Join Us in Leading the Way for Sportfishing’s Future
Every day, we stand together with over 800 organizations that have a vested interest in the health, growth and expansion of the sportfishing industry.
Building the Sportfishing Community.
Every day, we stand together with over 800 organizations that have a vested interest in the health, growth and expansion of the sportfishing industry.
Recent News
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Big discussions, big plans! 🎣 This week, the ASA Board of Directors met at the Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, Texas, diving into key topics like our strategic plan, @icastshow, membership growth, R3 efforts, and the future of sportfishing. It was a productive day capped off with a great evening at the Board dinner.
#ASAFishing #Bassmaster #BassmasterClassic #KeepAmericaFishing #SportfishingCommunity
ASA’s Inland Fisheries Policy Director, Connor Bevan, joined @reppetestauber in Grand Rapids, MN, for a visit with Todd Hammill and the @Wired2Fish team! The tour of their facility and studios sparked great discussions about the fishing industry, excise taxes, and the 75-year legacy of the Sport Fish Restoration Program.
Reauthorizing this critical program remains a top priority, along with addressing key fishing policy issues in Minnesota and around the country. A big thank you to Rep. Stauber for his support of anglers and the sportfishing industry!
#ASAFishing #SportfishingCommunity #Minnesota #KeepAmericaFishing
Thank you to our ASA members and #KeepAmericaFishing advocates who joined us in taking action on the proposed bottomfishing ban.
NOAA must rescind the closures until the results of the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count are incorporated into the next stock assessment and can be used to better inform management moving forward.
Stay tuned for more ways you can get involved with the issues that affect the sportfishing community.
#redsnapper #bottomfishing #saltwaterfishing
The Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (MAPOceans), co-sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Angus King (I-ME), passed the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee on March 12. This priority sportfishing legislation would require NOAA to develop publicly available mapping data that improves access for anglers and boaters in America’s oceans. 🛥️🎣
Improvements in mapping data will allow recreational anglers to have real-time information at their fingertips through existing mapping technologies, including access sites, gear or season restrictions, and closed areas. The MAPWaters Act, a companion bill to improve mapping technologies on lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and Dept. of Interior, passed the House of Representatives in January.
📸 @aftco
#fishing #boating #mapping #KeepAmericaFishing
NOAA’s Proposed Bottom Fishing Ban is a Bad Deal!
Red snapper populations are healthier than they’ve been in recent history—so why push a 3-month bottom fishing closure for 55 species?
Amendment 59:
▪️Based on unreliable data (off by 30-40%!)
▪️ A bad trade: a short season in exchange for a massive closure
▪️ Removing overfishing designation while prohibiting access is counterintuitive
Recreational fishing contributes $9.2B to Florida’s economy and supports 88,000 jobs. The Secretary of Commerce must reject the closure in Amendment 59. With comments due by March 17, ACT NOW! 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐈𝐎
📸 @reel_fowl_pirate
#redsnapper #bottomfishing #KeepAmericaFishing
In a 2022 UMass Amherst Survey, 77% of anglers and guides surveyed experienced shark depredation while fishing from 2017-2022.
Source: SAFMC
Working for YOU
We take care of the politics so you can concentrate on growing your business.
Taking kids fishing just a few times creates a lifelong love of the sport!
Since taking office, the Trump Administration is taking many actions on tariffs that impact the sportfishing industry, ASA is monitoring, weighing in with the Administration & Congress.
Feds want to close bottom fishing in the South Atlantic.
Efforts are underway to prevent the use of lead tackle for fishing despite scant evidence that using lead has a harmful impact on wildlife populations.
