Take Me Fishing: The Influence of Kids on Angler Satisfaction

We surveyed anglers on five urban fisheries in South Dakota from April 2009 to March 2012 to assess angler use and satisfaction. We evaluated factors influencing angler satisfaction using logistic regression. Total fishing pressure was nearly 34,000 hours or 1,267 hours/hectare. Trip satisfaction was high on all waters, with a mean of 74%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that kid(s) in the angling party, anglers primarily targeting trout, harvest rate, familiarity with the lake, and open water angling were significantly related to angler satisfaction. This model provided a reasonable fit of the data (P=0.47, df=6, Χ²=5.55). Although the largest increases in the odds of a satisfied angler were associated with increased harvest rate (one fish per hour) and open water angling, 55% and 35% respectively, the presence of a kid (<age 18) also increased the odds of a satisfied angler by 22% . Trip satisfaction for adults fishing with kids (79%) was significantly higher than adults fishing alone (72%) (Fisher’s exact test, df=1, p=0.03). While urban fisheries are often viewed as a tool to recruit young anglers, we found the presence of young anglers may simultaneously be a factor in increasing the satisfaction of adult anglers utilizing urban fisheries.