What do anglers want and think? Surveys give F&G some answers

Certain fish are notorious for how finicky they can be when selecting a lure, fly, or bait; and anglers aren’t much different with their opinions about how fisheries should be managed. 

As an example, while interviewing anglers during a recent Idaho Fish and Game creel survey, the first boat of anglers swore that their preferred targets, kokanee and trout, would only bite orange lures, while the next boldly stated that anything other than pink was worthless. Not five minutes later, green was where it was at.  Although different, none of those opinions were wrong because it was based on their experiences and preferences.  

During those same interviews and others conducted throughout the state, differing opinions of management and regulations are always freely discussed, and anglers’ input was often as varied as kokanee’s preferred lure color.  Anglers often suggest that Fish and Game should stock more fish, stock less, raise the bag limit, lower the bag limit, shorten the season, open the season year-round, build more boat ramps, stock predators, or remove undesirable species.   

The input is appreciated by staff, but hard to implement consistently because anglers often want different and sometimes contradicting things.  And there’s the rub, how does staff charged with managing fisheries for the greater public good really learn what the public wants?  Step one is actively asking and listening; however, there are some squeaky wheels out there, which leads to step two - an unbiased assessment of angler opinions and preferences.   

Idaho Fish and Game has formally surveyed angler opinions and preferences eight times since 1968. In 2022, more than 363,0000 resident anglers fished Idaho. This represents about 19% of the state’s population and in the top 10 of state participation rates nationally. Also, about 184,000 nonresident anglers visited Idaho to fish supporting many local businesses with tourism dollars.  

To learn more about anglers, Idaho Fish and Game used mail and email to deliver surveys, which included a couple dozen questions.  From the responses received, Idaho anglers appear to be outdoor “generalists”, as many purchased a combination license or sportsman’s package, implying preference for fishing and hunting.  Anglers were primarily male, but the percentage of female anglers has continued to increase and reached one-third of license buyers.  Idaho anglers are primarily White, but the percentage of Hispanic anglers has increased as well and now nears 5%.  Average age is 46, though younger anglers are well represented, a good sign for maintaining Idaho’s fishing tradition, though it's still a great idea to introduce somebody new to the sport.  

Idaho anglers have consistently ranked Trout as their favorite species with little sign of changing.  Next most popular is bass, followed by “anything that bites”, suggesting that many anglers just enjoy fishing and want to catch something.  

While there are some regional differences, including kokanee in the Panhandle and steelhead in the Clearwater, these top-3 rankings have been remarkably stable for decades, though panfish seem to be gaining popularity.   

Idaho anglers are fortunate for the quality of fisheries present in this great state. Anglers ranked 4 rivers in their top 10 including the Snake (#1), Salmon (#2), Boise (#5), and Clearwater (#8). Reservoirs like CJ Strike (#3), Cascade (#6), Brownlee (#9), and Anderson Ranch (#10) ranked highly, along with Henrys Lake (#4) and Lake Pend Oreille (#7). This impressive list spans all corners of the state and includes a tremendous diversity of fishery types ranging from warm to cold water species and from those that are supported mostly by natural reproduction and require little Department attention to those that require intense and complicated stocking, monitoring, and suppression programs.    

We also asked anglers to rank a list of Fish and Game programs. Anglers have consistently ranked “protecting and restoring habitat” as #1, providing and improving fishing and boating access as #2, and protecting and restoring native trout as #3 most-important programs.  These public preferences are heard loud-and-clear and accordingly staff are emphasizing and growing these programs as resources allow.  

On the other hand, anglers were less interested in Fish and Game providing fishing classes, managing for bigger bass, and focusing on community ponds, though some anglers found these topics important.  Generally, anglers thought the department was doing a good job overall but reiterated that they wanted more focus placed on their preferred programs and less effort spent on those that were lower priorities.  

Top reasons people went fishing included to enjoy nature, spend time outdoors, to get away, and be with friends.  Sizes and numbers of fish caught were less important to most anglers than the overall experience.  This was a good reminder that there’s a lot more to enjoy about fishing than just catching fish. 

It's not a surprise that as Idaho's population has grown, concerns about crowding have been increasing.  Anglers generally thought that non-angler recreation was causing most of the crowding.  This notion seems realistic as the number of fishing license buyers has not increased, but in fact has declined slightly, about 11%, from the Covid-boom years of 2020 and 2021. Despite crowding concerns, anglers were generally opposed to limiting the number of anglers through permit systems or by implementing additional fees.  In contrast, anglers were supportive of Fish and Game requiring a fishing license to use Department-owned access sites.  

As things change, Fish and Game often adjusts fishing regulations to maintain or increase fish populations or sizes.  Anglers once again indicated a consistent preference for how fishing regulations should be structured.  Anglers were generally opposed to shortening seasons or limiting access but preferred that the department reduce bag limits or increase length limits when necessary. These preferences will be considered as regulations are developed in the future.  

While there were many other questions posed and answered, far too many to cover here, an important theme was a series of questions on anglers’ relationships and perceptions of Fish and Game.  Anglers gave the department high marks for fairness, knowledge, and competency, which reflects a good working relationship between managers and anglers.   

On the other hand, anglers indicated that Fish and Game could better acknowledge mistakes and ensure that all comments and opinions were considered equally.  While the department has always strived to meet these standards and expectations, these responses indicate that there is still room for improvement.   

Fisheries managers will continue to work with anglers to meet expectations when there is a clear preference. They will consider all opinions when making decisions while knowing they can’t fulfill everyone’s wishes. But Fish and Game will always strive to wisely manage and conserve fisheries for current and future anglers.