Fishing participation on the rise

By Dan Armitage, outdoors writer

Findings by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) 2024 Special Report on Fishing, an annual report on fishing participation in the U.S., showed the post-pandemic surge of participation in fishing continues as 2023 saw the highest number of fishing participation among Americans ages 6 and over, including the highest number of female participants on record. That said, the report found that “churn,” or the number of anglers that left the sport, poses a significant challenge for the sportfishing industry. The majority, 87% of fishing participants, fished before the age of 12, but participation rates fall sharply among individuals 18 and up. Specifically female youth quit fishing at an 11% higher rate than male youth. We need to turn that latter stat around!

Mineral leasing rights awarded

The Oil and Gas Land Management Commission recently selected the winning bids to lease mineral rights under select Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) properties.… Continue reading