More Americans Fishing According to the 2017 Special Report on Fishing, the participation rate of 15.9% of all Americans 6 years of age and older and total number of participants, or 47.2 million, were the best numbers since 2012. This improvement occurred because there were 6.1 million new/returning participants during 2016, compared to a loss of 4.6 million participants. Most participants, or 87.1%, had fished during 2015 and continued into 2016. Despite the increase in total participants and the participation rate, there were fewer outings during 2016 compared to 2015, or 885 million and 887 million, respectively, and the average outings decreased from 19.4 per person for 2015 to 18.8 for 2016.

Fin Facts As part of its 60-in-60 initiative (adding 60 million new anglers during a 60-month period), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation identified why people fish and, unsurprisingly, fun, at 40%, was the #1 reason, followed by relaxation, at 33%. Data from Southwick Associates consistently reveals black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) is the #1 species fished in the US, including 2017, at 73%, and 59.9% fished from the land, shore or beach and 42.8% from a bass boat. Demographically, 30% of all bass anglers during 2017 were 45–54, with another 27%, 25–34 and just 7%, 24 and younger; plus just 3.5% were women. More than 50% of bass anglers had a household income of $75K–$150K.

Fishing for a Deal The online market also adversely affects independent fishing tackle shops. Higher-priced items, such as electronics and reels, are more likely to be online purchases while lower-priced items are more likely to be sold in stores, but those items provide less margins. During 2016 (the latest data available), spinning fishing rods were the #1 type purchased, at 47.9%, followed by baitcast, at 40.9%. Both were also the #1 and #2 types of reels purchased, at 49.8% an 41.8%, respectively. 2017 fly fishing data from Southwick Associates revealed flies were the #1 product purchased, at 46.0%, followed by fly tying materials, at 28.8%. Of all flies purchased, freshwater nymphs, at 52.0%, were first, with freshwater dry files second, at 15.6%.

Bagging the Big Ones and Small Ones According to the latest data available, there were 16.9 million Americans who hunted during the past 12 months, as of spring 2017, which is the largest total since fall 2014, or 17.45 million. The latest data (2016) from the US Fish and Wildlife Service reported 11.5 million Americans 16 years of age and older hunted, with 9.2 million hunting big game; 3.5 million, small game; 2.4 million, migratory birds; and 1.3 million, other animals. West North Central and East South Central states had the highest hunters’ participation rate during 2016, or 8% for both regions; followed by East North Central, 7%; and West South Central and Mountain, both 5%.

On-Target Hunter Statistics Not surprisingly, most hunters during 2016 were men, at 8% of the total population, or 10.3 million, and 90% of all hunters, while 1% of all women, or 1.1 million, hunted and 10% of all hunters were women. Equally unsurprising, 97% of all hunters during 2016 were Caucasian Americans, compared to approximately 3% who were Latino Americans and less than 1% were African Americans and Asian Americans. The largest percentage of the US population who hunted during 2016 lived outside any Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), or 17%; small MSA, 8%; medium MSA, 5%; large MSA, 2%; however, there were 8.9 million hunters living in any size MSA.

Hunting Is Big Business Hunters spent a total of $26.2 billion during 2016, with most of the total for big-game hunting, or $14.9 billion (57%); small game, $1.7 billion (6%); migratory birds, $2.3 billion (8%); other animals, $800 million (3%); and non-specific, $6.5 billion (25%.) Of the $14.9 billion spent on big-game hunting, $8.7 billion was for equipment and $6.2 billion was trip- related. For small-game hunting, however, most of the $1.7 billion was trip-relate expenses, or $1.1 billion, and equipment, $600 million. More was spent on trip-related expenditures for both migratory bird hunting and hunting of other animals, or $1.3 billion and $648.3 million, respectively. Equipment expenditures were $1.0 billion and $106.8 million, respectively.

Advertising Strategies Fishing tackle retailers should allocate more of their ad dollars and messages for freshwater fishing equipment during the summer, and then realign their allocation to spend more dollars to advertise saltwater equipment during the fall and winter months. Although big-game hunters are the largest group and where most of the money is spent, retailers may be able to interest them to hunt other game categories with special offers for specific equipment for these categories when they make a qualifying big-game purchase. Fishing and hunting retailers should consider a weekend event, such as Bring Your Spouse or Bring Your Family, featuring specially priced bundles of starter equipment to boost the number of anglers and hunters of all ages, and generating future purchases.

New Media Strategies As part of promoting fishing and hunting for spouses and families with a special weekend event, ask those new to these activities and who purchased specially priced equipment bundles to share their first experiences with photos and videos posted on social media. Fishing and hunting retailers are likely to benefit from using influencer marketing programs, especially featuring women and young adults who are very active anglers and hunters, sharing their stories, equipment reviews, tips and favorite locations on social media. Ask loyal customers and/or local fishing and hunting enthusiasts to share their favorite fishing and hunting areas in videos (without revealing too many secret spots) for posting on retailers’ Websites and social media pages.