Decline In Fishing?

[Dye99]

I hear you on the cost. But you could get pretty deep into bass fishing with 2 spinning combos. Then add on as you improve and learn new techniques. When I was a 13-18 year old, all I wanted was fishing tackle and equipment. My mom had to drag me clothes shopping and could never get me to tell her anything I wanted outside of fishing.

 Same here. Different world. Dont get me wrong there are some great young anglers out there, but nowadays they seem fewer.

 

There are some killer deals on stuff for sure...Unless of course they dont know what they are buying. I see guys show up to bass fish with all kinds of spoons for trolling trout, or crappie rigs...

 

Ive just learned to loan out a few older spinning rods with braid and start with good ole fashioned wacky senco's!

If that doesnt get ya bass fishing, nothing will!!

[everythingthatswims]

I'm 17, fortunately my iPhone doesn't keep me away from the bass. I rarely go a day without at least an hour of fishing. There are a few fish bums my age, but definitely a rare breed.

[lo n slo]

Who got you started?

[flyfisher]

Parents or other family members aren't taking kids out fishing.  Fishing is also an expendable income sport and with the economy still recovering, many don't have the funds to spend on fishing stuff.

[Turkey sandwich]

Congratulations!  In over six years, this is the first time I've ever heard someone say that they have to use their smart phone as a public service.  Do you take time out from your fishing to check in to see if anyone has replied to these announcements?

 

The standard excuse has always been to insure that they were available in case of an emergency.  My Son-in-Law used that excuse.  The last time he and I went fishing together, my daughter sent him a total of 28 what must have been emergency text messages because he took the time to reply to everyone of them!  The days total catch had me with 30+ bass and him with 2!  As we were loading up the boat at the end of the day he asked me how long it took to learn to catch fish so much better than he could.  I tried to explain that it only took a minute or two to figure out how to mute the ringer on my phone!

I don't know if this was intended to be sarcastic or not, but my phone stays in the bag unless I'm taking pictures or checking weather. I don't post from the water and tend to ignore all calls/texts unless it has to do with work or which boat launch I'm drifting to for a pick up. My time on the water is my break from a stressful job and the only hobby I have that 5 herniated discs and an upcoming surgery haven't sidelined.

[fish devil]

Don't see a decline here in South Jersey.  There are 32 active bass clubs in the South Jersey Bass Club Association.  A few of the clubs fish the buddy format including mine, so that is even more people fishing. I always see a good mix of fishermen on the water, including plenty of young guys and a variety of ethnic groups.   Most waters are very pressured but that does not seem to deter the "bass" only guys.  I guess it helps to have two bass pro's from the area (Adrian Avena-FLW Pro) and you know that other guy Mike Iaconelli.

[everythingthatswims]

Who got you started?

 My dad got me started at a very young age. I think I started going on smallmouth canoe trips on the James River with him and my uncle when I was 6, very good memories. The ol' texas rigged hula grub is as good for smallies now as it was then!

 

He may fish freshwater once a month nowadays, the only stuff he gets excited about are when we go to the beach with our boat and wreck fish or troll offshore. I have the bug way too badly to be selective about what I fish for.

 

 

I have a friend in Maryland who completely got into the sport by himself. I met him when he was a freshman in high school after he had only fished for two years, and he is one of the best anglers at my age that I know.

[Turkey sandwich]

My dad used to take my brother and I out to fish farm ponds, and even spent a vacation fishing the St. Lawrence. I remember in high school, rushing home to get on the river. Man, I really wonder how many hours we spent wading the river with a backpack full of gear as a teenagers. That's awesome to hear that you guys are just as passionate. The outdoors are awesomely addictive.

[fishblitzer]

To some of the previous posters, you must care about young ones fishing or the state departments will not be able to operate because they won't have enough money to do so. Without people buying fishing licenses they do not get the $ they need.

I think that the biggest problem is that fishing is getting so expensive. I have fished for most of my life and after college I will most likely lost my interest because there is nowhere to fish without a boat, and I can't afford a boat. Fishing is too expensive. With the popularity gained by BASS, prices have gone up. That is just my view on it. I've only been really into fishing for 6-7 years so you old timers can maybe prove me wrong.

I fished a tournament a couple months ago where in order to be competitive you had to run 50+ miles to another lake. This knocked out 80% of the tournament field which had older engines and didn't get the MPG needed to make the round trip. My point being, if you want to be competitive you do have to have the expensive boats and technology once you get to a certain level. The top 10 finishers made the run to the other lake and the other 130 did not.

 

Another reason is the degradation of society and the instant gratification that young people must have in order to have an interest in something. You can go through and watch a movie from every year for the past 20 years and watch the difference. Movies today are much more fast paced, have to be action packed, and quick in order to make lots of $ at the big screen. This applies to fishing and outdoors as well. Hunting and fishing both take time, patience, and learned skills in order to be good at. Time and patience is something nobody these days care about.

I think for the most part the same applies to hunting as fishing. Most people have the mentality "If I can buy it in a store why waste my time hunting or fishing for it." and that goes back to society. Nobody wants to put in the time to go out and actually harvest their food, which brings a certain gratification with it in my opinion.

 

 

Also, most parents use TV's, video games, or other forms of entertainment as a type of baby sitting tactic now-a-days. When I grew up my dad took us fishing, hunting, or four-wheeler riding to entertain us. Parents are less and less involved with their children, I blame this as a direct cause for the degradation of society. Without good parenting, you will not have good kids.

[herbu]

I agree with most posters that there just isn't a lot of youth coming into the sport. I am only 26 and I only know 2 people my age that get out there regularly. Its kind of sad, but at the same time, i can look forward to less pressured fish.

 

Now if only we can find a way to get Jet skiing, wakeboarding, and any other type of boating with a loud radio to decline as well.

We call 'em "Nature Lovers".  Still not sure if they don't know, or don't care how far sound carries over the water.

[SirSnookalot]

Nothing to compare it to but I see plenty of fishermen down here in Florida.  Drive down many neighborhood streets and there always a bunch of center console boats parked.  The marinas are jam packed as well.  There is quite a bit of easy access to freshwater, I see kids quite often.  Most communities have their own private water, no way to know how many people fish them.  License isn't required for senior residents(lot of them here) kids under 16 and private water under 20 acres.

Fishing seems pretty popular down here.

[Freak78]

There's definitely a difference around here. When I first moved here the banks and waters were packed. Now you can pretty much go anywhere you want. Even free fishing weekend, which usually kept me away from the water (especially in nothern va and the potomac) is no big deal anymore. The only people I see fishing are the young ones with barbie and spiderman fishing poles and those my age or older.

[the reel ess]

I wouldn't mind less competition for a finite number of bites.

[Jd_Phillips_Fishin]

I don't think cost is the problem... there are A LOT of kids my age that have rooms full of 200$ basketball shoes that have NBA stars name's on them. People don't want to wait or work for bites, they just want to cast, reel in, and have a fish. 

[Freak78]

I really think it's because of all the conveniences of technology and everything that comes with that as others have said. Growing up you couldn't keep me in the house or off the water. Now kids would rather play Call of duty than do anything else.

[CFS]

I really think it's because of all the conveniences of technology and everything that comes with that as others have said. Growing up you couldn't keep me in the house or off the water. Now kids would rather play Call of duty than do anything else.

 

Life did seem to be more "Tom Sawyer" back then.

[ww2farmer]

I come from a small rural town on the bank of a lake. My high school class graduated 75 people, few stayed here after school, and of the few that stayed, I am the ONLY one who fishes...and I don't see anyone else from "my generation" that I grew up with out here either. The overwhelming majority of guys who come to my tournaments are older than me, and I am 39. But, there is hope, a lot of the guys are also under 25. I think it has more to do with wives/kids/jobs etc...and not having time to fish for the 25-40 year old crowd.

[the reel ess]

I really think it's because of all the conveniences of technology and everything that comes with that as others have said. Growing up you couldn't keep me in the house or off the water. Now kids would rather play Call of duty than do anything else.

I never really liked video games and always considered them a waste of time and money. When you're done with it, you have no more to show for your efforts than when you began.

[TwoCan]

I think it is all how you start them. I didn't get into fishing until I was 16. My dad was a big tournament angler but when he took me out as a kid we would go bluegill fishing. I remember being so bored. I was 5, with a lot of energy. Watching a bobber for 4 hours was not my idea of fun. I wanted to run, jump, scream. I just needed to move. 

 

I kept all of this in mind when I took my girlfriend out for her first time fishing, 2 1/2 years into our relationship. We went swimming and stuff when we first got there because she enjoys tanning and all that girly stuff. When we finally went fishing I set her up with a spinning rod and a wacky-rigged senko. She out fished me. The week after that we went again. This time I set her up with a spinning combo and a t-rigged brush hog. I explained to her that she was going to have to work a little bit harder for the fish this time and it was going to take more patience. She did just that, she didn't out fish me but she sure kept up with me.

 

Three weeks later she had her all-year fishing license and completed her hunter ed course. Again, don't underestimate the importance of how you introduce the sport.

 

TC

[poisonokie]

if y'all need help with fishing, I'm your man! Just let me at all those big blue cats invading the Potomac!

[Jd_Phillips_Fishin]

I think it is all how you start them. I didn't get into fishing until I was 16. My dad was a big tournament angler but when he took me out as a kid we would go bluegill fishing. I remember being so bored. I was 5, with a lot of energy. Watching a bobber for 4 hours was not my idea of fun. I wanted to run, jump, scream. I just needed to move. 

 

I kept all of this in mind when I took my girlfriend out for her first time fishing, 2 1/2 years into our relationship. We went swimming and stuff when we first got there because she enjoys tanning and all that girly stuff. When we finally went fishing I set her up with a spinning rod and a wacky-rigged senko. She out fished me. The week after that we went again. This time I set her up with a spinning combo and a t-rigged brush hog. I explained to her that she was going to have to work a little bit harder for the fish this time and it was going to take more patience. She did just that, she didn't out fish me but she sure kept up with me.

 

Three weeks later she had her all-year fishing license and completed her hunter ed course. Again, don't underestimate the importance of how you introduce the sport.

 

TC

I agree. It mostly depends on how people are introduced to this sport and how they see the sport. As an example my sister every Sat. she finds me, my dad, and the boat gone. Since we do it so much and it's always on TV or we're talking about, it it's pretty much a normal thing for her. She can go through my tackle boxes and name every single lure. Then we have the kid down the street that went out once when he was 5, and when he hears the word fishing he thinks sitting there for a while watching bobber, having the most boring time of his life. It all depends on how you see it in the beginning, some may disagree but that's the way I see it.

[bigbill]

Maybe less kids are interested in fishing because of playing video games? I see lazy kids sit and play video games all day.

The kids in my new rural area are country kids they go fishing, compete at local tractor pulls.

I grew up watching gadd about gaddis the flying fisherman and his float plane. On Sunday night's. Soon after it was Jerry McKinnis which had my interest. But my older brother was my mentor he took me fishing in 1956 I was 6yo. We fished every year since then till he passed away two decades ago. I keep it going by fishing with my adult son's. I took them fishing when they were my age.

Being Sportsman is in our genes, it's in our bloodline. My uncle's and dad fished and hunted together.

We have a panfishing tournament between the three of us. My belly hurt from laughing. Try it with your family or buddies.

[jjnosal@msn.com]

A good outfit can be had for the price of dinner and a show!

[RoLo]

Unfortunately, a decline in fishing licenses is 'not' the same as a decline in people on the water.

There may only be a few bass anglers on the lake, but they could be inundated by jet skis,

waverunners, ski-doos, airboats and 'splashabouts'  ('Runabouts' the just run around and make waves).

State revenues generated by waterbodies come from a variety of sources such as

annual watercraft registrations, manditory safety courses, park entry fees and so on.

 

One of my favorite lakes in Florida is a fairly remote, uncrowded, pristine lake.

The wildlife on that lake is absolutely incredible, it's a joy just being there without catching a fish.

Rumor now has it that Florida is planning on opening a State Park on that lake,

which would be a deadly blow that has my knees knocking.

 

Roger

[WRB]

The topic is decline in fishing, not outdoor activity.

The decline in fishing licenses is a good barometer or yard stick. There will always be people fishing without a license, the worse the economy gets the more folks gamble and fish without a license and the closer they tend to stay near where they live.

Finding a pristine body of water is a treasure, unfortunately it gets discovered or developed in time.

Crowded lakes is a problem during the summer when school is out, after Sept things tend to quite down on our lakes. Night is a good time to have quality time on the water during the summer months, few folks are out on the water.

Tom