Is It As Big As We Think?

[Squirmin Wormin]

we all gotten into this sport of fishing and well was wondering how big this sport actually become , and is it as big as we might think it has? it's hard to say imo ,but if you want my op on this sport i'd say it's just as big as golf, and well there's alot of those people out there doing that sport. so how do we rate this sport? i know it goes by licences for us people of age but how about kids that don't need one . there's who knows how many of those that like this sport , so where do you rate this sport? and where do you put it as far as your top sport or not ? i do imo!

[Catch and Grease]

I don't really think of fishing as a sport until you start getting into tournaments and stuff but I guess it is a sport by definition...

 

Sport -

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

 

If it is a sport then its definitely my favorite, but then again I don't know what I would do without running, MMA, Wrestling etc etc

[slonezp]

http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor-adventure/americans-spent-a-lot-of-money-on-hunting-fishing-and-wildlife-watching-in-2011.html

 

Is it as big as we think? I'd say so

[J Francho]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmQbk5h86w

[buzzed bait]

not to say that fishing isn't big.....  but it's not golf.  golf has 4 days/week of tv broadcasting and commands TONS of money in sponsorship.

just to put things in perspective, see the official poll on these matters.....  yes fishing ranks behind women's everything

 

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/1136/Default.aspx

[WRB]

Look at Sportfishing Association, Sport Fishing in America for details.

Tom

[tomustang]

not to say that fishing isn't big.....  but it's not golf.  golf has 4 days/week of tv broadcasting and commands TONS of money in sponsorship.

just to put things in perspective, see the official poll on these matters.....  yes fishing ranks behind women's everything

 

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/1136/Default.aspx

Can't compare sports that are watched like football to sports that are played like fishing.

I believe what it comes down to is people want to fish instead of watch people fish. Whereas people want to watch football or baseball etc.

[J Francho]

Believe it or not, as big as the fishing industry is as a whole, it's still a "small world" type of feel. The face of many companies is that of a person - not a corporate image. Even some of the "bigger names." It's mostly run by anglers like you and I.

[roadwarrior]

Believe it or not, as big as the fishing industry is as a whole, it's still a "small world" type of feel. The face of many companies is that of a person - not a corporate image. Even some of the "bigger names." It's mostly run by anglers like you and I.

 

Big O, Bobby Uhrig and Mike Siebert come to mind.

[buzzed bait]

Can't compare sports that are watched like football to sports that are played like fishing.

I believe what it comes down to is people want to fish instead of watch people fish. Whereas people want to watch football or baseball etc.

 

i would agree with you on the biggest ones (football, baseball, basketball, racing, hockey, golf) but when bowling, women's golf and swimming are that high on the list it somewhat balances the argument....

i think the challenge fishing will ALWAYS have versus those other sports listed is that a certain percentage of the population will always see fishing as cruel and unusual punishment, thus reducing it's popularity. 

all that said though, i hope the populartiy decreases a little bit......  some of these lakes i'm fishing are so crowded it wouldn't hurt to thin the herd.

[geo g]

In our little world it's real big, for everyone else its under the radar!

[hoosierbass07]

 I think fishing in general is mostly big.  I was watching a show/documentary last year on one of the outdoor channels I get on cable and it was about some area in the New England area (if I recall correctly) where people come and fish a certain time of year (I think for trout) and how it brought in millions of dollars in tourist money.  When they said how much money fishing brought in to the area I was shocked.  Big money.  So I think the whole fishing hobby is very big.  

[starcraft1]

In our little world it real big, for everyone else its under the radar!

"I go fishing when I want to get drunk" was said to me one day.  Great! 1 more idiot on the bank.

I believe it's only 8% of Americans buy fishing lics. There are times I think that's 7% more than need one.

[WRB]

Did anyone look at the Sportfishing of America site?

47+ billion dollars generated by America anglers in 2011, 114+ billion dollars total spent in 2011 when you include all the money anglers spend enjoying our sport.

Tom

[RoLo]

As a whole, our sport would benefit from growth, because conservation would be better funded.

On the other hand, how many fishermen would be happy to see twice as many boats on their favorite lakes?

 

As for the word "sport", it's basically semantics. Baseball is more strenuous than fishing,

but wood-chopping is more strenuous than baseball, does that make wood-chopping a sport?

Most people who say they love football don't play football, they just 'watch' football.

Most people who say they love fishing, actively 'participate' in fishing.

To me, baseball and football are just 'games', but hunting and fishing are 'sports'.

 

Roger

[Jd_Phillips_Fishin]

IMO bass fishing isn't as big as we think, I hardly ever run into someone that likes to fish. It is sorta like what geo g said we are kind of like in our own kind of world. It's big to us but off the radar to everyone else.

[everythingthatswims]

IMO bass fishing isn't as big as we think, I hardly ever run into someone that likes to fish. It is sorta like what geo g said we are kind of like in our own kind of world. It's big to us but off the radar to everyone else.

Couldn't have said it any better

[aavery2]

When we start taking our children to little league bass fishing practice, then there is a chance that we are as big as football, baseball basketball and soccer.  The average person can't quite grasp the thought of professional bass fisherman, fishing from 70,000 dollar boats with 10,000 dollars of electronics, and powerpoles, 250HP engines that will push them near 80MPH to race to a weigh in or their favorite fishing spot. Then what really seems odd is that they weigh the fish and turn them ose    But that same person has no problem turning on the tv and watching their favorite sports figure who just signed a 100 million dollar 5 year contract throw, shoot, or catch a ball.

 

Sorry but we are small in comparison to the big three.

[Sam]

What is interesting about bass fishing is that an individual can meet the "movers and shakers" of the bass fishing industry, both locally and nationally.

 

Other than NASCAR where can you actually meet the sports' pros and have your photo taken with them?

 

What other sport holds conferences and seminars to the public with their top participants giving out information?

 

What other sport allows you to actually participate in it on any level with the pros of that sport?

 

The bass fishing industry doesn't need to be ranked against other sports. The bass fishing industry is unique and no other sport can match it for its "open door" policy towards its professionals and sponsors.

 

And you can rank a sport by the number of participants or by the sales of tickets and merchandise.

 

So get to know the people in your area that sell the tackle; repair the tackle; fish the tournaments; repair your boats; and fish for fun.  You will be surprised how open they are and the warm welcomes you will receive.

[SirSnookalot]

I have hard time looking at a cane pole fisherman sitting on a bucket and think it's sportfishing.  The way most fish on this site, I'd have no problem classify fishing as a sport, or hobby or past time, to me it's semantics.

Down here in Florida, other coastal states as well fishing is a huge industry, so many options of where to fish and what to catch.

From a spectator standpoint, fishing gets close to zero airtime, golf gets quite a bit of time, especially majors and important tournaments. 

My target species today,