Untangling Anglers' Reel Motives: Catch Motives Depend on Target Species

Most studies of angler motives indicate that non-catch motives are more important to anglers than catch motives. These studies have usually assessed reasons to go fishing, while glossing over the diverse recreational experiences within that umbrella term. Hypothesizing that an individual angler’s motivations likely depend on the context of each fishing trip, we assessed general and context-specific motivations from a sample of German anglers. Using a one-year trip diary, we characterized fishing trips undertaken by these anglers, and then followed up with a personalized mail survey to elicit angler motives. Anglers frequently cited catch motives as most important across a range of target species, with large bodied species being primarily associated with trophy fishing. Small-bodied cyprinids were targeted for non-catch reasons, while other species, such as European perch (Perca fluviatilis), attracted anglers seeking multiple psychological outcomes. Five distinct angler types that allocated their effort similarly among certain primary motives were identified, namely trophy-seeking anglers, non-trophy challenge-seeking anglers, nature-oriented anglers, meal-sharing anglers and social anglers. Our study reinforces the need for recreational fisheries managers to account for heterogeneity in their angler constituents. At the same time, human dimensions researchers need to recognize that fishing constitutes a diverse suite of recreational experiences.