2023 Annual Review

Message from the ASA President, Glenn Hughes

For 90 years, ASA has remained committed to look out for the interests of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community.

Read Full Letter

Message from the ASA President, Glenn Hughes

For 90 years, ASA has remained committed to look out for the interests of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community.

Read Full Letter

Introduction

2023 was a landmark year for ASA as we hit our post-covid stride and advanced the interests of the sportfishing industry. ICAST is expanding, membership is up, engagement is better than ever, and the Association has been working hard to meet its members’ needs day in and day out. Over the last 90 years, ASA has continuously evolved and adapted to meet the changing demands of the sportfishing industry yet remained steadfast in our mission to protect the interests of our members and the entire recreational fishing community.

As we turn the page on 2023, we are excited to release our first ever ASA Annual Report to show how your investment is paying dividends for the industry. The information below is structured around ASA’s strategic plan, which outlines the Association’s seven guiding directives and has been our compass as we build engagement and increase value for our communities.

We have encapsulated our 2023 accomplishments using our three strategic platforms: Community, Advocacy, and Education. These pillars simplify the mission of the Association and are illustrative of the ways we serve our membership.

Thank you for your participation in ASA this past year. Your support is critical to our mission and your partnership is imperative to strengthening, protecting, and showcasing the interests of the sportfishing community.

Strategic Directives:

  • 1

    Building the sportfishing community

  • 2

    Enhancing content and communications

  • 3

    New revenue generation

  • 4

    Enhancing trade show and events

  • 5

    Growing and expanding retailer engagement

  • 6

    Expanding regional events

  • 7
    Advancing our advocacy efforts

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

ASA’s mission is to protect the interests of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community. We are more committed than ever to broadening our reach and growing engagement with both our partners and members.

ASA’s mission is to protect the interests of the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community. We are are more committed than ever to broadening our reach and growing engagement with both our partners and members.

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.

  • ASA Membership for 2023: 833 members, 237 new or reactivated members

  • Since its launch in January 2023, visitation of the association’s website, ASAFishing.org, has increased nearly 50%

  • New association management software allows for better integration and communication with members and partners

Enhance the Value of Show and Events

ICAST

As the premier showcase for the latest innovations in gear, tackle, accessories and apparel, ICAST is the cornerstone of the sportfishing industry, helping to drive recreational fishing product sales year-round.

  • ICAST Exhibitors: 633

  • ICAST Registration: 13,344

  • Record-setting 60 booths on display during the On The Water Demo Day

  • Record-setting 1,087 products were entered by 293 companies in the New Product Showcase

  • Record-setting 80 countries represented at the show

  • Lunch and Learn – over 220 attended

  • Fly Fishing area brought new manufacturers, retailers and media to the show

Sportfishing Summit

An exclusive, members-only event held in Sandestin, FL in October.

  • Over 40 new members attended, expanding their knowledge and network
  • Unveiled retailer sportfishing trends and participation exclusively to attendees
  • Inaugural “Women in Industry” networking event

Grow New Revenue Streams

  • First membership rate increase in 15 years drove 10% year-over-year revenue growth

  • New sponsorship packages for Keep America Fishing and the ASA Sportfishing Summit increased revenues by 50%

  • Subleased 1/3rd of office space in Alexandria
  • Reserves re-invested, increasing return by 1,000%!

Enhance Content and Communications

ASA completed a refresh of our brands, applied innovative marketing strategies to our emails, and doubled down on our social media presence. We also completed a comprehensive redesign of the ASA website which included a new user interface and bringing Keep America Fishing and the Sportfishing Summit sites into the main ASA site. Since the site’s launch in January of 2023, visitors have increased by nearly 50% to 51,803. In addition:

  • Pageviews increased by 180%
  • Pages per session increased by 88%
  • On social media, posts increased by 75%
  • Sent out 187 emails with a 32% open rate

Old vs. New Website

Pre-2023 DesignNew Website

ADVOCACY

ADVOCACY

Advocating on behalf of our members concerning sportfishing, conservation, and trade-related issues is a core function of ASA.

Our Washington, DC, and regional government affairs staff, work tirelessly to promote and protect the interests of our industry and recreational fishing.

ADVOCACY

Advocating on behalf of our members concerning sportfishing, conservation, and trade related issues is a core function of ASA.

Our Washington, DC, and regional government affairs staff, work tirelessly to promote and protect the interests of our industry and recreational sportfishing.

ADVOCACY

Advocating on behalf of our members concerning sportfishing, conservation, and trade related issues is a core function of ASA.

Our Washington, DC, and regional government affairs staff, work tirelessly to promote and protect the interests of our industry and recreational sportfishing.

Advocating on behalf of our members concerning sportfishing, conservation, and trade related issues is a core function of ASA.

Our Washington, DC, and regional government affairs staff, work tirelessly to promote and protect the interests of our industry and recreational sportfishing.

group in business attire on steps at nation's capitol

Sustain and Grow Advocacy Efforts

  • Developed 6 government affairs toolkits

  • Sent out 20 calls-to-action to Keep America Fishing supporters – a total of 5,271,117 emails

  • Open rates for Keep America Fishing emails were 19%, well exceeding the industry average

  • Policy Alerts to ASA members had an open rate of 33.5% (double the industry average)

  • Grew KAF Instagram channel audience by 16.3% – a net gain of nearly 165%

Highlights of the Year

Movement for ASA Priority Legislation:

EXPLORE Act Introduced

The House version of the Senate’s Outdoor Recreation Act was approved by Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee.

Recovering America’s Wildlife Act

This act, designed to address the decline of our fish and wildlife stocks, was passed by House Natural Resources (HNR) committee.

SHARKED Act

New legislation focused on addressing sharks eating anglers’ catches was unanimously passed by the House Natural Resources Committee.

MAPwaters Act Introduced

This new legislation will make federal regulations related fishing and boating of federal waterways far more accessible and able to be integrated into your chartplotter, fish finder or navigation app.

Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act

This new bill would prohibit federal land management agencies from banning the use of traditional lead tackle and ammunition on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science and has state wildlife and fish agency approval.

Weather Act Reauthorization

Designed to improve NOAA’s weather research, weather forecasting, and prediction of high impact weather events, this bill was passed by the House Science, Space, Technology Committee and included the reauthorization of Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act.

Red Snapper Act

This legislation would prevent NOAA from implementing area closures in the South Atlantic until after the completion of the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count.

Dollars Appropriated for ASA Priority Issues

  • 1 billion for Everglades restoration and projects to improve water quality throughout Florida, including addressing red tide and blue green algae blooms

  • 17.5 million for protecting and restoring Florida’s coral reefs

  • 7 million for National Fish Habitat Partnership

  • 368 million to support habitat restoration through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Preventing Harmful Legislation and Regulations

  • Defeated proposed Minnesota lead tackle ban

  • Rice whale speed restriction petition denied

  • North Dakota enacted legislation to ease fishing tournament fees

  • Language in House Interior Appropriations Bill prohibiting restrictions on lead fishing tackle

  • Language in House Commerce Appropriations Bill restricting funding for right whale vessel speed restrictions

Regional Accomplishments

  • A proposed 1-mile buffer zone for menhaden commercial fishery off the coast of LA

  • Worked with partners to ensure protection of the world’s largest salmon run in Bristol Bay, Alaska through the prohibition of Pebble Mine

  • Maintained fishing access at several southeast Florida reefs and Skyway Fishing Pier State Park in the face of proposed total fishing closures

  • Successful implementation of an alternative management approach for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

The American Sportfishing Association offers education and community-building events to help our members improve their bottom line while keeping our industry thriving.

The American Sportfishing Association offers education and community-building events to help our members improve their bottom line while keeping our industry thriving.

Grow Retailer Engagement

One of this year’s strategic initiatives was to grow retailer engagement within ASA. We did this in several ways, including hosting and attending retailer events around the country and executing a specialized marketing campaign to attract more retailers to ICAST. We increased retailer engagement via email, achieving a 34% open rate.

Increase Regional Engagement

  • Hosted 2 regional meetings (New England and PNW)
  • Attended/exhibited at 6 regional shows hosted by other organizations

Investing in the Community

The FishAmerica Foundation, the funding arm of ASA, celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Our cornerstone habitat conservation program helps local volunteers team with sportfishing and boating businesses and state and federal agencies to improve fisheries “in their own back yard.”

Funded projects in 2023 ranged from cleaning up coral reefs in the Florida Keys, opening fish passage for wild fish in Montana, and improving habitat for bass and panfish in the Great Lakes Region. These projects represented an investment of nearly $450,000 from all partners and were matched by thousands of hours of donated labor by the volunteers who helped make them possible.

We couldn’t have accomplished this without ASA members and the long-time support of our partners, including the Brunswick Foundation, Grizzly Outdoor Corps, and AFTCO whose donations to FishAmerica were more than doubled through matching funds and the value of volunteer labor!

$0
Total FishAmerica investment
$0
Matching Funds From Projects
$0
Total Project Budgets

2023 Project Awardees

(1/1/23-12/31/23)

Clark Fork Coalition

Granite Creek Fish Passage Project, MT
FAF-23-01

Friends of the Chicago River

Paddle and Plants Little Calumet River, IL
FAF-23-06

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys, FL
FAF-23-07

Natural Shorelines Forever

Course Woody Habitat Installations on Big Portage Lake, MI
FAF-23-10

What Lies Ahead

Newsletter

ASA newsletter is coming in the new year

New Team Members

ASA welcomes Kate Wagstaff and Rob Shane