• While fishing is a great pasttime, it's important to understand all the state regulations before going out on the water.fishing image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Residents and visitors alike enjoy the sport fishing opportunities that New York state has to offer. Not only are there many lakes and rivers that provide top notch freshwater fishing opportunities, but there are also hundreds of miles of coastline that give anglers a chance at saltwater fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.
  
  

Licenses

• In the state of New York anyone 16 years old or older must purchase a sports fishing license and carry it on them at all times when fishing. A fishing license covers a wide variety of methods for catching fish, including traditional rod and reel methods as well as bow fishing, spear fishing, hooking, or even clubbing. There are many different types of licenses based on length of time, residency status, and any necessary stamps. Every year one weekend is held as "free fishing days" and no one is required to have a license on those two days; otherwise it is mandatory.
  
  

Shark Regulations

• New York has specific rules and regulations governing saltwater sports fishing, however, even with those rules sharks are treated differently and have additional rules relating just to them. Sharks must be dealt with on a species by species basis, which makes identification critical. Most boats are allowed to catch one shark per boat, and the shark must be a minimum of 54 inches long. However, there are some sharks that must be released and are not allowed to be caught at all. It's critical for a captain or guide to be able to recognize these species in order to avoid legal issues.
  
  

Catch & Storage Rules

• There are several important rules about how caught fish can be filleted or stored while still on the boat. For example, any sharks must have their heads, fins, and tails attached and cannot be sold commercially. Many New York counties have specific rules demanding that a piece of skin is kept on a fish fillet until it is cooked for easy identification. Many counties and even some waterways have specific rules and regulations that are enforced in addition to the state laws, which makes knowing the local rules critical before fishing on any body of water.