AURORA, CO — With U.S. sportfishing participation slowing and increased economic pressures influencing consumer behavior, understanding today's anglers has become more important than ever. Southwick Associates' Angler Monitor provides timely, data-driven insight into U.S. anglers' fishing activity and gear purchases, helping businesses make more informed product, pricing, and marketing decisions.
Recent estimates from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that licensed angler numbers declined more than 8.5% between 2021 and 2023. At the same time, anglers report that inflation, economic uncertainty, tariffs on imported goods, and weather conditions are key factors shaping how often they fish and how much they spend on tackle and equipment.
"In a challenging market, the businesses that succeed are those that clearly understand the customer," said Nancy Bacon, Vice President at Southwick Associates. "Angler Monitor goes beyond participation numbers to reveal how active anglers are shopping today—what they're buying, where they're buying it, and how spending patterns are shifting."
Angler Monitor is a quarterly report that tracks U.S. anglers' behavior across the full fishing and purchasing cycle, including:
- Angler demographics and fishing frequency
- Species pursued and seasonal activity patterns
- Tackle and equipment purchases across major product categories
- Online and in-store shopping behavior
- Retailer type, brand selection, and price range
These insights help manufacturers and retailers identify demand that still exists in the marketplace, refine product assortments, optimize price points, and better align inventory with angler needs.
Angler Monitor is available via quarterly subscription (four reports annually) or as an annual report, offering flexible access to ongoing market intelligence for the sportfishing industry.
To learn more about Angler Monitor or Southwick Associates' sportfishing research and advisory services, visit www.southwickassociates.com or contact Nancy Bacon at Nancy@SouthwickAssociates.com.
For more information on Southwick's market size report and to view a sample report, visit Market Reports - Southwick Associates. Custom research into specific market niches is also available, as are reports identifying the top brands, sales by retail channel, and more. In 2025, Southwick Associates also launched the Market Pulse, a new quarterly subscription service providing quarterly analysis of the hunting and shooting market. To purchase a report, subscription, or to discuss any custom research needs, contact Nancy Bacon at Nancy@southwickassociates.com.
Southwick Associates is a market research and economics firm specializing in the hunting, shooting, sportfishing, and outdoor recreation markets. For more than 35 years, Southwick Associates has established a proven reputation for delivering comprehensive insights and statistics assisting business and strategic decisions across the entire outdoor industry; from government agencies, industry associations and non-profit organizations, to affiliated businesses and manufacturers. Aside from custom market research, Southwick Associates also provides syndicated participation, media consumption, and equipment purchase tracking studies utilizing their proprietary consumer sportsmen panels. Visit www.southwickassociates.com for more information.