When does the passport rule go in effect for crossing into Canadian waters take place?
Per the www.travel.state.gov website. I don't know if there will be some sort of exception or special condition for fishing as long as you start in US waters and end in US waters, without going on land...
New Requirements for Travelers
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.
The way I understand it - as long as you do not touch ground in canada, including dropping an anchor, you have free egree to and from canada depending on the color of the terrorist condition - ie yellow or below. Under heightened alert, orange or red there may be more stringent requirements.
Remember the I-68 form of years past? I bought a nexus card which allows free egress bypassing customs at the border as long as there is nothing to declare - it requires $50 for 5 years, and an application. they will then do a background check and interview to ensure you are not a terrorist(or bad fisherman).
In the mean time, I would just make a copy of your birth certificate and drivers lic., and keep them in the boat just in case.
Jack, you are right as far as I know. But in the future when you re-enter the U.S. you will need a passport rather than just a license or birth certificate like it is now. Kind of related but I wish the BFL would make a rule that co-anglers need to have all of the licenses, a lot of the guys coming up from Indiana don't even know about this stuff.
-Matt