The village of Winneconne is known for two things....being left of the state map a number of years ago, and for the fishing off the famed Winneconne bridge. Recently the old draw bridge that everyone fished off was replaced with a much higher bridge. The new bridge eliminated the old tradition so the village fought to get fishing piers installed as part of the bridge replacement.

You can get a view of these new piers and bridge from this short clip and at the end they note the cost of ~$600,000 per pier.
https://fox11online.com/news/local/winneconne-offers-new-fishing-experience-on-wolf-river

Now that the new bridge is open and the fishing piers are finished, the village wants to charge $20/year user fee to fish off the piers.

What are your thoughts?

That's the trend. If a fella goes fishing there at least twenty times a year, he's paying a buck a trip.

A buck back in the 60s would buy me four hamburgers, fries, a shake and pay sales tax. Today it won't get you half a Mickey Dee's burger. But it will get you on this pier if you buy the annual pin and go at least twenty times a year.

Our local boat landing went to an annual fee and now they've upgraded several features there. Cost of getting on the water. Since I access it primarily for trapping reasons I deduct the cost from my taxes.

Mot much free anymore.

The county has launch passes for upkeep on boat launches and most county parks have a fee to park to reduce the tax burden on nonusers. I'd be ok with it but seems it should be for the whole county. One village does it here and it seems a bit pricey just for one launch

Should be a charge for picnics, dog walking, walking or running, etc. also.

Why limit use-age fees only to fishermen ?

Seems like unfair discrimination against fishermen to me.

w

I remember staying at the Wolf River House as a kid by the bridge when Doug Nelson was first starting out- $8.00 a night for a room. Those guys on the bridge were pretty innovative with netting fish and custom made rod holders for the bridge railing. Things sure have changed since then.

Keep sucking ever penny out of the people you can.

Just think of the money that is spent on bicycles trails etc. They only pay sales tax when buying the bicycle. JMO

what kinda fish.

This bridge used for vehicles also? or just for people to walk or ride bicycles over?

Walleyes & Whitebass mainly

Exactly. Ever increasing tyranny is their goal.

Yep is no end to it, seems people start with this fair share kinda idea with user fee..Already paying for a fishing license to fish public water, then you get a launch fee at lot of landings now. Ok I do use landing thought my boat registration paid for some of that??
Here tey had a sticker that went on boat trailer. So I had to have 3 if I took anyone of my boats to the landing..They did have a resident rate and if I took my registration cards went city hall was discount for second two boats.. But the kayaks got to park and launch free if they came in with boats on roof top or back of pickup and not on trailer. Lots of people came in a cars and parked it to ride with someone else with a boat. So then you come to launch don't have a place to park. Pain in butt.
Now they changed it again so it's a parking fee and it goes with your car..Little more fair for anyone using the lot at the launch to pay..
You start talking about bikes and I just can't figure how they get such constant free pass. Ride street pay no extra, got all kinds bike lanes, bike trails here pay no extra..
I got a atv and if I take it on any public land got to have a state registration.
No mater what they call their fair share, user fees. Is always someone claiming a free pass on others..

Seems no matter what tax or fee you pay your subsidizing some other group or individual..

Mac

My brother in law took a vacation to some place off the Florida coast. I was a inclusive. Got up in the morning and there was a bill for something under the door. The next morning he go up and there was a bill under the door again. The next morning when he got up he put is shoes on sitting on the bed because he did not want to bend over. His all inclusive vacation cost him $1,300.00 more. So I guess you can get screwed any place you go. LOL

someone has to pay for the piers

Then who pays for the bike paths?

In Michigan some comes out of your gas tax.

Exactly

The old bridge was all of the above. The new bridge still allows all kinds of traffic, but does not allow fishing from it. In turn, the village worked with DOT officials to include fishing piers as part of the replacement bridge project. Take a look at the link in the original post. They are one of a kind in WI as they extend out over a third of the river and are quite impressive. I guess for 1.2 million you would expect that. Even at $20/year fee to use it, they will be popular.