February 14, 2008
Fishing: By the Numbers
-The top 10 fishing states per capita (residents who fish) are (1-10): Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, Idaho, Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi.
-The top 10 states that attract the highest number of non-resident anglers are (in order): Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, South Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, New York and Texas.
-In 2006, the total days of fishing in the U.S. equaled 1,289,300 years of fishing.
-Catfish are pursued by nearly seven million anglers, more than the population of Arizona, Massachusetts or Washington.
-The nearly one million jobs supported by anglers are almost three times the number of people who work for United Parcel Service in the U.S.
-The amount of federal tax revenues generated by angler spending in 2006—$8.9 billion—is roughly equal to the entire 2006 budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
(Source: American Sportfishing Association (ASA) report, Sportfishing in America: An Economic Engine and Conservation Powerhouse
Newshound