Fishing Canadian Water for the LOC Important info

[rustyrat]

Straight from the border patrol. I just spoke with them. If you are to launch from US waters and fish in Canada (EVEN IF YOU DO NOT ANCHOR OR DOCK), every person on board will need an I68 permit. You go to the Lewiston border patrol office (open 24/7) and get one. They are 16 bucks per person, or if its just family members the fee won't exceed 32 dollars.

Go fishing in Canada, you don't have to call when leaving.

Then once entered back into US waters, you must call the border patrol and tell them you are back and give them your permit #'s for all on board. Thats all you need to do.

He said the CG and the BP will be out enforcing.

He also said you can take your chances BUT.........If you get caught entering back with out the permits, you will be escorted to the nearest, port and be sujected to inspection and he said it will be "Unpleasent" and "time consuming"

So this is inforce NOW!

The other alternative is to motor to a port and report in, in person each time you go to Canadian waters.

RR

[dreamcatcher]

How can we make sure and not cross over if we dont have all that in place?

[BP Swing]

Is this in addition to the passport?

[rustyrat]

do you mean accidental? I can see the boarder on my GPS, Shows it all the way all over the lake. Or stay on the US side of the green can, don't go too far west from the red can.

Do not need passport as of now. Just need 2 forms of ID, drivers lic and birth cert prefered, to get the I68 permit.

RR

[rustyrat]

I had to edit, sorry the Youngstown BP office is not open at this time. You have to go to the Lewiston office. I'm going to call another office and talk to someone else just to verify.

RR

[BP Swing]

R.R,

I mean after June 9 when you are supposed to have a passport, will you still need this additional form then?

[rustyrat]

Ya after June 9th, passport or enhansed drivers license. But you will still need the I68 permit regardless unless you are going to go to a port where they have BP office and inspections. Youngstown does not have an office.

RR

[rustyrat]

Ok I have called 3 different ports, Read the paper, etc.

In Ohio unless you are a charter and just trolling (do not dock in Canada) in Canadian waters you do not need an I68.

In NY they want everyone fishing Canadian waters to have the I68 and to report in by calling the BP when entering back in to US waters.

They told me they will be at the launches spot checking and out in boats relaying back to shore what boats went into Canada.

They will search and detain you if you don't follow proceedure and everyone on board has to have the I68.

They also told me they wont get everybody but if you get caught, it will be unpleasent.

the 16 dollar permit is good for 1 year.

Sorry about the info, but I am just going to comply.

RR

[SinDale]

First off, thanks for the clarification. I along with many others I'm sure appreciate the homework you guys have shared.

Correct me if I'm reading this wrong, but as i see it, as a NYS resident, the $16 yearly permit per person means you can boat in Canadian waters, just not dock or anchor (and follow-up with a phone call everytime). In June, we'll also need an enhanced ID ($30)or passport($100). Then, of course an additional Canadian fishing license ($68, or 39 a week).

Minimum Total $85 per person to fish in Canadian waters for a few days out of the year.

There's more gray rules and untold laws concerning this topic, and yet they can't wait to make an unpleasant and costly example out of us leisure sportsmen.

Our governments are ridiculous. Shared waters should be exactly that. I understand it if you're pulling into harbor that they want to know, but wtf.

I haven't experienced the Bar yet, but when i'm fishing up in the Islands (Wellesly Island area) and i need to pretend I know where the border is and re-adjust my drift in the middle of the river, or to tell my 4 year old why we can cast in 1 direction but not the other in the rift, it seems pretty ridiculous.

[troubles]

So lets see.For the Wilson Scotty Tournament 75 or 80 boats are all going to call just before they cross into canada and then again the same day when they return.Don't see it happening but that will sure keep them busy if there are 5 or 6 people on every boat.

[Tim Bromund]

So lets see.For the Wilson Scotty Tournament 75 or 80 boats are all going to call just before they cross into canada and then again the same day when they return.Don't see it happening but that will sure keep them busy if there are 5 or 6 people on every boat.

Not to mention the 300 boat pack that congregates off the bar for the LOC. Glad I fish out of Olcott

Tim

[LongLine]

Hopefully they won't enforce it or check like the Sheriff's do some of their road checks. I.E. "just park ahead of that guy & we get to you shortly."

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[traveling man]

where is the lewiston bp office?

[rustyrat]

It certainly is not clear depending on who you talk to. But the officer i spoke with twice today was very clear and thats what I have relayed to the members here. He is the one thats incharge where we fish.

You can call the office at 716 285-1676

RR

I did not mean to open a can of worm here. I wil be fishing Canadian waters and i don't want to be detained or have my new boat torn apart. Its much easier for me to comply.

Sorry

RR

[rustyrat]

With the I68 you can dock do what ever. Just call when coming back in.

[rustyrat]

the office is just before the lewiston bridge that goes to canada. open 24 hours 7 days a week.

RR

[BP Swing]

So lets see...

$9 outdoors card

$42 Canadian license

$100 passport

$16 per person I68 Border Patrol form

and a phone call when you are done.

With all due respect, I will be fishing US waters. I am sorry I bought the Canadian License. Do our congressmen know about this?

[rustyrat]

So lets see...

$9 outdoors card

$42 Canadian license

$100 passport

$16 per person I68 Border Patrol form

and a phone call when you are done.

With all due respect, I will be fishing US waters. I am sorry I bought the Canadian License. Do our congressmen know about this?

Yea they (congress) are the ones that did this. But dont need a passport if you just get the enhansed license. I believe the enhansed license is either no charge or very minimal.

RR

[ladyblugill]

i don't need the hassle either and already have the license and like fishing over on that side so i called the local office in rochester. they knew all about the I68 and confirmed everything R.R. said. the good news for me and the reason i called was to see if i can pick up one here beforehand. you can get them also at the customs office at the monroe county airport. they're open 9-5.

[janz]

I was waiting for you to start this thread. I can't wait to see them enforce this. They said they wouldn't know if you stopped on "soil" in Canada??? Can't believe the US and Canadian border patrol don't exchange info while watching all those cameras mounted all over the river and shoreline. These were the same laws that were in effect last year during the spring LOC and they didn't enforce them, now all of a sudden they are, I'm putting in a call to Obama and Hillary. My other thought is they want to put an import tax on your winning LOC fish. How many permits, licenses and registrations does one need to go fishing. Next they'll want the fish to register when they swim back and forth across the border.

[Gator]

This is from the Department for Homeland Security's webpage:

"Any small pleasure vessel leaving a United States port into international or foreign waters, without a call at a foreign port, does not satisfy the foreign departure requirement. Therefore, certain fishing vessels, cruises to nowhere, or any vessel that leaves from a United States port and returns without calling a foreign port or place, has not departed the United States."

If the Border Patrol is requiring I68s for vessels that neither docked, anchored or moored off another vessel, then they have veered from the stated policy. However, I do realize that you can't argue with the Border Patrol, and any confrontation would cost valuable fishing time. I also realize that there has been quite a bit of misinformation floating around on the web, including the mass hysteria seen in Ohio last year by the Erie charter boat captains. That having been said, I would be surprised if the Patrol tried to force an I68 requirement when it clearly conflicts with the published information. For example, they could require I68s if your boat crossed over the somewhat arbintrary line in the middle of the river when running in and out of the mouth, which would be ridiculous. But then again, nothing the US government does surprises me too much anymore...

Gator

[Mstrchf1]

I just talked to the US Coast Guard, at Niagra river. They said if a small recreational boat enters Canadian waters but does not anchor or go ashore. It does not need anything except a Canadian fishing license. Since they would be the ones to stop and check you, I will go with what they say.

[Chiefbbigwin]

I just talked to the Lewiston Border Patrol. They didn't know much about this procedure. At first he said just have your I.D. and tell the truth and you will be fine. Then he asked around his office and found out that yes, there is an I68. They are currently out of the forms, but have asked for more as "the boating season has now started". He hopes to have them in the next week, but he said if they don't have them in stock by the time we need them, to just tell the Coast Guard that we tried and show them our I.D. That didn't leave me all warm and fuzzy, but that is all we can do. I think Buffalo is officially the I68 office, but too far out of the way for many of us.

I hope this helps!

[rustyrat]

I just talked to the US Coast Guard, at Niagra river. They said if a small recreational boat enters Canadian waters but does not anchor or go ashore. It does not need anything except a Canadian fishing license. Since they would be the ones to stop and check you, I will go with what they say.

Not true. Its not the coast guard that you have to worry about, its the boarder patrol! They are like State Police with 10 times as much power. They can do anything they want to you and you have to take it.

I'm sure the CG doesn't care, its not their primary function.

RR

[rustyrat]

Its very obvious that they are not coodinated at all. Everyone can draw their own conclusions.

I am going to stop athe BP in Lewiston when i arrive and try to get the I68. If they don't know whats going on or don't have any, so be it.

Good luck to all in the LOC.

RR