Have you ever wondered where the fishing in your state ranks among the rest of the country? It’s safe to assume that most of you have not pondered this pressing question. But one of the leading websites in lawncare, Lawn Love, felt that it was important for them to take it upon themselves to quiet the growing concern over which state was number 1 and which one was dead last. When you finish these short paragraphs, you may feel that you can now begin living the rest of your life. You’re welcome in advance.
So what empowers a lawncare company to draw conclusions about the best and worst states for fishing? It’s doubtful that even they could give a straight-faced answer on that one, but the ‘study’ used data from several big fishing outlets like Bass Pro Shops and Cabelas to compile information on the average angler in every state. They also looked at the differences in cost of tackle, licenses, permits and other necessary items, they looked at license sales per capita and even considered access to fishing areas and places to buy fishing equipment as part of their criteria. So, it’s more of a socioeconomic study than it is a black and white assessment of the actual fishing in each state. Still, as a lifelong New Englander and a resident of Rhode Island, taking third place in the Lower 48 feels like a solid win.
Alaska took the number 1 spot, they cited the states staggering 34,000 miles of shoreline and the fact that a huge percentage of the state’s population buys a fishing license every year as the chief reasons why the state they described as ‘synonymous with salmon’ took the number one spot. Michigan took number two and then Maine lands in the three-spot followed by Rhode Island. Maine, of course, features some of the most diverse fishing opportunities in New England and perhaps in the entire country with thousands of square miles of legitimate wilderness and unnamed towns all over its vast northern reaches. They seemed particularly enamored with Rhode Island because it’s known as the Ocean State, but also cited the fact that access to fishing areas and tackle is ranked second in the country, trailing only Michigan in that category. Massachusetts landed firmly within the top 10 at number eight thanks to its mix of easy access fishing and the historical greatness of places like Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Quabbin Reservoir. Connecticut took 15 and New Hampshire was the last New England state in the top 20 at number 19.
The one surprising stat was the community ranking, which rates the percentage of residents of each state that participate in fishing. While Maine and New Hampshire were ranked pretty high at 10 and 12 respectively, the southern New England states didn’t fair quite so well. Connecticut ranked nearly dead last in the country at number 46, Rhode Island wasn’t much better at 44, Massachusetts was low-middle at 21. But for three states with iconic shorelines, world-class salt and freshwater fisheries and high marks for access to fishing and equipment—we can do better. Let’s show Lawn Love some fishing love and hope that they are forced to reconsider the ranks for 2022. Until then we can all wait and hold our collective breath.
