SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — Fishing's Future announced that the inaugural National Take a Friend Fishing Month™ generated one of the strongest first-year participation impacts seen in the fishing industry in more than a decade. The June 2026 campaign, created by Fishing's Future and presented by Visit South Padre Island, inspired 35,000 anglers across America to introduce 22,000 new anglers to fishing, honoring the people who first took them fishing. Those anglers went on 85,000 fishing trips during National Take a Friend Fishing Month™, providing a local economic impact of $2.7 million.
"Someone once took each of us fishing," said Tom Lang, executive director of Fishing's Future. "National Take a Friend Fishing Month™ is about paying that gift forward — and we are overjoyed with how America's anglers responded in just this first year."
A coalition of legends and leaders
The grassroots campaign was championed by an unprecedented coalition of 18 legendary anglers and outdoor personalities. Coalition members included Bill Dance, Davy Hite, Jimmy Houston, Alton Jones Sr., Alton Jones Jr., Kelly Jordon, Gary Klein, Wally "Mr. Crappie" Marshall, Hilary Martin, Justin Martin, Roland Martin, Scott Martin, Wade Middleton, Hank Parker, Brian Robison, Jeff Sprague, Kevin VanDam and Mark Zona. Each member credited their life path to the moment someone first took them fishing — and in June, they called on America to do the same.
"I'm all about it," said Bass Fishing Hall of Fame member Hank Parker during his Off the Water podcast. "There are so many people that have never been fishing … but if you can get them started, introduced, establish the basics … then you may have somebody who becomes part of the sport forever."
Their personal stories, family memories, and campaign messages were shared across social media throughout June, generating hundreds of thousands of views and inspiring anglers nationwide.
"Most of us got into fishing because someone took us fishing," said Bass Fishing Hall of Fame member Jimmy Houston. "You can actually change people's lives for the better…and it's something they can do for all of their lives."
Industry partners amplified the movement
National Take a Friend Fishing Month™ was further amplified by the efforts of industry partners who came together for this cause. South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bass Forecast, Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports + Outdoors, AFTCO, Big Bite Baits, Bubba, Fishing Chaos, Flying Fisherman, GSM Outdoors, Livingston Lures, Pradco, Rapala, Rather Outdoors, Tackle Warehouse, TFO Rods, Yum Baits, Waggle and Zebco collectively provided financial support, gear, prizes, digital amplification, educational resources and nationwide visibility.
Nationwide reach across every major media channel
The campaign reached audiences through radio, television, podcasts, industry media, social platforms and partner channels. Highlights included:
• 630,000 views on Fishing's Future Facebook in June
• 16,000 visitors to TakeAFriendFishing.org in June
• Hundreds of thousands of coalition video views
• Amplification from Bass Forecast, Fisherman's Handbook, Flying Fisherman, In-Fisherman, Livingston Lures, TFO Rods, and Wired2Fish
• National radio coverage on 140+ stations
• Paid digital ads reaching 500,000 anglers
• Multiple YouTube podcasts series
• News releases and industry media coverage
• CBS news coverage
• Email outreach through Bass Forecast and Fishing Chaos
Educational tools at TakeAFriendFishing.org
A key component of National Take a Friend Fishing Month™ was ensuring that beginners had the knowledge, confidence and support they needed for a successful fishing experience. Throughout June, and beyond, anglers and families accessed a suite of complimentary, high-quality educational tools at TakeAFriendFishing.org provided by Fishing's Future and industry partners. These resources included:
• Zebco Academy: Beginner-friendly video lessons covering basic fishing skills, gear selection, knot tying, casting techniques, and how to help kids succeed on their first trip.
• Bass Forecast Fishing Intelligence: Daily and extended fishing forecasts, recommended baits, and location specific insights designed to help new anglers catch fish and enjoy their time on the water. The Bass Forecast app was heavily used by participants preparing for their first outing.
• Fishing's Future Online Courses: Free live instructional online courses taught by Fishing's Future Founder Shane Wilson, offering step-by-step guidance on family fishing, safety, ethics, and hands-on skills.
• Family Fishing Resources: Tips for planning a successful first trip, choosing beginner-friendly locations, understanding fishing regulations, and creating positive outdoor memories. Also, direct links to purchase fishing licenses.
• Fishing Chaos Tournament: Direct access to the Fishing Chaos app for entering the National Take A Friend Fishing and National Take Your Family Fishing tournaments, along with instructions, rules, and prize details. These two unique tournaments provided a fun competitive way for anglers to determine who could take the most people fishing in June and who was the most fishing family in America in June.
Ernest Orlando of Maine took the most new people fishing in June and Joey Oberkich of Alabama led his family to be the most fishing family in America. Both receive weeklong fishing vacation at South Padge Island, Texas and prizes from Bass Pro Shops and Zebco.
These resources helped thousands of new anglers feel prepared, confident, and excited to participate — and contributed significantly to the campaign's overall impact.
"Nothing keeps anglers fishing like success," Lang said. "These resources were strategically chosen to increase angler success, and we are grateful to excellent partners such as Bass Forecast and Zebco for the great tools they have created."
Results grounded in R3 science
To ensure accurate and defensible results, Fishing's Future used R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation) research from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and other national outdoor recreation studies. These methods ensured the results reflected real-world behavior rather than inflated assumptions. Ultimately, the initiative calculated 13.4 million people reached, 35,000 total participants, 22,000 new anglers introduced, 85,000 fishing trips created and $2.7 million in local economic impact.
"These numbers represent one of the strongest first-year fishing participation campaigns in the United States in more than a decade," Lang said. "But more important than the numbers are the stories — families fishing together, friends reconnecting outdoors, and tens of thousands of new anglers discovering that fishing is more than a sport. We are immensely grateful to our coalition members and industry partners for their efforts in making this a tremendous success."
The road ahead
National Take a Friend Fishing Month™ is well on its way to becoming a permanent annual initiative. Fishing's Future plans to expand coalition membership and activities, strengthen partnerships with industry leaders, increase family-based education resources, grow digital reach and storytelling, build more local events and community activations, develop new tools to help anglers introduce beginners, and continue using R3 science to measure impact responsibly.
About Fishing's Future
Fishing's Future is a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening family bonds, connecting youth to nature, and growing participation in fishing through hands-on education, conservation ethics, and community engagement.
For more information, visit TakeAFriendFishing.org or FishingsFuture.org.