Water Works Wonders

By Don Allphin

Reproduced with the exclusive permission of Bass West Magazine, Please Click on the Bass West Enhanced banner to subscribe.

The cover of this issue of Bass West, portrays a grandfather enjoying a morning of fishing with his grandchildren. What a moving picture! Is this image merely a slice of life taken from our nostalgic past, or does this scene represent an essential ingredient missing from the recipe for a vibrant fishing industry today?

Parents and grandparents taking their children fishing, passing on family knowledge from one generation to the next, has been going on since time began, and could yet play an important role in the future of sport fishing.

"During the 90s we saw an overwhelming shift in the reasons people fish," says Tom Bedell of Pure Fishing. "Before . . . there was a distinct hunter/gatherer mentality that we in the industry all appealed to. Now, to show a picture of a guy holding up a dead fish doesn't make it. But, to show a picture of a father with his eight-year-old daughter catching a fish . . . that's what people want to see and experience. The number one reason people fish today is to have a quality experience with family and friends."

The shift from providing food for the table to spending quality time with family and friends, regardless of the catch rate, is a serious change in the way anglers think. One could ask, why the change?

Earl Bentz, of Triton Boats, along with Tom Bedell and others, have spent much time and energy serving on various boards and committees, wrestling with the shifting tides of anglers attitudes and desires.

"There has been far too much emphasis on hard-core tournament fishing at the expense of our children," says Earl Bentz, of Triton Boats. "A guy says, ‘if I'm going to fish a tournament, I'll find the best guy in the area — if it's a buddy tournament — and we'll team up and win that thing.'

"And here's this 10- or 11-year-old kid at home saying, ‘Daddy, take me fishing, I want to go.' His dad responds by saying, ‘you're still too young; I'll take you in a few years when you get a little bigger.' Well, in a few years when the dad's ready, that kid's off doing something else, the opportunity is lost."

To get kids fishing with their parents, Bentz and Triton Boats sponsor the Like-Father-Like-Son tournament circuit, currently operating in 17 states.

"Don't let the name fool you though," says Bentz, "mothers and daughters or mothers and sons are also welcome to participate.We recently held the Nationals in Tennessee, and it warmed my heart to see parents taking their children fishing in a tournament environment. They were having fun and were taking time to bond and get to know each other."

Surveys all over the outdoors industry agree that 200 million people world wide fish, and at least 50 million people in the United States claim to be anglers. Of those, around 8 million call themselves "avid," a huge market to be sure, yet angler numbers continue to move ever-so-slowly down. To stop the proverbial bleeding, the outdoors industry, in conjunction with the government are fighting back with an advertising plan to remind people who claim to be anglers but just don't get out very often, just what they're missing.

Bedell and Bentz, among others are involved with an organization called the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. It is made up of manufacturers and state fishing and boating agencies who share mutual interests. Formed close to two years ago, one of the foundation's goals is to get more people out boating and fishing: to utilizing the tremendous natural resources available to us.

"For years, various state agencies have been aggressively improving fisheries, facilities and opportunities," says Tom Bedell. "But, the agencies realize that although they have succeeded with fish, the human side needs to be added to the equation, and people need to know what opportunities await them on their local waters. The foundation has allocated $36 million dollars raised through excise taxes on tackle sales, to fund a communications program to reach out to people and motivate them to get out and boat and fish."

"The theme of the program is Water Works Wonders," adds Earl Bentz, "and it does. It is a great escape. It gets you away from the traffic jams and the horns blowing, and replaces them with peace and tranquility. And, while you're getting your batteries recharged in that kind of an environment, what a great time it is to spend getting to know a child or grandchild."

Both Bedell and Bentz agree this is a positive first step towards gaining back some of the leisure time market share the fishing and boating industry has lost in recent years.

Earl Bentz sees something even more exciting down the road — the marriage between B.A.S.S., ESPN and Disney. "Now there's your hook," says Bentz. "Millions of children a year look to Disney, and they need to be told that it's okay to go fishing, it a cool thing to do; and it's a really great thing to do with your mom and dad. We must promote the lifestyle, and what a great opportunity to do so."

The efforts of fishing and boating advocates like Tom Bedell, Earl Bentz, and other industry and government leaders, should have an impact on those who say they enjoy the outdoors. They realize it is crucial to our future, not just from an economic standpoint, but for the health of our society as well. Water does work wonders!