Understanding Angler Motivations in Fisheries Management

Motivation studies provide insight into what anglers seek in a fishing experience. Seventeen comparable angler studies were examined to identify motivational characteristics of angler populations and subpopulation groups. Five categories of motivations were used: general psychological and physiological, natural environment, social, fishery resource, and skill and equipment. Motivational profiles of angler populations were found to differ little between freshwater and saltwater environments or between the two states examined. Greater diversity was found in the importance of individual motivations among subpopulation groups, based on mode of fishing or target species, and between subpopulation groups and statewide populations. Results discourage extending motivational characteristics from a general sample of fishermen to subpopulation angler groups and vice-versa. Implications for using motivations to better meet angler needs and build supportive constituencies are discussed, and suggestions for further angler motivation research are presented.