Female Fishing Participation on the Rise
Published: Thursday, January 19, 2023 12:00 pm
By: Ladies, Let's Go Fishing
Women now account for 37% of anglers in the U.S., the highest level on record according to the Special Report on Fishing announced at ICAST 2022 by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) in collaboration with the Outdoor Foundation. 19.4 million women went fishing in 2021, an 8% increase in fishing outings since 2019. 1.6 million female participants were first timers. The total number of fishing outings for females in 2021 was 288 million.
To attract and reengage women and families to the sport of fishing, Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing focuses on attracting women to fishing through educational hands-on programs with networking and fishing as well as online events and promotions. In 25 years the organization has generated more than 9,000 new female anglers, not including the others they bring to the sport. Their motto is: “Bring the women, get the whole family!”
Fishing Industry Overall 2021 Statistics
52.4 million Americans ages 6 and over went fishing in 2021, an increase of 4.15% over 2019. The sports of fishing and boating flourished during the worst years of the pandemic due to lack of school and professional sports, concerts and other activities involving crowds. People flocked to fishing and boating as a way to participate in a sport with lower risks of infection and to bond with family or friends to experience the outdoors together.
The sport of fishing is now challenged with how to keep these new participants. The good news is, according to the report, 99 percent of participants plan to continue fishing this year.
Fishing Industry Focuses on Females
The fishing industry contributed 49.8 billion dollars to the US economy in 2018 (most recent report available). That spending contributed $63.5 billion to the National GDP and total economic impact, including all multiplier effects was nearly $126 billion in 2018 according to a report by ASA Fishing.
Female anglers spend billions of dollars each year, creating tens of billions in economic impacts.
Florida Data for Fishing
Florida ranks number one for numbers of anglers. One out of every four trips in the U.S. occurs in Florida and 60 percent of recreational fish caught in the U.S. are caught in Florida.
The highest region for female participation is the South Atlantic. Its share has the strongest three-year annual growth rate overall.
Female Participation Over Time
While female fishing participation fell slightly in 2021 from its 2020 all-time high, in 2021 there were 2.8 million more female anglers than five years prior, and 3.8 million more than in 2011.
This information is provided by Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing (LLGF), according to statistics from RBFF, NMFS and other sources. The goal of LLGF is to activate, recruit and retain new anglers through educational programming and communications, aligning with the mission of the American Sport Fishing Association’s R3 endeavor. Learn more at www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.
tags: Beyond the Great Lakes, Beyond the Lakes, Fishing, Florida, Women In Boating
