America's nearly 40 million anglers spend over $45 billion per year on fishing equipment, transportation, lodging and other expenses associated with their sport. With a total annual economic impact of $125 billion, fishing supports over one million jobs and generates $34 billion in wages and $16 billion in tax revenues each year. The average amount anglers spend yearly on hooks, rods, lures and other fishing tackle increased 16 percent from 2001 to 2006.

A number of reports strongly indicate that fishing is identified by American families as one of the best ways to spend quality time together. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, fishing as a leisure-time activity ranks higher than playing basketball or softball, skateboarding, jogging or hiking.

Substantially more than any other groups, anglers support the nation's conservation efforts through the Sport Fish Restoration Program. Special taxes on fishing gear and motorboat fuel channel hundreds of millions of anglers' dollars to state fish and wildlife conservation and recreation programs each year.

The American Sportfishing Association's analysis is based on data from the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, conducted every five years on behalf of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sportfishing in America was produced for ASA by Southwick Associates, Fernandina Beach, Fla.

Additional economic facts about sportfishing:

• The nearly one million jobs supported by anglers are almost three times the number of people who work for United Parcel Service in the U.S.
• The amount of federal tax revenues generated by angler spending in 2006 - $8.9 billion - is roughly equal to the entire 2006 budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• 
  In 2006, the top 10 states with residents who fished, based on the percentage of population, are: Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, Idaho, Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi.
• In 2006, the top 10 states that attract the highest number of non-resident anglers are: Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, South Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, New York and Texas.
• In 2006, the total days of fishing in the U.S. equaled 1,289,300 years of fishing.
• The not-so-lowly catfish is pursued by nearly seven million anglers, more than the population of Arizona, Massachusetts or Washington.
• All the dollars spent by anglers, attached end to end, would reach to the moon and back ­ nine times!