Survey Says: Magazines Rule, but Anglers Using Internet

Posted on: Monday, 21 July 2008, 21:00 CDT

By The Wisconsin State Journal

Jul. 21--Anglers' reliance on Web sites for fishing information and entertainment has risen sharply during the past year, according to a recent survey. Hunters' Internet use, on the other hand, has remained virtually unchanged. Magazines remain the primary media source for both anglers and hunters, the survey found.
In the 2008 media preference surveys from AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com, approximately 34 percent of anglers stated that Web sites are their primary source of fishing information and entertainment, compared with about 24 percent in 2007 -- an increase of 10 percent. The results for hunters remained static, with about 26 percent reporting in 2007, and again in 2008, that the Internet is their preferred media source.

In the 2008 survey, out 39 percent of anglers indicated that magazines are their primary source of fishing information. The 2008 magazine figure for hunters was approximately 47 percent. Each was a 4 percent drop from 2007.

"Clearly, more and more anglers are relying on Web sites as their chief source of fishing information and entertainment, and more than a quarter of hunters turn primarily to the Internet as well," said Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates, which oversees the surveys in an effort to help outdoor equipment industries, government officials, and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends.

"It will be interesting to see how these trends develop in the future," he added.