traditional” 1-day license and which must be bought in advance.

Also, anglers can call 1-866-703-1928 between 5:00 a.m. and midnight to buy a traditional 1-day or 3-day license. However, an additional convenience fee of $5.50 will be assessed at the time of sale, Ervin said.

A confirmation number will be issued to the angler, allowing him or her to fish without a printed license. The traditional 1-Day and 3-Day fishing licenses are also available on the Internet or at any retail license sales outlet.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com