With ICAST 2025 now behind us, the next major must-attend fishing industry event is the annual Sportfishing Summit. The Sportfishing Summit is the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) premier membership meeting where a cross-section of the recreational angling community converges to celebrate our “spirit of community” and discuss our collective future. If you’ve attended in the past, then you already know how beneficial the Summit can be to your business. If you have yet to attend a Summit, I strongly urge you to make 2025 the first of what will become a regular event for you each October going forward.

The Annual Sportfishing Summit is the ultimate gathering of the sportfishing community and the annual business meeting of the American Sportfishing Association. This is more than just a meeting. It’s where strategy, collaboration and vision come together to shape the future of our industry.

For more than 90 years, ASA has brought the sportfishing industry together to make decisions that matter. In 2002, we reimagined this event as the Sportfishing Summit – a high-impact forum for thought leadership, business development and community building.

This is your opportunity to get involved in the sportfishing industry and be a part of the decision-making process as we navigate through an uncertain future. Sit in on board and committee meetings to see how ASA and your peers are working on behalf of the entire industry. Gain insight into the sportfishing industry and engage in timely, relevant business sessions that help you stay ahead in a fast-changing marketplace. The Summit is THE PLACE to build relationships; from morning breakfasts to evening receptions, the Summit offers countless ways to connect informally, share ideas, and strengthen our community.

The 2025 Sportfishing Summit will be held at the Casa Marina Key West and The Reach Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton on October 7-10, 2025. Casa Marina embodies the elegance and character of Old Key West, where time passes at a leisurely pace. Enjoy sun-drenched days beckoning you to our private beach and historic spaces where romantic visions of the past become your present, and where the true essence of Key West is revealed.

What better location could there possibly be for a major sportfishing event than in the fish-filled waters of Key West? If there is any sort of downside to such a great location, it would be that attendees are going to need to fight the urge to fish the week away when they should be working! But there will certainly be time to fish as many add days onto the front end, back end, or maybe even both ends to their trip. I always pack a rod and reel and some gear and manage to sneak in just enough time to do a little fishing throughout the week of the Summit.

Once again, the ASA has lined up a tremendous slate of social, educational, and networking activities that you and your team won’t want to miss. As an ASA member, this is your opportunity to be a part of the sportfishing industry’s most important business and community engagement event. For a complete rundown of the week’s scheduled activities, be sure to visit asafishing.org.

Beginning on Tuesday, the annual ASA Board of Directors meeting kicks things off, followed by a special “Women in the Industry” event and the annual PAC Meeting. This leads right into the first social event of the Summit, a “Welcome to Key West Reception” which is open to all Summit attendees and guests.

Wednesday is where things really get going. Following breakfast, the first keynote speaker of the week takes the stage as returning guest, David Wasserman, will be presenting on the subject, “The Outlook on Tariffs & Insider Analysis on What to Expect From Washington.” This is followed by more tariff discussion as ASA VP of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard, joins Ron Sorini and Megan Costello with Sorini, Samet & Associates for “A Deep Dive Into the Latest on Trade and Tariffs.” The rest of the day will be filled with the first round of ASA Committee meetings, a great time to connect with your fellow ASA members and learn how you can become more involved.

Thursday picks right up where we left off on Wednesday with continued ASA Committee meetings including Fresh and Saltwater Subcommittees, and the ever-popular Government Affairs Committee. This is followed by the second keynote speaker as Don Unser, President Thought Leadership, Circana presents “A Data-Driven Analysis of the Retail Landscape and Evolving Consumer Preferences,” and then a dynamic panel presentation on “Real Solutions to the Ongoing Challenges of Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation.”

Thursday wraps up with a farewell party which this year will be a beach blast – last year’s Lua was not to be missed and set the bar quite high for 2025! The Summit concludes on Friday morning with the General Membership Meeting Breakfast and Annual Meeting.

So, whether you’re a long-time member or new to ASA, the Summit is a smart investment in your business, your network, and the future of sportfishing – see you in Key West!

REGISTER TODAY!