Bureau of Reclamation permit fee $200

FIT · Post by **FIT** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:39 pm

I just received the letter from the Bureau of Reclamation at Lake Berryessa stating the price of the Right of Use permit has gone up to $200, that is crazy. I know that my small club canâ€™t afford to put out that money to fish that place, so we will not be going back. I wonder how many other clubs will also stop going back because of this. They are definitely going to start loosing money now. Wonder how all the resorts around the lake feel about this and the money they will be loosing too.

FIT

Kentuck · Post by **Kentuck** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:45 pm

WON Bass dropped Berry from the Vineyard division. Now it's a Clear Lake division! HA!

MIKE TREMONT · Post by **MIKE TREMONT** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:19 pm

They are going to loose a lot of tournaments, but that's probably part of the increase.

Don't forget Berryessa is the "people's" lake. This is just part of the battle that has been going on for years.

Are they still holding the fall music "jam"? That's when all the "people" come and thrash the rental boats and trash the shoreline.

Just had to vent, I haven't let it go yet, don't know that I will.

WON Teams · Post by **WON Teams** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:52 pm

I knew this was coming.........

See you at CLEAR LAKE

Gary Watts
WON Bass Regional Director

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:55 pm

Hey FIT:

What was the original fee? I dont know anything about this stuff, but it would put it in perspective if I knew what last years fee was.

TritonBrent · Post by **TritonBrent** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:01 pm

I heard the same thing about New Melones. I'm sure tournament organizations are going to be staying away from there too. Pretty sad.

Bill K · Post by **Bill K** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:00 pm

Fellows, there has to be away around these (Tax's) and that is all it is without representation. We need to meet, etc somewhere else before and after a event. Just go to the lake, fish and then leave with weighin, etcl at the other place. Somehow record the fish, maybe it is time for a honor system, and go from there. The only way to stop this madness is beat them at their own game.. When they do start really loosing money, then and only then will they wake up. Bill K

WON Teams · Post by **WON Teams** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:27 pm

The fee USED to be $35 dollars to use the lake.

Bill, while the idea of recording weights and such on an honor system is a great idea it just will not work for a big organzation like WON or Anglers Choice. With $$$ on the line I am sure we all agree its a bad idea. Besides you have to get a DFG Permit and I am pretty sure DFG notifys the Bureau of Reclamation about all permits for the lake.

I knew this stuff was coming. This is why I chose to avoid this lake for the year to see how it all shakes down. With this increase and the resorts increasing launch fees its not fair to make our anglers pay these amounts to pre-fish and fish our tournaments when we can go up the road to the best bass fishery in the country and pay nothing to launch!

Hope to see you at a WON Event this season.

Gary Watts
WON Bass Regional Director

Just Fishin · Post by **Just Fishin** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:59 pm

Gary, the fee last year was FREE it was to be 35.00 this year!

With that said, I talked to (name with held to protect the innocent) the field office today and she is as frustated as all of us!
She has already been ask the question: how much for me to fish here - free- and my buddy? - free- then why should I get your permit?

Is this the way they are going to control us even more?

I told her I pulled my tournaments from another lake that wanted to over charge us and surely would consider doing the same again. The money even a small tournament brings to an area is going to cost someone!

They (The Bureau) are looking for our comments:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main

search under Document ID #BOR-2007-0005-0001
we have only until October 16,2007 to have them considered.

I know the large tournament circuits can't skirt this issue so will just go away and that's real sad, and the small club events can't justify these costs when if you win the tournament you may just may break even!

And as we know they do get there information from DFG on who has permits on the lake.

George Barnett
Folsom Bass Team
Tournament Director

sTony · Post by **sTony** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:46 pm

I believe, if my memory serves, it was a $35 Department of Forestry permit that had to go with all DFG Event Permits in the past, not a permit or fee from the BOR.

We're all falling under the umbrella of what had already caught the facilities up there on Berryessa and the tenants. BOR is going to do what it damn well pleases and all the fuss you'd like to kick up in a response will fall on the usual deaf ears. Note: you didn't vote for any of the people that have been making the decisions about this lake for several years now. BOR always has a public review period, as they did on all the changes that are going on in regards to kicking out all the current resort owners and tenants up there already. They had their review period and time to respond as well and it mattered not. I was in attendance at a meeting when literally hundreds were there in protest of what was going on a couple years ago and BOR simply did whatever they wanted.

Forever Resorts and other big money interests will soon take over the lake and it'll become something different then it has been for generations of users.

I for one won't ever go back.

sTony

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:22 pm

They (The Bureau) are looking for our comments:

Okay! They are freaking idiots.

WON Teams · Post by **WON Teams** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:54 am

Tony your correct in the price but its to the Bureau of Rec. I just pulled an old permit I had from last year. I think the Forest service permit is for Shasta.
To George's point, if your a club with an annual permit under x number of boats you were not required to have it, however do not quote me on that as I am sure its changing now.
They have been fighting over this lake for as long as I can remember. I think the bass tournaments are the only ones who really get screwed here. The ski crowd will not be affected...well they will have less bass fishermen on the lake ....

GW

sTony · Post by **sTony** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:07 am

Thanks Gary,

I get all these additional fee demands mixed up in my mind and even more so now that I'm not actively engaged in running tournaments.

You da man!

sTony

Rich hamilton · Post by **Rich hamilton** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:10 am

General Lee where R U? This is what I was tring to say boys! My rant from last week was right on the money! So lets add $15-$20 per team to cover this crazy fee raise and cost. Your going to have to be RICH to fish anymore...

Just Fishin · Post by **Just Fishin** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:16 pm

"If your a club with an annual permit under x number of boats you were not required to have it, however do not quote me on that as I am sure its changing now."

We only had 14 boats in March 2006 when the permit issue came up and were given the OK to go without a permit because of time issues, and at that time I was told the permit would be free in 2006 then 35.00 in 2007 but I know they had another change in April 2006. We did get a free permit on Sept. 25, 2006 for our Dec. 2006 tournament again for only 11 boats so i don't think annual permit size mattered. They contacted us from DFG annual permit information.[/quote][/i]

Patrick · Post by **Patrick** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:24 am

For big tournaments $200 is not much to share among the participants. However a small club like ours, El Dorado Bass, the cost is excessive. If we decide to just not fish Berryessa, BOR wouldn't care and we would be giving up a great fishery.

Another way for small clubs to protest this issue is to contact the merchants we use at Berryessa and the local Chambers. Tell them that we will not be spending our money at their business and community. They are local, they are motivated and they have more clout then we do.

We will be calling the marina at Markley Cove (707 966-2134) to let them know as well as the local Chamber (707-966-2101).

scottkh · Post by **scottkh** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:18 am

Hello there

There is other small club (a deaf bass club) near Berryessa and may or may not be able to afford the ridiculous price increase on permit fee ($200 by BOR), so Im wondering what are all other clubs doing with the fee?

This deaf club have been doing the tourneys for the past 22 years and runs out of LB Marina, so it makes less sense to pay the $200 fee.

Pull the permit and move to different lake? Patrick's comments make sense to me.

I'd like to hear your comments as well as others before submit the permit to BOR.