How Much of an Impact Do We Fishermen Make? Consider These Numbers

(The following statistics are from a Nov. 20, 2018 report by Brandon Gaille, chief executive officer of ByReputation, a marketing and design firm.)

There are 60 million people who say they participate in the sport of fishing each year (20 percent say they've gone fishing at least once in the past year, and 43 percent say they were pursuing black bass during their trip). That's more than the number of people who play tennis and golf combined. More than half the people say they prefer bass fishing, which means the U.S. has about 30 million active participants in the sport. That creates an industry, which is worth $60 billion.

In the United States, the typical freshwater anglers seeking bass is 42 years old, earns a household income of $60,000 per year, and is married. They own 14 rods/reels, a bass boat, and spend more than $2,300 on the sport each year.

Here are a few more statistics from the same report:

     * The economic impact of bass fishing in the United States, including economic output and indirect contributions, is more than $115 billion each year. (Bassmaster)

     * More than 828,000 jobs are directly supported in some way by the bass-fishing industry in the United States. Anglers also generate more than $48 billion in retail sales because of their fishing activities. (Bassmaster)

     * Since 1980, the price of a bass-fishing license in the U.S. has risen from $5 to $47. Consequently, the number of fishing licenses issued has dropped by 55 percent over the same time period. (Bassmaster)

     * Since 2006, the number of anglers who say they are going bass fishing has risen by 11 percent. (Reel Adventure Fishing)

     * There are 29.7 million paid fishing-license holders in the U.S. each year, which is notable because that means 1 in 2 people who say they go fishing may be doing so without the proper license. (Statista)

     * To support their bass-fishing habits, the average angler spends more than $1,400 on fuel, hotel rooms, and restaurant meals over the course of a year. (American Sportfishing Association)

     * The top 50 in the Bassmaster Elite Series earn between $80,000 and $100,000 annually. Many are struggling weekend fishermen who max out their credit cards to pay the entry fees. (Gear Patrol)

The bass-fishing industry is one of the strongest sports-related industries in the United States. Although the number of issued fishing licenses is going down, the number of people who count themselves as anglers is going up.

To offset the cost of fishing licenses for some families, some states in the U.S. have begun to issue free fishing days, weekends, or weeks to encourage more local outdoor activities. Although anglers don't need to pay for the license during these free periods, they are still required to document whatever fish they catch per local laws. Not doing so can cause a fine to be issued, which may still keep some anglers away.

There is one issue of concern for the industry. The average age of an angler continues to rise. Although 1 in 6 anglers is a minor, the number of children aging into adulthood that maintain their love of bass fishing is declining. If that is a trend which continues, there could be millions of dollars in losses and thousands of jobs cut out of the economy.

For the next 5 to 10 years, however, expect the bass-fishing industry to continue growing at the 2 percent to 4 percent pace that it has experienced for the past decade.