The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has announced that changes are coming for fishing and crabbing licensing in Louisiana.

In addition to some licensing changes, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is adding a feature to its website that will allow for the automatic renewal of your licenses.

These changes are set to go in place on June 1, 2022. Here's what you need to know.

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The first one is the easiest to explain: the website where you purchase your licenses will, beginning June 1, 2022, have an option you can click that will automatically renew your license(s) for the following year. No more expired licenses!

For the other changes, the first one (and this one should come as no surprise): fees for licenses are going up.

Townsquare Media Photo by John Falcon
Townsquare Media Photo by John Falcon
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Also, remember when you could go crabbing for free, with no license needed? Yeah, well, you can kiss that goodbye: for "Roadside" crabbing, you will now need an annual license.

The good news with this is that it will only cost you $5 for the year.

The new license for crabbing will allow you to crab with a line and dip net or crab nets and that same license will allow you to fish with a cane pole (no reel and no lures).

Anglers will still need the Resident Basic Fish license for ANY fishing in the state if they plan to use more than a cane pole.

Townsquare Media/Photo by John Falcon
Townsquare Media Photo
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If you plan to fish below the saltwater line, you will ALSO need the Resident Saltwater fishing license (no different than years past).

The fees on both the Resident Basic and the Resident Saltwater licenses are going up slightly on June 1, 2022.

via Louisiana.gov
via Louisiana.gov
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Another change that is being made is this: with your combination license (Resident Basic and Resident Saltwater), you will now be able to use up to 10 crab traps with no further licensing required.

I love this idea because you can bait and set your traps on your way out to the fishing hole, and then gather them up on your way back to the dock.

I, for one, am okay with the increase in the fees for annual licenses. Why? Because I have seen the great work that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries does for our state and its natural resources.

LDWF via Twitter
LDWF via Twitter
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Most people are familiar with the enforcement portion of LDWF and might not be aware of the other work the department does. There's a lot that goes into actually managing wildlife and fisheries in our state and its conservation efforts.

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