THE OUTLAW Posted June 4 Report Share Posted June 4 So , I do not post on this site too often , bit thought this should be out there . So years ago , we had to take a test , to determine if we were competent enough to run in the park . And for years , if you launched from Mingo , you had to have an annual pass . So now , there is no visitor center, no FWC presence period , in the North end , of the Park . Well … there is a new Sheriff in town , and be is on a mission . Last weekend , we were his 33 stop , of the day , and besides all the usual stuff , they check , the PARK PASS and the BOATERS SAFETY COURSE certificate’s were front and foremost . I have not seen the LEO , in the park , in years , but he is back , and has an agenda. FYI … Get current, get legit , pay the government, for your right to be there , or face the wrath , of the newbie . 🇺🇸🏴☠️ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted June 6 Report Share Posted June 6 Glad to hear FWC has stepped up....I pay Thousands $$$ for my right to guide in the park.....and I'm glad they are there for not only safety when you need them in an emergency, but, enforcement. dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTLAW Posted June 6 Author Report Share Posted June 6 I have not had a park pass since 2018 . Got one now ! 😜 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenrysCreek Posted June 8 Report Share Posted June 8 Got my parks certification just prior to the owners tournament last fall. Easy to do and I appreciate them stepping up the enforcement of protecting this asset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemaymiami Posted June 8 Report Share Posted June 8 Actually... not the FWC at all... Inside Everglades National Park - the only enforcement you'll ever see are their rangers.. FWC officers -- everywhere else.... More to say - but not on a public forum... I'll tell anyone though - the FWC is head and shoulders better than what we had with the old marine patrol, all those years ago... My hat's off to them (this from a retired cop....). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTLAW Posted June 9 Author Report Share Posted June 9 Just curious. I know this has been covered before. So I stay in EC . My boat is in EC . I launch from my own ramp , on my property, and still have to carry a ENP Park Pass . So do all the 150 boats, launching from OR or Rod n Gun have to have that same pass ? Not complaining, but , if you are a regular, there, 85% of the people launching there, are clueless, and 85% do not have either of the recommended documents. 🇺🇸🏴☠️ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jh141 Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 "And" every boater that launches from the Keys and runs west into the Park is required to have a park pass and the Boater Safety Course if they navigate within the Park. Choko and Everglades City are unique because although you can launch outside the Park there, you most surly have to travel through the Park to get anywhere unless you are a canoe or kayak. I have always been an Annual Park pass holder. I renew it like my fishing license. I also took the boater safety course for the Park when it was first introduced, thought I would get it while it was free you know because most of the time it ends up costing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 14 hours ago, lemaymiami said: Actually... not the FWC at all... Inside Everglades National Park - the only enforcement you'll ever see are their rangers.. FWC officers -- everywhere else.... More to say - but not on a public forum... I'll tell anyone though - the FWC is head and shoulders better than what we had with the old marine patrol, all those years ago... My hat's off to them (this from a retired cop....). Hello Brother! 44 years on the job here! Yes that makes me a loon! MOD2 Bubba B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemaymiami Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 Everglades City and Chokoloskee are right on the northern border of the Park... run south you're in the Park - run north toward Naples and you're not in the Park, with a few exceptions... Some years ago when the Park was shut down by the folks in Washington - I began working out of the 10K area since we were locked out of Flamingo... Funny thing... one political party in power thinks it's good idea to lock us out of national parks when there's a "government shutdown" the other major party simply leaves the gates open and allows all of us to use OUR park... I'll let y'all figure out which is which... The one that shuts down the Park even paid rangers to patrol the water side to keep us out... at the time. Won't speak further since there might be kids reading this... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishingfool485 Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 I fish out of Key Largo. I’m right off of Blackwater Sound. The park begins in our bay. If my son or I fish a weekend you’re pretty much guaranteed to get stopped. They will definitely ask for your park pass and they always ask my son for his boaters safety card. During the week the park patrol is out of sight unless I run towards the dump keys. All good though they are just doing a job. Pays to have your paperwork. They know me by now so a lot of times they just wave. My son is starting to get recognized but he is legit so no worries on our end. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTLAW Posted June 11 Author Report Share Posted June 11 The visitors center and rangers station, in Everglades City is gone , so there has been no presence, for a long time . So long I had completely forgotten about those documents. It will be nice to hopefully see some of the overflow, get weeded out , as it has gotten quite busy up in this neck of the woods . 🇺🇸🏴☠️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddyBottomBluz Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 On 6/9/2024 at 5:07 PM, fishingfool485 said: I fish out of Key Largo. I’m right off of Blackwater Sound. The park begins in our bay. Same here, once you cross the ICW you are in the park. I will be down on Saturday for week and just got my annual pass, needed clarification if it covered the boat and everyone in it, it does, just like a vehicle. I had the safe boater certification for the park for years now so we are good to go! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAINE Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 Thanks for info. I have had the safe boater but did not know about the pass. Thought it was only for Flamingo via formal park entrance. Just got it. I have only been stopped in Choko by NPS once and USFWS once in last 20 years. Before that, I don't think I was stopped since I was in college. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 Just a FYI....as our friend Capt Lemay knows....this is what it takes to get a guide license in the Park...and Yes, the Boater's course is required. It's a $850 non refundable application along with commercial insurance, etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddyBottomBluz Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 All, I will be down this Saturday until the next Sunday at the Anchorage Resort & Yacht club at Jewfish creek. https://anchoragekeylargo.com/ Been going there for over 30 years. I have a friends and family rate so if anybody from this forum is interested let me know. It is on the edge of the ENP from the Southeast end of the park with more history than most people know! Just trying to keep costs down for ya'll who want options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemaymiami Posted June 13 Report Share Posted June 13 ... and that $850 is for every year.... A few other minor notes... One of the first items on the list of things to do to take up guiding is to re-register your vessel as a "commercial for hire" vessel, then upgrade all your safety gear (no cheap PFD's that are just fine on recreational vessels) among other minor details... The next item is to obtain commercial insurance. Your recreational insurance is no longer valid the moment you start taking passengers for hire... The outfit I've used for many, many years is Charter Lakes (now Gallagher Charter Lakes) and commercial insurance is a bit different than recreational insurance so read the fine print... Places like national parks will have their own requirements as well -as noted above. I hung out my shingle as a guide in the winter of 1996 so I've been at it for a while now. After all that licensing and everything else involved - once I became a guide I realized how much I didn't know.. and I've been learning ever since... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted June 13 Report Share Posted June 13 4 hours ago, lemaymiami said: and that $850 is for every year And, to do Photography (legally) it's another $850 and $450 to operate in Biscayne Nation for Photos....the fishing covers NPS and Bisc. Yes, the life jackets were $60 a piece.... I figure all in I have about $5K all in for Capt Lic and other goodies.... Gotta get out after Bimini..... DC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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