Why is Fishing a Dying Sport

...
""The Shadow"" wrote in message
...
Moron!

--
"The Shadow"
Millennium Rods
"Lure builder" wrote in message
...
The way i see it is fishing is not all that easy. There is a bit of a
learning
curve in order to get true enjoyment out of the sport. Some just aren't
willing
to put in the time.
Women are very vocal these days and some tend to put fishing down as
trivial.
These are the same women that tend to rule the roost at home. As a
result
some
men don't partake or their homelife may suffer.

...
""The Shadow"" wrote in message
...
Moron!

--
"The Shadow"
Millennium Rods
"Lure builder" wrote in message
...
The way i see it is fishing is not all that easy. There is a bit of a
learning
curve in order to get true enjoyment out of the sport. Some just aren't
willing
to put in the time.
Women are very vocal these days and some tend to put fishing down as
trivial.
These are the same women that tend to rule the roost at home. As a
result
some
men don't partake or their homelife may suffer.

Just a personal thought on the subject. I don't tihnk the decline has
anything to do with tournaments, pros, attitutdues, or any of that.
Attitudes have been around since the cave man, and will probably be
around till our sun leaves the " main scene" .
I believe it is a changing of the times as much as anything. Young peope
have so many more choices of leisure activities now days than years ago.
Plus the young adults find themselves in a 2 income family for the most
part, and when time off happens for the working wife and husband, they
often want to spend it together doing other leisure activities...not
that there are not some husband and wife fishing buddies, just not that
many. Fishing also use to be a bit easier to do...not as many
restrictions, and more accesable water in many places. Now in some parts
of the country, you have to have a license, a lake permit, and even pay
parking in a few! So it is becoming easier for the young people to opt
for other entertainment. It makes sense to me that fishing would always
be on a decline per capita...the days of the "hunter / gather" are fast
giving way to being "supplied" with lifes essential grin.
JK

I posted this over in the forum at Bass Pro as well. So far I got two
replies. Neither had anything to do with tournament fishing and both are
from our close neighbors.

One person from Canada blamed plethora of ever changing regulations for
making it just to complicated for most folks to go fishing.

Another gentleman from Mexico blamed a total lack of regulation for
destroying many fisheries.

I suppose we can just hope for a happy medium here in between.







"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
s.com...

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--
The Security Consultant
http://www.diycomponents.com
Bob La Londe - Owner
849 S Ave C
Yuma, Az 85364

(928)782-9765 ofc
(928)782-7873 fax

Great read Bob.
Fishing license sales are declining which indicates a real decline in
fishing interest, i.e. less numbers of people are fishing. I suspect that
things are worse since our population is growing, the proportion of people
fishing is declining more rapidly than indicated by license sales decline.
Why is this so? A variety of possible reasons come to mind when combined,
could explain the decline..

1. Fishable water is being privatized - bought up, posted, acquired by
governmental agencies, restricted by land use rulings, dams being removed,
access fenced off, etc.
2. Competing demands for time - Soccer, GameBoy, offroading, skateboarding,
partying, RVing, home projects and a multitude of other in and outdoor
activities divert participation today from family and individual fishing.
3. Decline of the nuclear family - as divorce and separation disrupts
parent/child relationships, fishing is less of a priority on weekends or
other custody times.
4. Availability of more disposal income - Food needs drove fishing more in
the past than today.
5. Immigration - Illegal aliens cannot get fishing licenses and legal
immigrants probably have far less interest in fishing than other population
demographics..
6. Adversarial animal rightists - Are influencing the weak, timid and
non-iinterested into a non-fishing mentality.
7 Adversarial vegaterians - Translate their anti meat-pholosophy into a
non-fishing mentality.
8. Passing fad - The Yuppie infatuation with fly-fishng in the 1980's has
past us by.
9. No new rivers - God is not making any new rivers and environmentalists
and politicians are fighting adding dams and impoundments which limits new
water bodies with their rapid growth and abundance of fish in their early
years.
10.Waterbody management - Is NOT being managed to increase the number of
people fishng, but to reduce, constrict, limit and to conserve existing or
lower levels of people. Budget level maintenance is their primary goal.
Little funding exists for meaningful additional researh to stop decline in
fishing.
11. Fly in fishing is up - Since the demand for trophy and quality fishing
exceeds the supply of domestic US fishing, more people are not fishing
locally but flying out to exotic places around the world.
12. On water competition - Water skiers, kyakers, personal flotation
devicers, canoeists, hikers and many other types of on-the-water or
near-the-water people are degrading the solitiude many fishermen cherish and
running them off the water.

Bob, I'm sure there are other things which MAY contribute to the decline,
but these are suggestions for starters. You listed a number of things we
can do to slow the decline of fishing. They'll help. But I am convinced
fishing will continue to decline. I just hope there will be some quality
experiences left for my grandsons but I doubt it.

Good luck!
John



"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
s.com...

http://www.yumabassman.com/cgi-bin/y... 47;start=0#0

http://tinyurl.com/ywupp



--
The Security Consultant
http://www.diycomponents.com
Bob La Londe - Owner
849 S Ave C
Yuma, Az 85364

(928)782-9765 ofc
(928)782-7873 fax

Dying sport??? Ya gotta be kidding... right?

Please post your opinions here instead of linking to your public forum, then
I'll do some research for Tennessee and show you that it's not declining
here!

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
s.com...

http://www.yumabassman.com/cgi-bin/y... 47;start=0#0

http://tinyurl.com/ywupp



--
The Security Consultant
http://www.diycomponents.com
Bob La Londe - Owner
849 S Ave C
Yuma, Az 85364

(928)782-9765 ofc
(928)782-7873 fax

"Charles Summers" wrote in message
...
Dying sport??? Ya gotta be kidding... right?

Its not my stats that say license sale sare down.


Please post your opinions here instead of linking to your public forum,
then
I'll do some research for Tennessee and show you that it's not declining
here!

I posted a link because it is a very long rant, but since you requested it
here it is... P.S. Why not post a link anyway? That way those who are
interested can read it and those that aren't don't even download it.

********
The number of fishing license sales has been declining for a decade.
Atleast according to some of the stuff I have read. Guys like Bass Pro
Shops seem to be doing ok because:

They are getting a larger share of the market.
The guys who are still fishing tend to spend more.

I remember fishing places as a kid where we could walk for miles and see few
if any anglers. Sure some very popular fishing areas would have anglers
lined up along a bank shoulder to shoulder, but you could always find a
place to get away. In the last few years I see more and more anglers in the
places I go fishing. I knows it is partly because I have started fishing
tournaments and tend to fish those areas during my recreational fishing as
well for the practice and knowldge it can bring, but still I see a lot of
pressure on the waters I fish. This may seem like it is not a problem, but
when I go to the small hard to get to places that I used to fish before
getting into competition I see nobody at all. Except for stocked ponds the
week after stocking I rarely see people stadning shoulder to shoulder
anymore either although the more popular places are still crowded.

Are the people who fish fishing more?

Seriously. I see the basic premise that there are fewer license sales as an
indication of a very bad problem. I am one of only a handfull of younger
(and by younger I mean under 40) anglers in the local fishing clubs. All of
them combined. Part of this will of course be blamed on baby boomers
getting older, but that can't be the whole picture. There should be a
smaller percentage of younger anglers, but not NONE. (Virtually None)

I have a few questions to think about. Some may help you to promote fishing
in your area if you have any desire to.

Are the anti movements making an impression that is affecting the sport?

Have health advisories dissuaded large numbers of people from fishing?

Has the almost religous zeal of catch and release anglers driven the casual
dinner angler from fishing at all?

Have the proliferation of tournaments made the sport seem like to much for a
casual angler?

Is the arrogance of some a problem for others?

Is society as a whole changing in some way that makes fishing too
inconvenient or unappealling?

Let me now offer some of my own insights. About 20 years ago or a little
more I had an unpleasant experience with a "pro" angler. I was about 16
years old, and the Gila River had been trickling and running often enough
that some decent fish had started to grow. I was fishing minnows, and some
artificials with what I thought was good success. There were miles of river
that were totally unaccessible except by walking and wading. Often you had
to swim or push through heavy brush. I loved it. I was going places nobody
else was going and catching lots of nice fish in spite of of people who said
there weren't any fish in that river.

One day I ran into a local woman who fished the tournaments in Yuma and
other areas, and I was doing a little bragging on how great a fisherman I
thought I was. I probably came off a little strong, but I was proud of my
achievements. She shut me down cold. She basically told me if I wasn't
fishing tournaments and winning I wasn't didly. I didn't know what to think
back then. Now I think, "Wow! What a despicable thing to say to a kid who
is trying hard and seeing some results from it." I really haven't thought
of it over the years. I have for some reason carried a disdain towards
fishing tournaments. Until recently I tried to stay as far away from
tournament anglers as was physically possible without leaving the country.
I probably fished less as well.

A week or so ago I happened to be chatting with one of the construction
supervisors for a general contractor I install a lot of alarm systems for,
and he made a comment that got me thinking. "The arrogance of a lot fo the
jerks fishing the local clubs turned me off from that. I still fish
sometimes, but I sure don't fish with that crowd." I wonder if he fishes as
much as he used to or puts forth the positive image of fishing he might have
if he hadn't been turned off by a "few" tournament anglers?

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not bashing tournaments or tournament anglers.
I am a tournament angler, and I can see exactly the same thing as has
happened in the past happening still. The same lady pro I mentioned earlier
is still around, and she has managed to alienate one of the young new
anglers in the clubs. I don't know if its her fault because I know the guy
and he can be brash and speak without thinking sometimes, but still. That
is one more angler with a sour taste related to fishing.

How about the overwhelming gaps in knowledge about fishing and the totaL
unwillingness to share anything. I took a guy fishing a few weeks ago. On
the way home I showed him a few of my old bank fishing spots. Guess what!
He has actually gone out fishing on his own and invested some money in his
own equipment since then. We didn't even catch any decent fish when I took
him out. We were friendly, and I listend to his over enthusiastic bravado.
I shared any information I had with him freely.

I have tried to point out some of the causes of what I see as a problem, but
I really haven't stated clearly why I thinks its a problem. After all if
the trend continues and all the 50-75 year old anglers start to die off I'll
have more space on the water for myself when I am that age. Sounds like a
pretty selfish view point doesn't it? I think that is another driving force
behind the problem. I am sure not consciously, but it is there none the
less in many anglers. The flip side of the same thing is that as the
angling population gets older and not enough new anglers join the sport
there will be less opportunity to fish. There will not be enough people to
stand up to industry exploitation of our natural resources. There will not
be enough people to stand up to the antis even if we try and join forces
with trappers and hunters. They are having the same attrition we are.
There will be nobody left to learn from. When my son is forty he will be
able to fish on the local toxic waste pond all by himself, but he'll have to
do it illegally. The antis will persecute him when they see his fishing
tackle and the police will hunt him down and cofiscate his equipment if they
see him using it. Yes it can get that bad. Don't tell me it can't. How
many of you thought there would never be any national gun control laws in
the USA or were told that by the older people you knew?

Even if we do not lose the places and privledges to go fishing very quickly,
there are some other significant and more immediate impacts on the sport.
The sale of some sporting goods carries an excise tax that is suppose to be
used for wildlife maangement. With fewer of us fishing and standing up for
ourselves what is to stop politicians from plundering our money for their
own pork barrel politics. Now something even more immediate. Fishing
license fees are used directly by most state DNR (Department of Natural
Resources) and G&Fs (Game & Fish Departments) to manage the reosurces we
have. These guys use the money to pay enforcement officers, research
biologists, and even the upper level management that interacts with the
politicians and try to protect our lifestyle. With fewer dollars spent on
licenses these departments become dependent on public money. Public money
is supposed to spent where the public most wants it spent. If they aren't
fishing do you think they will lobby their representatives and senators to
spend the money on fisheries management? I really doubt it. Unfortunately
its worse than that. That loss of revenue creates problems today. DNRs and
G&F departments can't field as many officers for enforcement. They can't do
as much research. They have to scale back developent of resources or even
stop managing some. Places to fish are closed to due to secondary pressure
because nobody is there to keep them open. How many places have you seen
closed or restricted after 9/11? One of my favorites is blocked off with K
rail across the road.

This is a real problem. Today! What can we do about it? Casting for Kids
helps some, but I think we need to go further and actually take those kids
fishing. I also think we need to take their parents fishing, because that
is the generation gap thats going to kill the sport. People my age. I
don't see many people my age fishing or joining the sport. We also need to
take each other fishing even though it may damage the usability of our
favorite spots in the short term. Atleast we can still go there.

We need to take a garbage bag with us when we go fishing so we can clean up
for the few jerks that mess things up for everybody else before law
enforcement and government management close off more places to access
because of them.

Learn how to get along with the jet skiers and the speed boaters and the
wakeboarders so that we can enjoin them to help keep our waterways open.
Find a happy middle ground with other public water users. Well, if not
ahppy atleast tolerable.

We have to support the local tackle shops before they all clsoe down. These
guys are often the first line of education for the new guy who wants to go
fishing. Without them how many people are going to take the time to order
equipment blind off the internet to get started on a new hobby much less
make the lifestyle change to make fishing a major part of their lives?

I remember when I was a kid and almost everybody sold fishing tackle.
Sears, JC Penny, Yellow Front, the hardware store down the street, and even
the corner grocery store. we are backing ourselves furhter and further into
a corner and the signs are obvious. What are you going to do about it? Are
you going to enjoy your fishing while you can and let the next generation
deal with your mess? Are you going to go out of your way to share the joys
of fishing with the next generation so that there will be a next generation
of fishermen?
************







"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
s.com...


http://www.yumabassman.com/cgi-bin/y... 47;start=0#0

http://tinyurl.com/ywupp



--
The Security Consultant
http://www.diycomponents.com
Bob La Londe - Owner
849 S Ave C
Yuma, Az 85364

(928)782-9765 ofc
(928)782-7873 fax

...
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Charles Summers" wrote in message
...
Dying sport??? Ya gotta be kidding... right?

Its not my stats that say license sale sare down.


Please post your opinions here instead of linking to your public forum,
then
I'll do some research for Tennessee and show you that it's not declining
here!

I posted a link because it is a very long rant, but since you requested it
here it is... P.S. Why not post a link anyway? That way those who are
interested can read it and those that aren't don't even download it.

********
The number of fishing license sales has been declining for a decade.
Atleast according to some of the stuff I have read. Guys like Bass Pro
Shops seem to be doing ok because:

They are getting a larger share of the market.
The guys who are still fishing tend to spend more.

I remember fishing places as a kid where we could walk for miles and see
few
if any anglers. Sure some very popular fishing areas would have anglers
lined up along a bank shoulder to shoulder, but you could always find a
place to get away. In the last few years I see more and more anglers in
the
places I go fishing. I knows it is partly because I have started fishing
tournaments and tend to fish those areas during my recreational fishing as
well for the practice and knowldge it can bring, but still I see a lot of
pressure on the waters I fish. This may seem like it is not a problem,
but
when I go to the small hard to get to places that I used to fish before
getting into competition I see nobody at all. Except for stocked ponds
the
week after stocking I rarely see people stadning shoulder to shoulder
anymore either although the more popular places are still crowded.

Are the people who fish fishing more?

Seriously. I see the basic premise that there are fewer license sales as
an
indication of a very bad problem. I am one of only a handfull of younger
(and by younger I mean under 40) anglers in the local fishing clubs. All
of
them combined. Part of this will of course be blamed on baby boomers
getting older, but that can't be the whole picture. There should be a
smaller percentage of younger anglers, but not NONE. (Virtually None)

I have a few questions to think about. Some may help you to promote
fishing
in your area if you have any desire to.

Are the anti movements making an impression that is affecting the sport?

Have health advisories dissuaded large numbers of people from fishing?

Has the almost religous zeal of catch and release anglers driven the
casual
dinner angler from fishing at all?

Have the proliferation of tournaments made the sport seem like to much for
a
casual angler?

Is the arrogance of some a problem for others?

Is society as a whole changing in some way that makes fishing too
inconvenient or unappealling?

Let me now offer some of my own insights. About 20 years ago or a little
more I had an unpleasant experience with a "pro" angler. I was about 16
years old, and the Gila River had been trickling and running often enough
that some decent fish had started to grow. I was fishing minnows, and
some
artificials with what I thought was good success. There were miles of
river
that were totally unaccessible except by walking and wading. Often you
had
to swim or push through heavy brush. I loved it. I was going places
nobody
else was going and catching lots of nice fish in spite of of people who
said
there weren't any fish in that river.

One day I ran into a local woman who fished the tournaments in Yuma and
other areas, and I was doing a little bragging on how great a fisherman I
thought I was. I probably came off a little strong, but I was proud of my
achievements. She shut me down cold. She basically told me if I wasn't
fishing tournaments and winning I wasn't didly. I didn't know what to
think
back then. Now I think, "Wow! What a despicable thing to say to a kid who
is trying hard and seeing some results from it." I really haven't thought
of it over the years. I have for some reason carried a disdain towards
fishing tournaments. Until recently I tried to stay as far away from
tournament anglers as was physically possible without leaving the country.
I probably fished less as well.

A week or so ago I happened to be chatting with one of the construction
supervisors for a general contractor I install a lot of alarm systems for,
and he made a comment that got me thinking. "The arrogance of a lot fo
the
jerks fishing the local clubs turned me off from that. I still fish
sometimes, but I sure don't fish with that crowd." I wonder if he fishes
as
much as he used to or puts forth the positive image of fishing he might
have
if he hadn't been turned off by a "few" tournament anglers?

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not bashing tournaments or tournament
anglers.
I am a tournament angler, and I can see exactly the same thing as has
happened in the past happening still. The same lady pro I mentioned
earlier
is still around, and she has managed to alienate one of the young new
anglers in the clubs. I don't know if its her fault because I know the
guy
and he can be brash and speak without thinking sometimes, but still. That
is one more angler with a sour taste related to fishing.

How about the overwhelming gaps in knowledge about fishing and the totaL
unwillingness to share anything. I took a guy fishing a few weeks ago.
On
the way home I showed him a few of my old bank fishing spots. Guess what!
He has actually gone out fishing on his own and invested some money in his
own equipment since then. We didn't even catch any decent fish when I
took
him out. We were friendly, and I listend to his over enthusiastic
bravado.
I shared any information I had with him freely.

I have tried to point out some of the causes of what I see as a problem,
but
I really haven't stated clearly why I thinks its a problem. After all if
the trend continues and all the 50-75 year old anglers start to die off
I'll
have more space on the water for myself when I am that age. Sounds like a
pretty selfish view point doesn't it? I think that is another driving
force
behind the problem. I am sure not consciously, but it is there none the
less in many anglers. The flip side of the same thing is that as the
angling population gets older and not enough new anglers join the sport
there will be less opportunity to fish. There will not be enough people
to
stand up to industry exploitation of our natural resources. There will
not
be enough people to stand up to the antis even if we try and join forces
with trappers and hunters. They are having the same attrition we are.
There will be nobody left to learn from. When my son is forty he will be
able to fish on the local toxic waste pond all by himself, but he'll have
to
do it illegally. The antis will persecute him when they see his fishing
tackle and the police will hunt him down and cofiscate his equipment if
they
see him using it. Yes it can get that bad. Don't tell me it can't. How
many of you thought there would never be any national gun control laws in
the USA or were told that by the older people you knew?

Even if we do not lose the places and privledges to go fishing very
quickly,
there are some other significant and more immediate impacts on the sport.
The sale of some sporting goods carries an excise tax that is suppose to
be
used for wildlife maangement. With fewer of us fishing and standing up
for
ourselves what is to stop politicians from plundering our money for their
own pork barrel politics. Now something even more immediate. Fishing
license fees are used directly by most state DNR (Department of Natural
Resources) and G&Fs (Game & Fish Departments) to manage the reosurces we
have. These guys use the money to pay enforcement officers, research
biologists, and even the upper level management that interacts with the
politicians and try to protect our lifestyle. With fewer dollars spent on
licenses these departments become dependent on public money. Public money
is supposed to spent where the public most wants it spent. If they aren't
fishing do you think they will lobby their representatives and senators to
spend the money on fisheries management? I really doubt it.
Unfortunately
its worse than that. That loss of revenue creates problems today. DNRs
and
G&F departments can't field as many officers for enforcement. They can't
do
as much research. They have to scale back developent of resources or even
stop managing some. Places to fish are closed to due to secondary
pressure
because nobody is there to keep them open. How many places have you seen
closed or restricted after 9/11? One of my favorites is blocked off with
K
rail across the road.

This is a real problem. Today! What can we do about it? Casting for
Kids
helps some, but I think we need to go further and actually take those kids
fishing. I also think we need to take their parents fishing, because that
is the generation gap thats going to kill the sport. People my age. I
don't see many people my age fishing or joining the sport. We also need
to
take each other fishing even though it may damage the usability of our
favorite spots in the short term. Atleast we can still go there.

We need to take a garbage bag with us when we go fishing so we can clean
up
for the few jerks that mess things up for everybody else before law
enforcement and government management close off more places to access
because of them.

Learn how to get along with the jet skiers and the speed boaters and the
wakeboarders so that we can enjoin them to help keep our waterways open.
Find a happy middle ground with other public water users. Well, if not
ahppy atleast tolerable.

We have to support the local tackle shops before they all clsoe down.
These
guys are often the first line of education for the new guy who wants to go
fishing. Without them how many people are going to take the time to order
equipment blind off the internet to get started on a new hobby much less
make the lifestyle change to make fishing a major part of their lives?

I remember when I was a kid and almost everybody sold fishing tackle.
Sears, JC Penny, Yellow Front, the hardware store down the street, and
even
the corner grocery store. we are backing ourselves furhter and further
into
a corner and the signs are obvious. What are you going to do about it?
Are
you going to enjoy your fishing while you can and let the next generation
deal with your mess? Are you going to go out of your way to share the
joys
of fishing with the next generation so that there will be a next
generation
of fishermen?
************







"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
s.com...



http://www.yumabassman.com/cgi-bin/y... 47;start=0#0

http://tinyurl.com/ywupp



--
The Security Consultant
http://www.diycomponents.com
Bob La Londe - Owner
849 S Ave C
Yuma, Az 85364

(928)782-9765 ofc
(928)782-7873 fax

Hi Bob,

Maybe it is because the fisheries people have no budget left for inforcement
that many don't buy licenses?

-
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA

Web site: www.kiene.com


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
s.com...

http://www.yumabassman.com/cgi-bin/y... 47;start=0#0

http://tinyurl.com/ywupp



--
The Security Consultant
http://www.diycomponents.com
Bob La Londe - Owner
849 S Ave C
Yuma, Az 85364

(928)782-9765 ofc
(928)782-7873 fax

I think that part of it is the breakdown of the family. Kids aren't
being taught to fish by their parents. A single parent has a harder time
finding the time for a hobby like fishing. Lack of time steers people to
"spur of the moment" activities, like movies, or shopping, or restaurants.
Fishing isn't as easy to "fall into" as it used to be. A lot more
people used to live out in the country, or at least knew someone who
did, and all they needed was to grab some live bait and a pole. Now the
population is more urbanized, and the only water accessible to them is
public water, where you need a license, and unless you really look, bank
fishing spots are scarce. In Texas, fishing licenses expire on August
31, no matter if you buy it in July. Full one year price for a month of
fishing? That makes it easy to say: "Let's do something else today, and
go fishing next month.
So someone watches a tv show and gets the bug, buys a combo and some
bait, and spends one of his precious Saturdays trying to find a place he
can bank fish without getting mugged. He finds one spot and it's covered
with beer cans, another and a gang of teens with loud music scares him
off. Another Saturday gone and he never realized the Andy Griffith
fishing scene he was looking for.
Or someone has a buddy take him fishing, and he gets interested in the
sport. In the past, he'd start out fishing small private water with one
rod and $20 or less worth of tackle, and buy more a little at a time
until he finds he's "hooked". Now he knows of no private water, and
because he's not plugged in, he doesn't know any bank fishing spots. So
he's looking at a boat, registration, trailer, registration, boat
insurance, oops, the car won't pull that rig, need a truck and receiver
hitch, ........ Know what? I can buy a lot of Cowboy (Ranger, Mavericks,
Sidekicks, Stars, etc) good seat tickets for that money, and I don't
have to find someplace to store them cause they won't fit in the garage!
I hate to say it, but I think it's amazing that there are many
fishermen left.