tenderloin
07-28-2009, 12:49 PM
This is from Michigan, but may apply here..Also stories abiout people fishing for food...
July 27, 2009
Michiganders angling for cheap fun, dinner
Boat registrations drop but fishing licenses soar
BY L.L. BRASIER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
More Michigan residents are hanging out their "Gone Fishin' " signs this year, looking for a cheap afternoon of fun -- and with some luck, a free dinner.
The number of fishing licenses has jumped by more than 54,000 since 2007, state records show.
But, while more people are fishing, they appear to be doing it mostly from small boats or shorelines. Boat registrations have dropped in Michigan in the past year: There were 8,200 fewer boats registered this year, down from 950,772 in 2008, according to state records.
Boat sales are down and more boat owners, especially those with larger vessels, are keeping them in dry dock because of rising fuel costs and a sluggish economy.
With Michigan's rich abundance of freshwater lakes and rivers, boating experts predict that boat sales and registrations again will climb once the economy recovers.
"There is no place like this in the world," said Van Snider, president of the Michigan Boating Industries Association. "It's the place to have a boat."
Like raising home vegetable gardens, fishing may be another enjoyable way to augment the family pantry in tough economic times. Although there are no numbers kept to show how many people are frying up the walleye and filleting the bluegill, people in the industry said the trend is obvious.
"You can't eat golf balls," said Veronica Pinto, a co-owner of Lakeside Fishing Shop on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores, where she has been selling fishing gear for 33 years.
Fewer customers come in looking for high-end equipment these days, she said. Now, it's families on a budget. Pinto said she recently began stocking a Lady Shakespeare rod and reel for $39, designed for women. A young angler can get started with a $14.99 package.
"The face of our customer has changed," she said of fishing. "People don't have the money. And, hey, when you're done, you can sit down and eat dinner."
Who's fishing -- and why
Kirk Miller likes to spend his summers in his 14-foot skiff, pulling walleye from Lake St. Clair.
It's always been his passion, but now it's something more. Miller has been without work for more than a year because of a medical condition that requires frequent surgeries, and he depends on fishing to help put food on the table.
"It doesn't cost much, and the fish is great," said Miller, 25, of Roseville, who has a $15 license that allows him to fish all season. He hopes to soon return to his work as an electrician and part-time stagehand -- jobs that once let him buy the finer cuts of beef at Kroger.
But, for now, he looks to the water for his protein. He likes to fry the walleye and occasional perch in hot oil until the fish is crispy.
Miller is among a growing number of anglers in Michigan. Although the number of boat registrations has dropped, likely because of the cost of hauling, gasoline and boat slips, more people are throwing a line in the water than ever before. The state sold 703,695 fishing licenses in 2007 -- around the time the state began to slip into a deep recession. That number has jumped by 54,234 this year to 757,929, the highest in the state's history.
State officials say many people may be like Miller: loading up the tackle box and heading for the lake or river as a way to cut grocery costs and have cheap fun as well.
"Fishing is an affordable family activity," said Mary Dettloff, a spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources who has been tracking the trend. "For $15, and some inexpensive fishing gear, you can catch your daily limit every day, and you've got dinner.
"It's a great way to feed a family. You don't even have to buy bait: You can dig your own worms."
Dettloff likened the spike in fishing licenses this year to a jump the state saw in deer hunting licenses in the fall -- and possibly for the same reasons.
"We think it's, in part, people worried and deciding they should try to put some venison in the freezer," she said.
But, while more people are fishing, fewer appear to be doing it from boats, at least the large ones.
There were 8,200 fewer boats registered this year, down from 950,772 in 2008, according to state records.
"We think it's mostly folks that just don't have the money to put their boats in this summer," Dettloff said. "They're still dry-docked. Maybe people don't want to fill up their gas tanks."
The exception, she said, are "still affordable, rowboats and small boats with outboard motors. That sort of fishing is still occurring in Michigan."
Also contributing to the decline are Michigan families leaving the state for better jobs and taking their boats with them, as well as cash-strapped families that may have sold their boats to buyers outside Michigan.
On a drizzly July morning last week, Tom Bergeron, 71, was loading his fishing boat into the St. Clair River, one of only two boats at the normally busy boat launch at Pearl Beach. While the drizzle no doubt played a part in the emptiness of the river, Bergeron said he has noticed the popular river, known for its sport fishing, is less crowded with boats this year.
"There used to be a lot of folks on the water, but these days there's hardly any," he said. "I don't know what's up with that. Maybe the gasoline."
Michigan, until the middle of the current decade, ranked No. 1 in the nation in boat registrations. The state now has fallen to fourth place behind Florida, California and Minnesota.
"We're not surprised that boat sales have gone down," Snider said. "Historically, if you follow boat sales, they track the economy. The boat sales go up when the economy goes up."
The biggest decline in boat sales and registrations involves boats that range from 26 to 35 feet, pricey cruisers that amateur sailors like to take out into the Great Lakes and the middle of Lake St. Clair. Snider predicts those sales will return once the state's economy recovers.
"We're very much passionate about the outdoors here in Michigan, and people still greatly value recreational boating," he said. "I think we're going to see some pent-up demand, where people are going to be willing to spend some of that discretionary income again, and they'll be buying a boat."
He quotes the motto of an optimistic Michigan boat merchant:
"Life is short. Boats are cool."
Contact L.L. BRASIER: 248-858-2262 or brasier@freepress.com
Additional Facts
Fishing facts
Michigan law requires all anglers to obtain state licenses, with the exception of children under 17, who can fish for free.
• A standard fishing license that allows you to catch panfish, like bluegill and other sunfish -- Michigan's most plentiful fish, often found in inland lakes -- costs $15.
• An all-species license to catch larger fish, like trout and salmon, costs $28.
• A 24-hour license can be purchased for $7 and is favored by out-of-state tourists. Seniors can buy a 24-hour license for $3.
• State residents in the military, stationed outside of Michigan, can buy a license for $1.
• You also can purchase a $2 voluntary youth fishing license for your child and the federal government will reimburse the state $9 for game and fish management programs.
• Fishing licenses can be purchased at hardware stores, bait shops, sporting good stores and retailers with sporting goods departments, like Kmart.
• The licenses can be purchased at any time of the year, but expire on March 31 of each year.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090727/NEWS05/907270331/Michiganders-angling-for-cheap-fun--dinner?GID=maDtYvjRSkEEc2UJkSadOpqUWBgOChwUlSzpeoX 7Zas%3D
Michigan Consumption Guide
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf
Some other similar stories
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/06/2009-07-06_fishin_for_danger_in_city_rivers_poor_people_dr iven_to_catch_and_eat_species_ful.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/06/2009-07-06_dont_expect_warning_of_dangerous_fishing.html
July 27, 2009
Michiganders angling for cheap fun, dinner
Boat registrations drop but fishing licenses soar
BY L.L. BRASIER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
More Michigan residents are hanging out their "Gone Fishin' " signs this year, looking for a cheap afternoon of fun -- and with some luck, a free dinner.
The number of fishing licenses has jumped by more than 54,000 since 2007, state records show.
But, while more people are fishing, they appear to be doing it mostly from small boats or shorelines. Boat registrations have dropped in Michigan in the past year: There were 8,200 fewer boats registered this year, down from 950,772 in 2008, according to state records.
Boat sales are down and more boat owners, especially those with larger vessels, are keeping them in dry dock because of rising fuel costs and a sluggish economy.
With Michigan's rich abundance of freshwater lakes and rivers, boating experts predict that boat sales and registrations again will climb once the economy recovers.
"There is no place like this in the world," said Van Snider, president of the Michigan Boating Industries Association. "It's the place to have a boat."
Like raising home vegetable gardens, fishing may be another enjoyable way to augment the family pantry in tough economic times. Although there are no numbers kept to show how many people are frying up the walleye and filleting the bluegill, people in the industry said the trend is obvious.
"You can't eat golf balls," said Veronica Pinto, a co-owner of Lakeside Fishing Shop on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores, where she has been selling fishing gear for 33 years.
Fewer customers come in looking for high-end equipment these days, she said. Now, it's families on a budget. Pinto said she recently began stocking a Lady Shakespeare rod and reel for $39, designed for women. A young angler can get started with a $14.99 package.
"The face of our customer has changed," she said of fishing. "People don't have the money. And, hey, when you're done, you can sit down and eat dinner."
Who's fishing -- and why
Kirk Miller likes to spend his summers in his 14-foot skiff, pulling walleye from Lake St. Clair.
It's always been his passion, but now it's something more. Miller has been without work for more than a year because of a medical condition that requires frequent surgeries, and he depends on fishing to help put food on the table.
"It doesn't cost much, and the fish is great," said Miller, 25, of Roseville, who has a $15 license that allows him to fish all season. He hopes to soon return to his work as an electrician and part-time stagehand -- jobs that once let him buy the finer cuts of beef at Kroger.
But, for now, he looks to the water for his protein. He likes to fry the walleye and occasional perch in hot oil until the fish is crispy.
Miller is among a growing number of anglers in Michigan. Although the number of boat registrations has dropped, likely because of the cost of hauling, gasoline and boat slips, more people are throwing a line in the water than ever before. The state sold 703,695 fishing licenses in 2007 -- around the time the state began to slip into a deep recession. That number has jumped by 54,234 this year to 757,929, the highest in the state's history.
State officials say many people may be like Miller: loading up the tackle box and heading for the lake or river as a way to cut grocery costs and have cheap fun as well.
"Fishing is an affordable family activity," said Mary Dettloff, a spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources who has been tracking the trend. "For $15, and some inexpensive fishing gear, you can catch your daily limit every day, and you've got dinner.
"It's a great way to feed a family. You don't even have to buy bait: You can dig your own worms."
Dettloff likened the spike in fishing licenses this year to a jump the state saw in deer hunting licenses in the fall -- and possibly for the same reasons.
"We think it's, in part, people worried and deciding they should try to put some venison in the freezer," she said.
But, while more people are fishing, fewer appear to be doing it from boats, at least the large ones.
There were 8,200 fewer boats registered this year, down from 950,772 in 2008, according to state records.
"We think it's mostly folks that just don't have the money to put their boats in this summer," Dettloff said. "They're still dry-docked. Maybe people don't want to fill up their gas tanks."
The exception, she said, are "still affordable, rowboats and small boats with outboard motors. That sort of fishing is still occurring in Michigan."
Also contributing to the decline are Michigan families leaving the state for better jobs and taking their boats with them, as well as cash-strapped families that may have sold their boats to buyers outside Michigan.
On a drizzly July morning last week, Tom Bergeron, 71, was loading his fishing boat into the St. Clair River, one of only two boats at the normally busy boat launch at Pearl Beach. While the drizzle no doubt played a part in the emptiness of the river, Bergeron said he has noticed the popular river, known for its sport fishing, is less crowded with boats this year.
"There used to be a lot of folks on the water, but these days there's hardly any," he said. "I don't know what's up with that. Maybe the gasoline."
Michigan, until the middle of the current decade, ranked No. 1 in the nation in boat registrations. The state now has fallen to fourth place behind Florida, California and Minnesota.
"We're not surprised that boat sales have gone down," Snider said. "Historically, if you follow boat sales, they track the economy. The boat sales go up when the economy goes up."
The biggest decline in boat sales and registrations involves boats that range from 26 to 35 feet, pricey cruisers that amateur sailors like to take out into the Great Lakes and the middle of Lake St. Clair. Snider predicts those sales will return once the state's economy recovers.
"We're very much passionate about the outdoors here in Michigan, and people still greatly value recreational boating," he said. "I think we're going to see some pent-up demand, where people are going to be willing to spend some of that discretionary income again, and they'll be buying a boat."
He quotes the motto of an optimistic Michigan boat merchant:
"Life is short. Boats are cool."
Contact L.L. BRASIER: 248-858-2262 or brasier@freepress.com
Additional Facts
Fishing facts
Michigan law requires all anglers to obtain state licenses, with the exception of children under 17, who can fish for free.
• A standard fishing license that allows you to catch panfish, like bluegill and other sunfish -- Michigan's most plentiful fish, often found in inland lakes -- costs $15.
• An all-species license to catch larger fish, like trout and salmon, costs $28.
• A 24-hour license can be purchased for $7 and is favored by out-of-state tourists. Seniors can buy a 24-hour license for $3.
• State residents in the military, stationed outside of Michigan, can buy a license for $1.
• You also can purchase a $2 voluntary youth fishing license for your child and the federal government will reimburse the state $9 for game and fish management programs.
• Fishing licenses can be purchased at hardware stores, bait shops, sporting good stores and retailers with sporting goods departments, like Kmart.
• The licenses can be purchased at any time of the year, but expire on March 31 of each year.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090727/NEWS05/907270331/Michiganders-angling-for-cheap-fun--dinner?GID=maDtYvjRSkEEc2UJkSadOpqUWBgOChwUlSzpeoX 7Zas%3D
Michigan Consumption Guide
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf
Some other similar stories
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/06/2009-07-06_fishin_for_danger_in_city_rivers_poor_people_dr iven_to_catch_and_eat_species_ful.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/06/2009-07-06_dont_expect_warning_of_dangerous_fishing.html