The American Sportfishing Association's 2026 Sportfishing Summit, October 20–23 in Point Clear, Alabama, features keynote speakers Chris Stirewalt and Kyle Scheele, plus panel discussions on the modern angler and marketing trends to engage today's fishing audience.
FlyFest 2026, presented by The Fly Shop and hosted by Fly Fishers International, is coming to Redding September 24–26. The three-day event welcomes fly-fishing enthusiasts of all skill levels with presentations, demonstrations, hands-on learning, and an expo featuring leading instructors and brands.
Oaklawn Hot Springs is sponsoring the free Oaklawn Outdoor Show at the 2026 Bass World Championship, October 1-3 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The event features vendors, appearances by Charlie Evans and PAW Patrol characters, and runs concurrent with over 20 nations competing for Bass World Championship medals on Lake Hamilton.
Fishing's Future announced that the inaugural National Take a Friend Fishing Month™ in June 2026 inspired 35,000 anglers to introduce 22,000 new anglers to fishing, resulting in 85,000 fishing trips and $2.7 million in local economic impact. The campaign was championed by 18 legendary anglers including Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, and Kevin VanDam, with support from industry partners like Bass Pro Shops, Zebco, and Rapala.
The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) Conference will be held October 11-15, 2026, at Niagara Crossing hotel in Niagara, New York. Major sponsors include Whitetails Unlimited, Safari Club International, Delta Defense, Spypoint, OnX Fishing, OnX Hunt, Pulsar, NSSF, and American Sportfishing Association. The conference features fishing tournaments, seminars, awards ceremonies, and networking opportunities for outdoor content creators.
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and University of Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond are hosting a Women's Spring Outdoor Skills Weekend August 29-30 for women 18+ of all experience levels. Participants can choose hands-on sessions including campfire cooking, waterfowl hunting, fly tying, and wall climbing.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is hosting free September programs at Cape Girardeau Nature Center, including Fly Casting 101 on September 5 and Open Archery for Beginners on September 8, offering outdoor skills training for all ages and experience levels.
DAIWA will showcase its 60th Anniversary TATULA baitcasting reels and rods at the 2026 Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River in Clayton, August 27-30. DAIWA pro anglers and special guest Randy Moss will meet fans at the booth, with products available through Lakeside Bait & Tackle.
The Black River Sturgeon Hatchery will offer free tours on September 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Visitors can see young lake sturgeon and learn about their biology from Michigan DNR researchers, Michigan State University, and Sturgeon for Tomorrow representatives. Fingerling releases into the Black River and Mullett Lake will follow the tours.
Alabama Bass Fest will take place September 11-13 in Decatur, Alabama, alongside the 2026 Bassmaster High School Combine presented by Skeeter. The three-day celebration features an interactive expo, job fair, angler seminars, and family activities, with Built To Work providing heavy-duty equipment simulators and career resources.
The Ladies, Let's Go Fishing Foundation will host their Keys University and Fishing Fever Tournament Oct. 16-18, 2026, in Tavernier/Islamorada, FL. The weekend features educational sessions, hands-on skill stations, optional fishing charters, and tournament competition with instruction from Captains Lee Lavery, Jeanne Towne, Rob Modys, and Betty Bauman.
NOAA Fisheries Southeast is hosting a virtual discussion on August 19 from 5:00-7:00 pm EST featuring Regional Administrator Andy Strelcheck. The event will address recreational fishing issues, industry future, and angler involvement in regulation-making in the Southeast U.S.
Power-Pole, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Skinny Water Culture, Ocean Aid 360, and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper are hosting the Tampa Bay Debris Derby on September 26th. Teams and individuals collect trash from Tampa Bay by water or land, earning raffle tickets for prizes. Registration is free and includes an event shirt.
The International Fly Tying Symposium relocated to the Marriott Hotel Lancaster County Convention Center for November 21-22 after its longtime New Jersey venue closed. The event will feature approximately 100 professional and amateur fly tiers.
Sharktoberfest returns as a 21+ after-hours tasting event at Mote Science Education Aquarium on October 17, featuring unlimited beverage tastings from local and regional breweries, wineries, and distilleries, live entertainment, and aquarium access. The event is sponsored by Gold Coast Eagle Distributing and Ed Howard Lincoln.
NMEA is hosting its Marine Electronics Conference at Dallas/Rockwall Hilton Hotel on Lake Ray Hubbard, featuring new BMEI Coastal/Freshwater Installer and BMEI Commercial Installer certification courses. The event includes manufacturer expo, technical sessions, business seminars, and networking opportunities for dealers, installers, technicians, manufacturers, and distributors.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is launching four new paddling trails in Palacios, marking the 100th trail in the Texas Paddling Trails program founded in 2006. The trails, created with the Palacios Paddlers citizen group and six local organizations, add 19.5 miles of coastal paddling opportunities featuring the Tres Palacios River Trail, Palacios Wetlands Trail, City by the Sea Trail, and Dolphin Run Trail.
The Angling Trades Association will host its first-ever UK Angling Summit on November 19th, 2026, at the Arden Hotel in Birmingham. The event will unveil ATA's five-year growth plan focused on sustainable UK recreational angling, featuring high-profile speakers and industry experts discussing key topics impacting UK trade.
The Billfish Foundation will host multiple partner events at ICAST 2026, including live painting by Jorge Martinez at the Simms booth, happy hours with Simms, Okuma, and Columbia, exclusive merchandise, and raffle opportunities supporting conservation initiatives like The Skillie Project and Project Gulf.
Bass Pro Shops will celebrate its sixth Colorado location opening in Loveland on July 22 with an Evening for Conservation featuring celebrity appearances by Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, Edwin Evers, Jim and Eva Shockey, Nate Zelinsky, and Kevin VanDam. The company will donate 15% of sales to local conservation organizations during the event.