Measuring the Relationship between Sportfishing Trip Expenditures and Anglers’ Species Preferences

Abstract

We examined the relationship between fishing trip expenditures and anglers’ species preferences from a survey of Oklahoma resident anglers conducted in 2014. Understanding patterns in fishing trip expenditures is important because a significant share of state wildlife agency revenue comes from taxes on purchases of fishing equipment. Presently, there is little research that addresses the question of how spending levels vary within groups of sportspersons, including anglers. We used regression analysis to identify a relationship between trip spending and several preference variables, and included controls for other characteristics of fishing trips, such as location, party size, and duration. We received 780 surveys for a response rate of 26%, but only 506 were useable due to missing data or nonfishing responses. Average trip expenditures were approximately US$140, regardless of species preferences, but anglers who preferred to fish for trout and black bass tended to spend more than those who preferred to fish for catfish and panfish. These results were even more pronounced when location was considered, those who last fished at lakes spending more than those who fished at rivers or ponds. The results underscore the differences in spending among anglers with different preferred species and fishing locations.

Received September 18, 2015; accepted March 9, 2016 Published online June 27, 2016

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Corey Jager for providing the angler data. We thank H. Schramm, L. Sanders, and A. Taylor for constructive comments that improved the manuscript. Financial support for Melstrom was provided by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is supported by U.S. Geological Survey, Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Wildlife Management Institute, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (cooperating). Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.