It’s one of those oddball things that some of us never quite get used to. Drivers licenses expire every four or eight years, depending on the year you were born. If you are a fishing guide or outfitter, your license expires on Dec 31. Unless you operate on a fiscal year basis, most other things expire at the end of the year as well.
Montana fishing licenses run from March 1 to Feb. 28 each year, expiring at midnight on the 28th. The new licenses are available now, and have been for awhile, at all FWP license outlets. If you fish Lake Mary Ronan a lot, you tie the two together, because effective March 1, all you can fish for there are yellow perch. Still, many of us need reminders that you need to get those fishing licenses this weekend.
If you are an early riser, heading up to Little Bitteroot Lake this coming Monday morning for the kokanee bite, you need to get busy this weekend and get that 2010 license. I know the last thing any of us wants is to be delayed while we drive back to Kalispell for our license, while the prepared anglers are enjoying all that pre-dawn action!