State offers anglers mid-season upgrades to fishing licenses

Washington anglers, now through September, can upgrade their current freshwater or saltwater fishing license to a combination license.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is offering license holders the opportunity to upgrade to a combination license for less than $28.

Purchasing an upgrade will give anglers all the fishing privileges of a combination license at the cost they would have paid if they had purchased one originally, said Peter Vernie, licensing manager for the department.

Freshwater fishing license holders can purchase an upgrade to a combination license for $27.85 and current saltwater fishing license holders can upgrade to a combination license for $27.30.

By purchasing the upgrade, freshwater license holders will gain access to saltwater fishing, shellfish and seaweed.

Saltwater license holders who upgrade to the combo license will gain access to fishing in lakes and rivers, as well as opportunities for shellfish and seaweed.

The offer for the upgrade comes in part after the delay in setting the salmon fishing seasons for Puget Sound and the waters that feed into it. Normally set in mid-April, the state and its tribal co-managers failed to reach an agreement on seasons until May. It wasn’t until June 24 that federal approval was received to allow the fisheries to open.

The uncertainty of when fishing would open led some anglers to forgo a combination license.

“We realize many anglers may want a second chance to choose a combo license this year,” Vernie said in a news release. “Freshwater anglers who upgrade soon will be able to take advantage of several salmon fisheries that open in the ocean and Puget Sound this July.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 11:13 AM with the headline "State offers anglers mid-season upgrades to fishing licenses."