Wanted to share my Henry’s Lake experience. I don’t sound off too often, but need to vent. Everyone knows that Idaho and Wyoming now require out of state boaters to purchase and display the Invasive Species sticker on your boat to launch in those states…so, being a good sportsman, I purchased and displayed my stickers. Headed to henry’s on Friday morning, crossed the border and had to go through a boat check station in Malad where the Dept of Agriculture inspected the boat for signs of mussels, checked my sticker, and filled out a check list for me to keep with me. They also attached a sacrificial cube to the bow so someone could tell if the boat had been in the water or not.??
So, I arrived at Henry’s early afternoon and was told to drive across the boat wash mat prior to launching. Did so and launched. No problem. They did not check my sticker.
What got me boiling was that the two gals that operated the Department of Agriculture washing station did not check any stickers. Almost 20 boats in the slips from Idaho had expired stickers or no stickers at all. I asked the girls if they are supposed to check them and she said yes, but it was raining…
So get this…on Saturday morning there was 7 Idaho Fish and Game officers walking around the docks checking fish and asking folks to fill out a survey. I asked them if they were going to enforce the sticker violations and they replied, “No, thats the Department of Agricultur’s job”
Looks like to me, most everyone in Idaho bought a sticker last year because the warnings were out that you wouldn’t be able to launch without one and then nobody checked, so nobody bought one this year…[pirate]
In the mean time, had a great time in the snow, wind, hail , and driving rain, catching around 35 fish over the two and a half days. Most of the fish were in the 6-7 lb hybrid class and fought like crazy. Kept one for the barby! 
Her is a picture of the one I kept and a few of the boats without stickers. My next email is to the Depart of Agriculture in Idaho…
By the time you get this, you should have already had a response from the Ag dept.
Idaho decided to combine the boat license together with the invasive sticker into 1 sticker. So if you see a boat from Idaho with the “10” orange sticker, it identifies the boat as a legal boat in Idaho waters, both license and invasive.
**LPR, thanks for the clarification. Seems like the gals at the boat wash station would have mentioned that to me. **
I now owe an apology to all of those boat owners that were actually legal.
My email to the Department of Agriculture will most likely be returned soon…[crazy]
I think the Invasive Species issue is very important and everything must be done to keep them out of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and points North.
Thanks again for clarifying.
Well maybe a partial apology.
While I was there last year, a 14’ boat with a motor not only did NOT have the Invasive sticker, but no licenses on the boat either.
I asked the cop there and he said, oh, he is a good ol’ local. HUH?!
How long was that beast!!!
Well maybe a partial apology.
While I was there last year, a 14’ boat with a motor not only did NOT have the Invasive sticker, but no licenses on the boat either.
I asked the cop there and he said, oh, he is a good ol’ local. HUH?!
How long was that beast!!!
There is a lot of those, especially the rental boats.
I just received a very nice email from Amy Ferriter, Idaho Department of Agriculture who explained the new sticker rules in Idaho. She confirmed that the stickers are now combined, which was what confused me. I also told her that her fied crews were to be commended for their good work and friendly spirts and to keep up their efforts.
She did however confirm that the IDFG officers are the authority and should have checked the stickers. Dept of Ag has no enforcement authority.
It was 27"
PS, how was Strawberry? It was pretty rough for a tube or toon this weekend on Henry’s
Didn’t go, opted to finish the siding on the house this weekend to avoid the masses…from now on however…[;)]
What you mean that isn’t normal water?[crazy]
What’s funny is they did send out a renewnal notice in Jan for the I.V. stickers here in Idaho. Plus the reg renewal notices did NOT mention combining the stickers… Maybe they owe me $10 LOL??
Nice job on the lake. How were you fishing and what were you useing?
Thanks
I read that they were combining locals when I looked on line to get mine..it’s there, but you need a reason to go to the site…LOL
LOl I was being a wise guy bout the $10…they returned my check with a note about the combined program. I was being a dumb guy when I didn’t connect with the reason my reg was $39 instead of $29…LOL again…
Re Flydragger: What’s especially irritating is that they charge folks from Utah $30.00 for the same sticker. We don’t do that to Idaho or Wyoming residence…[:/] and we are all in this fight together.
I am strictly a troller. I troll several rigs with flashers or dodgers, Rapalas, Daredevils, even bait sometimes and flies. The fish seemed to like countdown Rapalas this weekend… deep and out in the middle. Most of the boats up there were fishing the shallows along Staley’s, the cliffs and the fish hatchery, but were not catching the big boys. Course, most of the folks stayed in the lodge during the bad weather, which was most of the time. [crazy] The weeds are already up and blooming, though, so trolling is getting difficult already.
Thanks.
Yes $30 seems like a bit much. You know if everyone did their part this could be under control. I have always pressure washed my hull after a trip.. For years, long before this became an issue. Takes 10 minutes.
Hope you make it up again and make that sticker worthwhile!