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Tourists visiting Pennsylvania’s popular outdoor spots over the July 4th holiday weekend can enjoy a day of free fishing, thanks to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).
Independence Day – Saturday, July 4 – marks the second of two free fishing days in the Commonwealth. Fish-for-Free Days allow anyone – residents and non-residents – to legally fish in Pennsylvania without a fishing license. From 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., no fishing license is needed to fish in Pennsylvania’s waterways. All other fishing regulations apply.
“Fish-for-Free days are one of the ways that we can introduce friends and families to the sport of fishing,” PFBC Executive Director John Arway said. “Lakes and state parks are always popular spots during the summer and particularly on holidays. This is a convenient way for visitors to try fishing for free.”
“We know that once people try fishing, particularly kids, they will see that it is a lot of fun and they will want to do it more often,” he said. “And this year, anglers who purchase a license will enjoy $1 off.”
The PFBC announced last fall that it was reducing the price of resident, non-resident and senior resident annual licenses by $1 for the entire 2015 season. This is the first time the PFBC has reduced the price of a fishing license. The discount is part of a marketing campaign to highlight fishing’s affordability to families and younger audiences and to persuade lapsed anglers to return. It’s being promoted under the slogan “Catch the Value!”
To make the fishing experience more convenient, newcomers to the sport can borrow equipment from dozens of fishing tackle loaner sites across the state.
“We want to encourage individuals to try fishing so we’ve made it easy by setting up tackle loaner sites,” added Laurel Anders, director of the Bureau of Boating and Outreach. “Many of the sites are right at state parks, which are always a popular place for visitors on holidays like July 4th. We also have loaner sites at county parks and some public libraries.”
The first Fish-for-Free Day was May 24.
More information is available on the PFBC website at: fishandboat.com/fishforfree.htm. The website includes interactive maps, regional fishing reports, and tips on fishing fundamentals.