In a study by ASA done in 24 states, there are several reasons why half of all fishermen don't continue.

 

Report at https://asafishing.org/reports/why-anglers-quit/

Doesn't stop some dudes from entering major fishing tournaments. 

#dontbelikeben

🤓

A-Jay

Fewer anglers competing for a limited resource is a bad thing?  I'm selfish, I admit it.  Please go watch a baseball game, and leave my bass alone.

Over the summer I went to Maine for a week and a little bit into my first trip I realized I never bought a temp license. I go online and make the purchase and not even five minutes after confirming the purchase I catch a 4lb smallmouth bass. For all the newcomers, the fish know, get yer license!

22 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Fewer anglers competing for a limited resource is a bad thing?  I'm selfish, I admit it.  Please go watch a baseball game, and leave my bass alone.

Agree. I don’t find this statistic scary at all. I find it encouraging.

I'm surprised by this.  There must be a lot more casual anglers out there than I thought.

 

Hunting license numbers here in MN, which is a big outdoors state, have dropped off significantly.  Specifically, the sale of small game and water fowl stamps have dropped by large numbers over the years.  Sales of big game licenses, primarily deer, have stayed relatively stable.  The DNR prioritizes that sector though; everything else is far less important.  Similar to walleyes in the fishing realm here.

3 minutes ago, AverageAngler said:

Over the summer I went to Maine for a week and a little bit into my first trip I realized I never bought a temp license. I go online and make the purchase and not even five minutes after confirming the purchase I catch a 4lb smallmouth bass. For all the newcomers, the fish know, get yer license!

You obviously didn’t read the report the OP referenced. It’s not about people fishing without licenses. It’s about people not fishing and choosing to do something else instead.

Many younger people are more into their life on their cellphones and would rather do their fishing and hunting on a gaming system, instead of going outside.

Stats following Covid will be off. Lots of new anglers were outdoors just to get out of the house. Very few life long anglers start as adults, this why taking kids fishing and enjoying it is so important to this sport.

Tom

9 minutes ago, Steveo-1969 said:

Agree. I don’t find this statistic scary at all. I find it encouraging.

Since quite a bit of DNR funding (at least in MN) comes from license sales - the reduction will mean less money for population studies, environmental protection and other things needed to maintain healthy populations.

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Since quite a bit of DNR funding (at least in MN) comes from license sales - the reduction will mean less money for population studies, environmental protection and other things needed to maintain healthy populations.

 

They'll just keep raising the cost.  Which they often do.

 

I will say I would pay more than what I currently get charged.  13 bucks to fish for 6 months is absurdly low.  I'd pay triple that without batting an eye lash.

39 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Fewer anglers competing for a limited resource is a bad thing?  I'm selfish, I admit it.  Please go watch a baseball game, and leave my bass alone.

I feel the same. Seems like fishing exploded during COVID and didn't fade.

4 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Since quite a bit of DNR funding (at least in MN) comes from license sales - the reduction will mean less money for population studies, environmental protection and other things needed to maintain healthy populations.

Not disagreeing, but what were these states doing before the number of fishing licenses increased?

8 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Not disagreeing, but what were these states doing before the number of fishing licenses increased?

Getting more money from the general state budget. When license sales went up, the amount the Govt gave them went down...now that license sales are down, you think the Govt will give them more money?

Then I must be a real outlier. Every year I purchase an in-state license for Georgia and out of state licenses for South Carolina and Florida not to mention at least temporary licenses in Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee. If I'm fishing a state more than once in the year I usually buy an annual out of state license.

I'm shocked  it's not a steeper drop off. I make video games and my first job in the industry was analysing player retention data. It was not unusual to see 30-40% player loss after the first couple sessions with the game. They quit and literally never came back. No, they didn't finish. They simply moved on.

 

One of the biggest reasons they quit was user friction. This could be difficulty, the need to find other players, getting confused by a mechanic, really anything you might imagine that made it inconvenient to play. 

 

That drop off rate was for a digital experience you can do from your couch. Fishing requires you to go outside, deal with the elements, deal with animals, deal with people, contend with potentially dangerous situations, and it can be super daunting to get decent at if you're starting fresh. 

 

I think that number actually points to fishing being a great hobby that retains a high number of people DESPITE all of it's friction points.

34 minutes ago, Steveo-1969 said:

 It’s about people not fishing and choosing to do something else instead.

 

To me this is a good thing. Gives fish populations a chance to recover and grow larger.

 

It also might mean fewer people on the water at same time we are. That's always a good thing!

 

And it also might mean more good quality used tackle hitting the aftermarkets! I just scored a Stradic 4000FG like new and smooth as new for $30! So if they don't want to use it, sell it to those of us who do! Loading up boat right now for a bass fishing trip to Starke Florida. We are sure to have the lake all to ourselves too!

 

This thread is good news today! So thanks! And thanks for the reminder to renew my license which expires in 3 weeks.

 

Florida could not make it any easier to renew with the new FWC app they provide for us. $17 for a whole year of bass fishing in Florida is cheap.

 

Now I am curious... do I need a saltwater license to fish the St. Johns river for redfish? Or, will my freshwater license cover it for that body of water? Where do they draw the line between salt and freshwater I wonder? Its only $17 more for the saltwater license. Still cheap. So why not get both and be done with it. All that is left is the special snook license when in season.

 

34 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Stats following Covid will be off. Lots of new anglers were outdoors just to get out of the house. Very few life long anglers start as adults, this why taking kids fishing and enjoying it is so important to this sport.

Tom

I agree with this 100%. I saw so many people fishing during the pandemic (and this was at ponds where no license is required) and those numbers have dropped. When you can’t dine out, see a movie, meet at a bar, go to a concert, etc., outdoor activities are the only option. But upon a return to normalcy, most people revert to old habits. 

While I enjoy having my favorite waters to myself as much as anyone, fewer anglers overall means fewer consumers. When participation declines, fishing companies are forced to scale back—laying off employees, reducing product lines, or even closing their doors entirely.

 

The result? Fewer options, less innovation, and a smaller industry for all of us who love this sport. The choices and opportunities we enjoy today exist because the fishing community remains active, engaged, and growing.

 

Just keep that in mind when the "Whatever happened to (brand, bait, rod, reel, etc)? I can't find them anymore." question hits these forums, or when the stocking programs and boat launch maintenance programs decline.

50 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Stats following Covid will be off. Lots of new anglers were outdoors just to get out of the house. Very few life long anglers start as adults, this why taking kids fishing and enjoying it is so important to this sport.

Tom

 

I agree with this.  My theory is if they did a report back to 2018/19 I bet its in the same ball park now.  It seems the outdoor industry in general is going through a reset to pre covid.  Just my theory.

California fishing and hunting licenses go up every year like everything else.

The license fees use to support wildlife management but 25 years ago were put into the general fund. Now wildlife management struggles for funding every year. 
With our current DFW haven’t seen a warden on the water in years and the immigrant population doesn’t buy licenses, they may not even know it’s a required!

My last fishing licenses was $63 with non senior discount! A few years ago California started a life time fishing license $692, if I was 65 it would be a good, in my 80’s not good odds. Several States have free senior licenses and that also skews stats.
Tom 

 

 

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

In a study by ASA done in 24 states, there are several reasons why half of all fishermen don't continue.

 

Report at https://asafishing.org/reports/why-anglers-quit/

 

What often gets missed in these more recent statistical releases in my opinion is just our country's change in demographics. MN like most or all of the midwest has a rapidly aging population.  As the over 65 age increases there's less of a chance for "new anglers" to be found to replace the quitters.  The change in actual people's interests is probably less than what the numbers look like at face value.  Breaking down percentages by age group might give a clearer picture.

 

scott

^ this is accurate; in general the outdoor participants in fishing and hunting is aging and new recruits are not replacing them.

 

I would say that I know close to 100 individuals who hunt and/or fish and the vast majority of them are older than me, with many of them much older.

17 minutes ago, gim said:

^ this is accurate; in general the outdoor participants in fishing and hunting is aging and new recruits are not replacing them.

 

I would say that I know close to 100 individuals who hunt and/or fish and the vast majority of them are older than me, with many of them much older.

 

My post is also flawed.  The problem could indeed be much worse than what the current statistics show.  Breaking out by age and over time, is really the only way to know.

 

scott

1 hour ago, rboat said:

Many younger people are more into their life on their cellphones and would rather do their fishing and hunting on a gaming system, instead of going outside.

This…

 

Plus, everyone and their brother jumped into fishing during and right after Covid. The pressure was tremendous, fishing in many cases declined and people are losing their enthusiasm to the next shiny thing now…