Just gotta make fishing "cool". HOW to do that tastefully is the hard part. A bunch of old geezers blurting swear words in the local grocery store (FNC) is certainly not going to get through to them. Put young guys on TV and let them show what fishing is really about.
I cant tell you how many young people have e-mailed us about how much they like the Action Angling videos, and a few have even said they were browsing through other videos on google, found our show and decided to try fishing themselves. There is no greater feeling than the feeling I get when I get an e-mail like that.
I'm not trying to brag, I'm just trying to say maybe the media needs to be portraying fishing in a more realistic sense. Not monotone talk about simple tactics and promotion of useless products.
Maybe not just the media. Maybe message boards, etc need to follow this suit as well.
Fishing is about having a blast with friends, so lets show that to the young people.
The Other Guy
Why do we need to grow our passion?...I'd rather simply maintain it personally...
Are there not enough people on our waterways as it is?
Pass it down generation to generation...as it's always been done....it's worked for a 100 plus years now.....
Why the push to market fishing?...I don't get it....please explain...
..I'd say fishing as a pastime is doing just fine in my eyes...
RJ
Are there not enough people on our waterways as it is?
Pass it down generation to generation...as it's always been done....it's worked for a 100 plus years now.....
Why the push to market fishing?...I don't get it....please explain...
..I'd say fishing as a pastime is doing just fine in my eyes...RJ
The more people involved the more appreciation of the resource we have and more likelyhood of haveing advocats for our cause. The fine line in between is what is questionableRJ wrote:Why do we need to grow our passion?...I'd rather simply maintain it personally...
Are there not enough people on our waterways as it is?
Pass it down generation to generation...as it's always been done....it's worked for a 100 plus years now.....
Why the push to market fishing?...I don't get it....please explain...
RJ
the other guy
Last edited by karma on Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
BBR, your comments re: video etc. are exactly what I am discovering. The younger generations are more adept at using technology and certainly not shy about sharing their adventures.
Information on the web is a great thing and it's all about the experience not the GPS location of a fishing hole.
Today I'm celebrating my 63rd birthday and look forward to continuing this fishing thing for as long as I can - the world "she is a changing" and those of us who can embrace these changes will be better for it.
Karma, I hear you - appreciating the experience is what it's all about. Certainly a person of your adaptability is another cog in this learning wheel. I'd be thrilled to have you sharing a boat with me.
Information on the web is a great thing and it's all about the experience not the GPS location of a fishing hole.
Today I'm celebrating my 63rd birthday and look forward to continuing this fishing thing for as long as I can - the world "she is a changing" and those of us who can embrace these changes will be better for it.
Karma, I hear you - appreciating the experience is what it's all about. Certainly a person of your adaptability is another cog in this learning wheel. I'd be thrilled to have you sharing a boat with me.
Last edited by karma on Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Great Topic and a lot of insightful comments: 
!: As a person who has fished for more than 40 years and who has four children (2 boys and 2 girls) I have often given thought to what I see is a decline in the ratio of young people fishing.
BABY BOOMERS: Although I do not have the statistics I believe there is not the same ratio of youth to adults as there was in the Baby Boomers youth so it stands to reason that wth a smaller ratio of youth in the population there will be a perceived decline in the number of youth fishing.
Myself, and many of the participants on this board come from the baby boomer era. This was a generation of larger families, lower incomes, stay at home mothers and more focus on simple and inexpensive outdoor activities. I wonder if we had not been kicked out of the house to play because our mother didn't want us under her feet how many of us would have spent time fishing. If we had the same options of youth today of sitting inside with 200 TV channels, video games and computers I suspect many of us would never have developed the passion for fishing.
OPPORTUNITY: Young people need a place to walk to from their homes to put a line in the water to catch a fish. I think the majority of us passionate fishermen had that close proximity to fishing opportunity when we were young. Today, urban sprawl seem to have moved residential areas away from close proximity to water and placed them out in the former farm fields on the outskirts of the cities and towns.
POLUTION: There has been so much talk in the last twenty years about polution in our lakes and rivers that it is hard to find a non-fisherperson who will tell you that they won't bother fishing because the waters are so polluted they would be scared to eat the fish. As we know, this is largely a misconception but nevertheless a perception held by many people.
THE JOY OF EATING: There is far too much emphasis on catch and release and not enough focus on the process of catching a fish and enjoying the pleasure of eating that same fish.
We also have a large number of people who might take up fishing but have no idea how to go about cleaning that fish for the table. There is a need to place some focus on educating people on the joy of catching the fish they eat, the conservation approach of which fish to keep for eating and how to prepare that fish for eating. I think for many people there is still that genetic joy in capturing the food we eat. Enticing people to fish for the joy of not only fishing but also of eating the fish will take them through the same cycle most of us have gone through. Namely, first develop the passion and pleasures of fishing and the motivation to practice conservation will follow.
COMPLEXITY:: When I took up fishing as a kid, a bamboo pole some string, a hook and a frog being fished from a shoreline was quite acceptable and also very productive. New potential fisherpersons today are bombarded with complex jargon and even more complex appearing equipment (to a novice) that creates the impression that fishing is an exact science that requires the equivalency of a college degree in piscatorial aptitude before undertaking the sport. We need to take away this image and promote an understanding on the simpicity, beauty and benefits of this great sport.
Perhaps this could be a component of the Fish-Hawk web site. A section for the beginner angler.
My thoughts for whatever they are worth
!: As a person who has fished for more than 40 years and who has four children (2 boys and 2 girls) I have often given thought to what I see is a decline in the ratio of young people fishing. BABY BOOMERS: Although I do not have the statistics I believe there is not the same ratio of youth to adults as there was in the Baby Boomers youth so it stands to reason that wth a smaller ratio of youth in the population there will be a perceived decline in the number of youth fishing.
Myself, and many of the participants on this board come from the baby boomer era. This was a generation of larger families, lower incomes, stay at home mothers and more focus on simple and inexpensive outdoor activities. I wonder if we had not been kicked out of the house to play because our mother didn't want us under her feet how many of us would have spent time fishing. If we had the same options of youth today of sitting inside with 200 TV channels, video games and computers I suspect many of us would never have developed the passion for fishing.
OPPORTUNITY: Young people need a place to walk to from their homes to put a line in the water to catch a fish. I think the majority of us passionate fishermen had that close proximity to fishing opportunity when we were young. Today, urban sprawl seem to have moved residential areas away from close proximity to water and placed them out in the former farm fields on the outskirts of the cities and towns.
POLUTION: There has been so much talk in the last twenty years about polution in our lakes and rivers that it is hard to find a non-fisherperson who will tell you that they won't bother fishing because the waters are so polluted they would be scared to eat the fish. As we know, this is largely a misconception but nevertheless a perception held by many people.
THE JOY OF EATING: There is far too much emphasis on catch and release and not enough focus on the process of catching a fish and enjoying the pleasure of eating that same fish.
We also have a large number of people who might take up fishing but have no idea how to go about cleaning that fish for the table. There is a need to place some focus on educating people on the joy of catching the fish they eat, the conservation approach of which fish to keep for eating and how to prepare that fish for eating. I think for many people there is still that genetic joy in capturing the food we eat. Enticing people to fish for the joy of not only fishing but also of eating the fish will take them through the same cycle most of us have gone through. Namely, first develop the passion and pleasures of fishing and the motivation to practice conservation will follow.COMPLEXITY:: When I took up fishing as a kid, a bamboo pole some string, a hook and a frog being fished from a shoreline was quite acceptable and also very productive. New potential fisherpersons today are bombarded with complex jargon and even more complex appearing equipment (to a novice) that creates the impression that fishing is an exact science that requires the equivalency of a college degree in piscatorial aptitude before undertaking the sport. We need to take away this image and promote an understanding on the simpicity, beauty and benefits of this great sport.
Perhaps this could be a component of the Fish-Hawk web site. A section for the beginner angler. My thoughts for whatever they are worth
This is pretty interesting..
My two cents: I'm 21 and I live for fishing. I don't see myself as ever stopping or getting bored of it. Alot more of my friends were into it when we were younger, but not so much anymore. Now, I mostly go with my dad, my girlfriend, or by myself. As far as constraints go, the only thing keeping me from being out on the water more often (including right now) is 'academic obligations'. Once those are gone and I have more free time and $$, I'll definitely be out there alot more. There's nothing else I'd rather be doing!
My two cents: I'm 21 and I live for fishing. I don't see myself as ever stopping or getting bored of it. Alot more of my friends were into it when we were younger, but not so much anymore. Now, I mostly go with my dad, my girlfriend, or by myself. As far as constraints go, the only thing keeping me from being out on the water more often (including right now) is 'academic obligations'. Once those are gone and I have more free time and $$, I'll definitely be out there alot more. There's nothing else I'd rather be doing!
How about over saturation. So many TV shows, books, magazines, the internet. I just tune most of it out anymore. Alot of it is just rehashed.
So many people aspire to be experts, or make money at it, get sponsored and/or fish competively. Fewer people it seems just fish for the helluvit, just happy to be out.
So many people aspire to be experts, or make money at it, get sponsored and/or fish competively. Fewer people it seems just fish for the helluvit, just happy to be out.