2018 SPECIAL REPORT ON FISHING A partnership project of: CONTENTS Executive Summary . 1 Fishing . 3 Freshwater Fishing . 17 Saltwater Fishing . 22 Fly Fishing . 27 Youth . 32 Hispanics . 39 Profile of a Fishing Trip . 48 Perceptions of Fishing . 52 Future of Fishing . 60 Methodology . 64 Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation 500 Montgomery Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314 www.TakeMeFishing.org/Corporate The Outdoor Foundation 419 7th Street NW, Suite 401 Washington, DC 20004 www .OutdoorFoundation .org ® Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation logo are registered trademarks of Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation . ® The Outdoor Foundation and The Outdoor Foundation logo are registered trademarks of The Outdoor Foundation . 2018 Special Report on Fishing Executive Summary In 2017, more than 49 million Americans from The “Leaky Bucket” illustrates the annual churn across the country took to the nation’s waterways of fishing participants, or those people joining/ to enjoy recreational fishing. People fished from rejoining the activity and those quitting in a given shorelines, boats and riverbanks. Some kept their year. From 2016 to 2017, there was a net increase catch. Others released. But, they were all unified of 1.9 million people. The annual churn rate also by the simple joy of fishing. increased from 10.2% to 12.0%. For the ninth year in a row, the Outdoor In total, fishing participants went on a collective Foundation and Recreational Boating & Fishing 885.2 million outings, which is 300,000 less than Foundation have teamed up to produce the previous year. They averaged 18.0 trips per the Special Report on Fishing to provide participant. a comprehensive look at overall trends in participation as well as detailed information on Fishing by Category specific fishing categories. Freshwater fishing was once again the most popular form of fishing with a participation rate Insights include motivations, barriers and that held steady at 12.9% from 2016 to 2017. Still, preferences of key groups. The report also the activity attracted 38.3 million participants, identifies opportunities for engaging new which was three times the amount of people that audiences in fishing and examines less tangible participated in saltwater fishing, the second most perceptions about the sport. Special sections popular form of fishing. Freshwater participants are dedicated to youth and Hispanic Americans, went on the most outings—an average of 17.0 populations with potential for significant growth. days per person for a total of 634.0 million outings. This type of fishing had the highest Overall Fishing Participation Trends percentage of female and youth participants Fishing participation continued growing from 2016 compared to the other types of fishing, but the to 2017, increasing by 0.4%, or by 1.9 million participants were the least ethnically diverse. individuals, and reaching the highest participation rate since 2009. The overall participation rate Saltwater fishing was the second most popular type reached 16.5% of the U.S. population ages 6 and of fishing, engaging 4.4% of the U.S. population, or up, or 49.1 million people who fished at least once 13.1 million people. This fishing category continued during the calendar year. to gain in popularity from 2016 to 2017, increasing 2018 Special Report on Fishing 1 by 0.3 percentage points and adding 800,000 Profile of a Fishing Trip participants. Saltwater fishermen and women were, On an average trip, 2.6 adults went fishing, and a by a small margin, the most ethnically diverse and majority of participants were successful in catching had the highest incomes. fish. What they did with the fish varied—a slightly larger percentage of people released the fish than Like saltwater fishing, fly fishing also grew, kept them, while some did both. Shorelines, boats increasing its participation rate by 0.1 percentage and riverbanks were all popular fishing venues. points and gaining 400,000 participants. In 2017, the participation rate was 2.3% of the U.S. population, or 6.8 million people. Although fly Perceptions of Fishing fishing was (and has been over time) the least Current adult fishing participants were primarily popular of the fishing types, it had the highest motivated to try fishing as a way to spend time rate of new participants. 14.7% of fly fishing with their families. They expected fishing to be an participants were new to the activity in 2017, easy-to-learn way to relax and unwind. Many adult compared to 5.6% of freshwater participants and participants did not have stereotypes of fishing 10.6% of saltwater participants. participants, although a higher percentage of males than females thought a participant looked Youth Participation similiar to them. In general, children, ages 6 to 12, participated in fishing at a higher rate than teenagers, ages 13 Future of Fishing to 17. Both groups fished more than they did the More than 82% of current adult participants were year before. Among children, fishing grew by half introduced to fishing during childhood. After the a million people to reach 7.3 million participants, age of 12, it was much less likely for a person to or 24.2% of American kids. Teens added 200,000 try fishing. Those participants who did fish during participants to 4.3 million people or 20.1% of childhood grew up with positive memories of the American teens. activity, like spending time outside and enjoying family and friends. Hispanic Participation By understanding the demographics, motivations Fishing participation among Hispanic Americans and barriers of participants, the fishing industry continued to significantly increase. The can better reach America’s youngest citizens to participation rate increased from 10.6% to a nurture a new generation of fishing enthusiasts. record high participation rate of 11.7%, or 4.2 Connecting youth to fishing will ensure that our million people. As seen in previous years, Hispanic nation’s waterways are protected, our communities Americans tended to be avid participants, are healthy and our industry is thriving. embarking on 22.2 average annual outings per participant—nearly 4 more outings than the typical participant. 2018 Special Report on Fishing 2 FISHING participation at-a-glance All Types of Fishing 49.7 51.8 48.2 48.0 45.4 46.2 47.0 45.9 46.0 45.7 47.2 49.1 20% 15% 10% 18.3% 18.7% 17.2% 17.0% 16.0% 16.2% 16.4% 16.5% 15.8% 15.8% 15.6% 15.9% 5% 0% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Fishing Participation Rate among all Americans, ages 6+ In 2017, 16.5% of the U.S. population, ages 6 and up, went fishing at least once. This is an increase of 0.5 percentage points since 2016 and the highest participation rate since 2009. Number of Participants Number of Outings Average Outings Fishing participants went on Participants embarked on an In 2017, 49.1 million people 885.2 million outings in 2017. average of 18.0 outings per went fishing at least once. This Outings decreased by 300,000 person last year. The average was the highest number of fishing since 2016. 18.8 outings the previous year. participants since 2007. 2018 Special Report on Fishing 4 participant demographics All Types of Fishing Mountain: 6.7% New England: 4.4% West North Central: 9.8% East North Central: 16.3% Middle Atlantic: 12.0% Pacific: 11.5% East South Central: 7.0% West South Central: 12.6% South Atlantic: 19.9% highest percentage of participants among all Americans, ages 6+ Other 1.8% 100% Post-Grad Black 11.2% Studies 7.6% 3.6% Asian 26.3% ≤$100,000+ 34.8% Female 80% 37.9% 45+ College 22.3% Grad $75,000- 16.1% $99,999 60% 1-3 Yrs 22.2% College $50,000- 29.4% 25-44 20.3% $74,999 78.3% White 40% High School 65.2% Male 19.3% Grad 9.0% 18-24 $25,000- 22.2% $49,999 20% 8.8% 13-17 ≥3 Yrs 25.0% High School 14.8% 6-12 15.0% ≥$25,000 8.5% Hispanic 0% Gender Age Income Education Ethnicity among fishing participants, ages 6+ 2018 Special Report on Fishing 5 participation in-depth All Types of Fishing 50% 40% Churn Rate 30% 12.0% 47.2M 49.1M 20% +7.6M 10% 0% -10% -5.6M Total New/Returning Lost Total Participants Participants Participants Participants 2016 2017 2017 2017 The Leaky Bucket among fishing participants, ages 6+ The “Leaky Bucket” illustrates the annual churn of fishing participants, or those people joining/rejoining the activity and those quitting. From 2016 to 2017, there was a net increase of 1.9 million people. The annual churn rate also increased from 10.2% to 12.0%. New/Returning Lost Participants Continuing Participants Participants 5.6 million people stopped The majority of participants, fishing in 2017. The activity lost 84.6%, continued fishing from New fishing participants made one million more participants 2016 to 2017. That equates to up 6.0% of all participants, or from 2016 to 2017 than it did 41.5 million people. 3.0 million people. Returning during the previous year. participants accounted for 9.4% of participants, or 4.6 million people. 2018 Special Report on Fishing 6 demographics by kind of participant All Types of Fishing 70% 65.2% All Participants New Participants 64.6% 60% 50% 41.7% 40% Demographics by Kind of Participant 34.8% 35.4% among fishing participants, ages 6+ 30% 28.7% Not surprisingly, new participants skewed young when compared to all fishing participants. People 20% who stopped fishing in 2017 tended to be older 14.8% 14.5% 14.9% 11.6% and female.