There was a thread somewhere on here the other day in reference to tackle/reel manufacturers offering rebates or sales on their products due to the economy. Well, this was on the news tonight here in Florida.

From Fox News.

Fishermen add big bucks to state economy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - The federal government says recreational saltwater fishermen pumped more than $31 billion into the U.S. economy in 2006, with Florida leading the pack. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says in a report released Monday that saltwater anglers spent $5.8 billion nationwide on expenses related to their fishing trips, such as ice and bait. Another $25.6 billion was spent on fishing equipment. Florida anglers led the nation by spending more than $16 billion. Texas fishermen came in second with just over $3 billion spent, followed by California, Louisiana and North Carolina. The report says the money spent nationally supported nearly 534,000 jobs. Officials say those figures will likely drop for 2007 and 2008 because of current economic woes.

I think the numbers are interesting, but I would be more interested to know if noaa is just repeating them numbers, or if they tally them.

I think the numbers are interesting, but I would be more interested to know if noaa is just repeating them numbers, or if they tally them.

I think the bait monkey and ALL of his relatives live in Florida.

A strong argument against taking any kind of PETA-supported action.