Angler engagement campaign launches 'Fishing… Share the Fun'

Angler engagement campaign launches 'Fishing… Share the Fun' © American Sportfishing Association

The Fishing... Share the Fun angler engagement campaign, launching this week, is a first-of-its-kind industry-wide collaboration between the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF).

The campaign's mission is to galvanize sportfishing industry leaders and the broader recreational fishing community to share their love of fishing and engage in customer retention activities to keep new anglers on the water this spring and summer. It is supported by an integrated mix of easy-to-use educational tools and tips designed to help increase the enjoyment of fishing.

"Fishing is a healthy, fun, family-friendly activity that saw tremendous growth over the past few years. Let's not lose this momentum," said Mary Beth Long, ASA's vice president of Communications. "This campaign offers a great opportunity to grow the sportfishing community and promote how much fun a day on the water can be."

Over the past two years, millions of Americans took to recreational fishing for the first time as a way to cope with the pandemic's challenges. As life begins to return to normal, the fishing community must ensure those first-time anglers continue to feel welcome on the water. The Fishing... Share the Fun campaign is asking experienced anglers to team up with these newer anglers to help get them back on the water and rediscover their love of fishing. It's also equipping the fishing industry with customer retention strategies and tools to engage newcomers and keep them fishing.

"In 2020 we saw a new wave of fishing participants who were driven to fish primarily because someone invited them," said RBFF SVP of Marketing & Communications Stephanie Vatalaro. "When you take a friend fishing and ask your customers to do the same, you're supporting the development of future lifetime anglers, which is good for the entire industry and the conservation programs it supports."

ASA and RBFF encourage everyone who knows what it takes to spend a day on the water to serve as campaign partners. Partners will be provided with a free, online toolkit that provides best practices for taking novice anglers fishing and keeping them coming back for more. The toolkit includes items such as maps of where to fish, guidance on the correct tackle to purchase and essential items to ensure a successful day fishing.

In addition to the toolkit, during May, Fishing... Share the Fun partners will receive a weekly email with tips on how to get people back on the water. Suggestions will range from checklists on what to bring to information on how to get a fishing license. The campaign culminates in the celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week, June 4 - 12. During June and beyond, campaign participants are encouraged to use social media and use the hashtags "#ShowUsYourFish" and "#FishingShareTheFun" to embrace the sport of fishing throughout the summer.

Interested parties can sign up as a campaign partner here. And remember, the next time you go fishing...share the fun!