Hooked Early, Hooked for Life: Why Kids Hold the Future of Our Fisheries

August 5, 2025

TRCP’s marine fisheries intern reflects on how personal experience shaped his interest in the outdoors, the need for youth angling participation, and the importance of forage fish conservation for the next generation

Memory is a weird thing. It helps us to not repeat mistakes from the past and enables us to recall some of our favorite times. You might remember your first-grade class pet’s name but forget your Netflix password four times in a month. There’s not much rhyme or reason to it.

Some people talk about how they can remember the first fish they ever caught. I’m not one of those people — I couldn’t tell you what species it was or where I was when I caught it. However, I can tell you the first time I remember being jealous of a fish someone else caught. One of my friends, Winslow, hooked a bonnethead shark in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina (pictured below), and while I did catch some seatrout that day, it was the allure of Winslow’s shark that brought me back to fishing over and over again. So one thing I do know about memory is that when we learn to fish at a young age, we’ll never forget some of those early experiences – and they will help shape our values and interests.

Me photobombing Winslow and my godfather, Dave D., holding the bonnethead years ago. Credit: Sid Evans

The Importance of Starting Young

Last summer, I was lucky enough to work as a fishing and kayaking camp counselor in Charleston and experience the joy of catching a fish for the first time again — this time from a new perspective. My main job was watching kids catch shrimps, minnows, and other small fish with nets and rods off the dock and taking them around in kayaks. What many of these kids learned was that all of these species play a key role in coastal habitats by serving as “forage” (a food source) for larger fish and wildlife.

“More than 90 percent of adult participation in hunting and fishing is directly related to active participation as a youth.“

What amazed me was that kids would come back each day with more excitement and knowledge about fishing and the ecosystem than the day before, and all with their own reasons. A full net of baby shrimps one day turned overnight into questions about osprey and the local food chain. One kid caught a stingray and had a ridiculous grin on his face for the rest of the camp week. Others who weren’t into catching fish were amazed by the dolphins that swam right up to our kayaks in Shem Creek.

According to data from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 90 percent of adult participation in hunting and fishing is directly related to active participation as a youth. Kids that grow up with great outdoor memories tend to pursue those hobbies for the rest of their life, and taking care of our public lands, restoring our wetlands and fisheries, and ensuring access for hunting and angling will be of the types of issues that will be a priority for them.

A kayaking field trip I co-led on Shem Creek off Charleston Harbor, 2024. Credit: Coastal Expeditions

Fisheries Challenges Facing the Next Generation

Many of the marine waters that Southern and Eastern anglers grew up on are now struggling. The management of forage fish like menhaden has been hamstrung over the years due to the influence of industrial-scale reduction fisheries in the Gulf and on the Eastern Seaboard. Menhaden are a vital food source for numerous predators, including larger fish, marine mammals, and birds, and lower localized population numbers have led to ecological backsliding in areas like the Chesapeake Bay, which can impact fisheries in other Atlantic states, including South Carolina.

Industrial-scale removals of menhaden also have other negative impacts. A 2024 study on bycatch in the industrial Gulf menhaden fishery indicates that approximately 22,000 breeding-size redfish, tens of millions of non-target forage fish, and numerous other marine species were killed by the menhaden industry off Louisiana’s coast last year alone.

To effectively manage our coastal ecosystems, we need to have a two-pronged approach: ensuring that forage fish populations continue to improve through federal and state regulations and marine fisheries policies, and getting more young people outside with a rod in their hands to create future champions for our favorite waters.

A younger me with my father holding a small seatrout. Credit: Dave DiBenedetto

Ensuring Our Angling Legacy

Kids really don’t need much to have fun. They just need to get outside to experience fishing and hunting opportunities firsthand, and it’s our responsibility to give them that chance as often as we can. The simple memories that kids make from their outdoor experiences will ensure that as long as the next generation loves fishing, like we do, our waters will be left in much better hands.

It’s also our responsibility to guarantee healthy fish populations for that next generation of anglers. And one of the best ways to achieve that in Atlantic and Gulf waters is through protecting forage fish like menhaden.

Find more information about the ecological and recreational importance of menhaden, herring, and other forage fish and what we can do to support them on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Austin Evans is TRCP’s 2025 marine fisheries intern.

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by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Recreational Fisheries

July 24, 2025

TRCP Hosts Fisheries Conservation Summit at ICAST 2025

Popular panels on top conservation issues now a fixture at the annual sportfishing trade show

Each year, TRCP provides a Fisheries Conservation Summit at ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, hosted by the American Sportfishing Association. At this year’s summit, top minds in fisheries policy and legislation came together to talk priorities—from fish population recovery through stock enhancements to angler data collection and fisheries legislation. One of the most challenging aspects of hosting the summit this year was trying to cram the myriad of hot-button issues in fisheries policy, science, and management into a three-hour window.

“I’m not sure anyone working on fisheries policy can remember a time when there’s been this much going on,” said Chris Macaluso, TRCP director of the Center for Fisheries and Mississippi River Program.

Fisheries Priorities for the Trump Administration and Congress

Fisheries policy experts from TRCP, ASA, Center for Sportfishing Policy, and Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation highlighted and discussed nearly a dozen management and conservation policies and legislative matters that organizations are together working to advance over the course of the next year and beyond. The recent federal budget reconciliation process in Congress delayed other fisheries legislation this year, with panelists optimistically noting that Congress should be able to address other issues now that the reconciliation bill has passed. The panel also discussed the makeup of the new Trump administration’s fisheries-oriented agency leads; potential reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (the primary law controlling marine fisheries management in U.S. waters); transferring management of the South Atlantic red snapper fishery to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; and the impact new tariffs have had on recreational fishing, tackle, and boating.

“There has been significant positive action taken by the Trump administration, including withdrawing both the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule and the bottom fishing closure proposed off northeast Florida,” said Mike Leonard, vice president of government affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. “On the flip side of that, there’s the negative aspect of tariffs. It’s created an incredible amount of uncertainty in our industry.”

Video Premier: “Steel to Sanctuary: The Rigs to Reef Story”

Produced by Arena Energy in cooperation with CSF, this 30-minute documentary was shared publicly last week for the first time at the summit. The film showcases the remarkable habitat provided by energy-producing platforms off the Gulf Coast states and the need to protect this habitat in that region and elsewhere from being removed from coastal waters. This is critical because in the next decade, nearly half of the approximately 1,500 remaining rigs could be removed.

“What aspects of Rigs to Reefs could we fix from the bureaucratic perspective?” asked Chris Horton, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s senior director, fisheries policy. He offered that one way to achieve greater efficiency in retired rig protection is ensuring continuity of support at all levels – federal, state, nonprofit, and corporate.

Helping Fish Stocks Recover Through Stock Enhancement

A panel of fish hatchery experts and supporters including Bill Shedd, CEO of AFTCO, and staff from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Coastal Conservation Association Alabama highlighted the successes and discussed the limitations of efforts to help improve fish stocks in the Gulf states, California, and beyond through introduction of hatchery-born fish. One goal was to help states that aren’t currently active in stock enhancements learn from successful programs that currently supplement natural fish stocks with hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised white sea bass, southern flounder, Florida pompano, and spotted seatrout each year. Topics that rose to the top were the importance of hatcheries for aquaculture, of obtaining breeding-size fish from recreational anglers making live donations in tournaments, and recognizing how sensitive fish can be to environmental changes that can have an outsized impact on hatchery success.

Maxwell Westendorf, hatchery manager with the Alabama Department of Conservation’s Marine Resources Division, emphasized that even minor stressors to southern flounder during early juvenile development – such as changing water temperature a few degrees up or down – can trigger masculinizing the young fish such that nearly the entire stock becomes male.

“Which begs the question, our oceans are warming up and will fish populations be able to keep up with these changes?” Westendorf said.

Fixing Data Collection to Improve Fishing Access

Moderated by Brett Fitzgerald of the Angler Action Foundation, a panel of experts from CCA Maryland, The Nature Conservancy, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discussed technological advances and the use of “citizen science” to help narrow the gaps in state and federal data collection regarding recreational fishing. They also talked about tracking and tackling the problem of aquatic invasive species using data provided by recreational anglers. For example, CCA Maryland Executive Director David Sikorski said that through partnerships with groups including Yamaha Rightwaters, tournaments like the Great Chesapeake Invasives Count help track the spread and prevalence of Bay invasives like snakeheads, flathead catfish, and blue catfish.

Panelists acknowledged that a problem with fisheries data collection and release has been that managers lack sufficient data, largely because some anglers don’t trust agencies or organizations that supply the information that leads to reasonable regulations. “We have this issue here where anglers don’t trust the data, so they won’t give data to fisheries managers,” said David Moss, fisheries project manager for The Nature Conservancy. This leads to insufficient data to guide regulations, which creates a vicious cycle. But he also reminded the room how sound fisheries management benefits individual angling interests as well as future generations, referring to what can be gained for himself and his daughter.

“I tell everyone I do this because I want a fishery for her,” Moss said. “But I also want a fishery for me.”

Thank You, Sponsors and Presenters!

We want to extend our sincere appreciation to the panelists and attendees of the 2025 summit. We also want to thank this year’s sponsors, ASA and CSF, who made the summit possible.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land and waters access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Recreational Fisheries

July 23, 2025

In the Arena: Sergio Diaz

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Sergio Diaz

Hometown: Sayville, New York
Occupation: IT professional by trade, and part-time professional photographer and filmmaker focused on storytelling tied to nature, conservation, and outdoors subject matter
Conservation credentials: Diaz harnesses his adventurous fishing spirit, a gift for outdoor photography, and a prominent platform on social media to advocate for marine conservation, inspiring and helping educate saltwater anglers.

Besides sharing his captivating shots of recreational fishing feats with conservation groups like TRCP and Safeguard the Seas, Diaz has donated his breathtaking underwater shots of striped bass to the Bayshore Saltwater Flyrodders of New Jersey and has been invited to speak at several fly fishing clubs in New York and New Jersey, where he focuses on the importance of safer catch and release practices. Diaz volunteers for the Manhattan Cup, a fishing tournament in New York City that benefits veterans, to shoot photos and video. Currently, he’s working with TRCP partner Bonefish & Tarpon Trust to plan a trip to document the planting of mangroves and habitat restoration in the Bahamas or Caribbean.

Here is his story.

Some of my earliest memories are from when I lived in the state of Tabasco, Mexico. My father was a military officer in the army, and during those years, the local fisheries were incredibly abundant. We had easy access to rivers and a coastline full of tarpon, snook, tropical gar, and jacks. It wasn’t unusual to see all of those species in a single morning.

Those early experiences with my father, learning how to cast and being immersed in such a diverse ecosystem (so yes, full of biting insects), left a lasting impression on me. They taught me to value wild places and understand the importance of protecting them, especially because, back then, conservation wasn’t practiced the way we know it today.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to experience incredible moments on the water. Recently, while wading the flats of Inagua, Bahamas, looking for bonefish, I spotted something large floating almost motionless along a channel. As I got closer, I realized it was a big barracuda, perfectly still and clearly waiting to ambush prey.

Hoping for a shot at this trophy fish, I quickly clipped my leader, tied on wire, and rigged a large white deceiver fly to try and trigger a strike. Luckily, the barracuda was still holding in place by the time I was ready. On my second cast, she hit so fast I barely saw it happen.

I fought her in the shallow flat, where I could truly appreciate her size and watch her leap into the air several times. An amazing fish—and a moment I won’t forget.

There are so many remote angling destinations still on my list. But if I could fish anywhere, I’d have to say I’d go back to Hawaii to wade for big bonefish. The first time I visited was on my honeymoon, and while fishing wasn’t exactly on the itinerary, I couldn’t help but notice bonefish cruising the flats and hear talk of people targeting them. At the time, I had to let it go, but ever since, the idea of returning has stuck with me, especially after seeing videos of those massive fish. Hawaii is home to some of the biggest bonefish in the world, and the thought of sight fishing for them in such a stunning, remote setting is just too good to resist.

“Being involved in conservation means protecting the waters, habitats, and species we rely on, so the fish are still there tomorrow.“

Conservation is at the heart of my fishing life because the health of the resource is everything. I love everything about fishing – not just catching fish, but the whole experience of being involved in nature, reading the water, and connecting with wild places. Without healthy ecosystems and abundant fish populations, that experience simply wouldn’t exist.

Overfishing and water quality are the biggest conservation challenges where I live in coastal New York. Pressure from recreational and commercial fishing has led to reduced populations of key species like striped bass. A critical part of addressing this is the need to conserve menhaden, commonly known where I live as “bunker,” as an essential forage fish that striped bass and other gamefish species depend on for food. At the same time, water quality degradation from nitrogen pollution, mainly due to septic systems and runoff, continues to destroy habitats and create aquatic dead zones.

Conservation ensures that the waters I fish today will still be there tomorrow, full of life and possibility. It’s about respecting the resource, practicing catch and release when appropriate, and supporting efforts that protect habitats and biodiversity. For me, being a responsible angler goes hand in hand with being a good steward of the places I love.

I feel compelled to do my part in conservation because I want the next generation to experience the same connection to fishing that I’ve been lucky to have. Fishing isn’t just a pastime. It teaches respect for the environment and shows the value of healthy ecosystems. Being involved in conservation means protecting the waters, habitats, and species we rely on, so the fish are still there tomorrow, not just today. It’s about giving back to a resource that’s given me so much.

If we don’t take care of the land and water now, there won’t be anything left to hunt or fish later. Conservation helps to keep the traditions alive – the early mornings on the water, the stories, the connection to nature. If we want to continue to enjoy the outdoors, we have to protect them.

Banner image credit Sergio Diaz

by: Christian Fauser

posted in: Recreational Fisheries

July 15, 2025

TRCP and Conservation Coalition Rally Support for WaterSMART Investments Critical to Western Watersheds

Together, we’re urging Congress to fully fund WaterSMART Programs to advance smart, proven solutions to safeguard water, wildlife, economies, and outdoor traditions

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), along with more than 100 partner organizations, is urging congressional appropriators to support programs that are essential to sustaining critical fish and wildlife habitat and enhancing resilience to prolonged drought conditions in Western watersheds.

It’s difficult to overstate the ecological and economic importance of the Southwest’s major river systems, such as the Colorado and Rio Grande. These rivers are a lifeline for the region – they supply drinking water and power to tens of millions of Americans, irrigate crops that are distributed nationwide, and support fish and wildlife habitats that sustain thriving hunting and fishing opportunities as well as the 1.2 trillion-dollar outdoor recreation industry. However, as heat, drought, and weather extremes intensify across the West, the health of these rivers, and the communities, economies, and ecosystems that depend on them, are increasingly at risk.

For this reason, it is crucial that Congress fully fund the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART programs before these lifelines reach a breaking point.

Click HERE to urge your elected officials to support the WaterSMART program.

While Congress finalizes appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, TRCP is uniting and amplifying the voices of hunting, angling, and conservation minded stakeholders to advocate for continued investment in these vital programs. In a letter submitted this month, TRCP and 103 national, regional, state, and local organizations, representing a wide range of stakeholders across the Colorado and Rio Grande basins, urged Congress to fully fund the WaterSMART program.

The popular WaterSMART program provides cost-shared funding for projects that protect fish and wildlife habitat while building ecological and community resilience to drought. Since 2010, it has supported 2,364 projects and studies in the West, resulting in an estimated 1.7 million acre-feet of freshwater savings per year, enough to supply 4.6 million people annually. Additionally, the program has helped leverage $8.75 billion in non-federal investments, significantly expanding the reach and impact of water conservation projects.

WaterSMART funds have advanced proven water-saving solutions, such as upgraded irrigation systems, groundwater storage, and water reuse – all critical tools for communities across the West. These investments also support nature-based solutions that work to mitigate drought and wildfire impacts while enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. Many of the program’s projects offer the dual benefit of water conservation and habitat restoration, providing high returns on investment and helping to prevent emergency water crises, particularly in the Colorado and Rio Grande River basins.

Highlighted WaterSMART Programs and On-the-Ground Impact

$15.017 million for Basin Studies

The Basin Studies Program supports collaborative planning to help partners address imbalances in water supply and demand. For example, the Rio Grande Basin Study, supported by more than 36 signatories, focuses on developing strategies to increase water management resilience under climate change scenarios.

$8 million for the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP)

CWMP helps communities form watershed groups to plan and implement projects that improve watershed health and fish and wildlife habitat. One such example is the Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative in Tucson, Arizona, who used CWMP funding to strengthen local drought response efforts and increase water resilience while protecting habitat for numerous species such as quail and javelina.

$6.5 million for the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program

The Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program provides cost-shared funding to states, Tribes, and stakeholders for large-scale aquatic restoration projects. In Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority used funding to build erosion control structures and in-stream habitat in the Lower Las Vegas Wash within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This project benefits multiple species, including the federally endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, the Yuma Ridgway’s rail, and the threatened, yellow-billed cuckoo, while improving spawning habitat for the razorback sucker.

$54 million for WaterSMART Grants

WaterSMART Grants fund a variety of water supply solutions, including the Environmental Water Resources Program (EWRP), which supports nature-based projects that deliver sustained water savings and ecosystem benefits. For example, the Chama Peak Land Alliance used EWRP funding to thin approximately 2,150 acres of forest to protect key source watersheds for the San Juan-Chama Project and the headwaters of the Rio Chama and Rio Brazos—efforts that also mitigate future wildfire impacts.

As drought conditions in the West grow more severe, consistent annual funding for WaterSMART programs is more important than ever. TRCP and its partners across the Western U.S. are urging Congress to make this critical investment in our water future, for the health of our communities, ecosystems, and economies.

Take action below and urge your elected officials to support the WaterSMART program.

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Recreational Fisheries

July 8, 2025

2024 Gulf Menhaden Bycatch Study Offers Insights into Number of Fish Killed

Data suggest 22,000 or more mature redfish and a host of other sportfish, forage fish killed annually by pogy boats off Louisiana

(BATON ROUGE, La.)— A 2024 study on bycatch in the industrial Gulf menhaden fishery indicates that approximately 22,000 breeding-size redfish, tens of millions of non-target forage fish, and scores of other species were killed by the industry off Louisiana’s coast last season. The study findings, presented by researchers today to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, revealed that 45 or more species, including black drum, seatrout, and cownose rays, were observed and counted in pogy boat nets.

Also of note, the study estimated approximately 81 million croaker and 25 million sand seatrout, known by local anglers as “white trout,” were killed and retained by the Gulf menhaden reduction industry in 2024. Both species are targeted by recreational anglers and serve as important “forage,” or a food source, for a host of sportfish and other wildlife.

Recreational angling in Louisiana provides $3.7 billion annually in economic contributions. A large portion of that is due to redfish, as one of the most targeted recreational species in the state and its only saltwater gamefish.

Industrial menhaden vessels suctioning catch from a net. Credit: CosmoVision Media

“This very thorough examination of the pogy industry is the best science gathered to date on the effects of the extensive industrial fishing on fish like redfish, black drum, white trout, croaker, and many other important gamefish and sportfish and the food they eat,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Fisheries and Mississippi River Programs for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and a life-long, avid Louisiana angler. “The results are concerning, especially given the efforts underway for the last year to make Louisiana’s redfish population healthier by ending the recreational harvest of large, breeding size redfish. Louisiana’s sportsmen and other conservation advocates applaud the Louisiana legislators, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the researchers who conducted the study for ensuring it was a rigorous and thorough effort and for being transparent with the results.”

The study, funded by the Louisiana Legislature in 2022, administered by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and conducted by LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc., during the 2024 fishing season, was designed to determine the scale of impacts that the Gulf menhaden fishery has on non-targeted species that eat and live in the same waters as menhaden – a small, abundant baitfish also known as pogies – such as redfish and speckled trout. Specifically, researchers assessed how many non-target species, known as bycatch, were killed after they were netted while feeding on menhaden schools or simply due to swimming among pogy schools.

Bull redfish feeding on forage in the Gulf. Credit: David Mangum

The study focused on the 2024 menhaden fishing season, during which the reduction industry made 13,144 nets sets, a relatively low number when compared to the average number of sets made by the industry in recent years. Researchers gathered samples from just over 3 percent of sets made (418 of the 13,144 sets). They also used a combination of direct observation and cameras to view the entire pogy fishing process. They counted the number of predator and other species caught as bycatch in nets and recorded which of those continued through the harvesting process, which includes suctioning fish out of the net, through a chute, and into the ship’s hold. The team determined bycatch mortality rates by holding experiments and dart-tagging surviving fish that were released alive from the nets.

Redfish bycatch data have been of particular interest to recreational angling and charter boat operators due to restrictions in place for the past year. Anglers have been prohibited from harvesting bull redfish, or individuals over 27 inches in length, since June of 2024 to help rebuild declining redfish populations. Louisiana’s redfish slot limit was tightened and the creel limit reduced from five to four fish as well.

“This close examination of industrial menhaden fishing has been desperately needed to help understand the full extent of redfish and forage fish mortality,” said Richard Fischer, CEO for the Louisiana Charter Boat Association. “Charter captains’ conflicts with the menhaden purse seining boats aren’t just about places to fish but also the redfish and other sportfish and forage fish being killed, which our members, unfortunately, often see firsthand. The number of redfish killed annually is especially concerning since recreational fishermen have seen limits reduced and have ended the harvest of breeding-sized redfish in Louisiana to help strengthen redfish populations. The Louisiana Charter Boat Association thanks the Louisiana Legislature, the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and LGL Ecological Research Associates for supporting and conducting this thorough study.”

An Atlantic croaker. Credit: Chesapeake Bay Program

Of the 3.2 percent of total sets that were observed throughout the 2024 season, 865 redfish were caught as bycatch but remained inside the net and were later released, or “rolled over” with approximately 17 percent of them dying as a result of being trapped in the net. An additional 671 redfish were extracted from the water during the suctioning process and ran through a chute designed to separate larger bycatch. Approximately 98 percent of these “chute bycatch” fish did not survive.

For reference, “rollover bycatch” refers to non-target fish that remain in the water in the seine net after the main catch is pumped out, and before the net is opened for them to swim away. Generally, these fish are too large to be sucked into the hose. “Chute bycatch” refers to non-target fish that have been extracted from the net via a suction hose, sent up a chute and are then separated from the main catch by a large grate and released back into the water before they would end up in the hold. Generally, these fish are too large to pass through the grate. “Retained bycatch” refers to non-target fish that pass through the grate and end up in the hold along with the main catch; these fish experience 100 percent mortality.

An overview of the bycatch study findings can be viewed here. More information about the ecological and recreational importance of Gulf menhaden is available on TRCP’s Forage Fish Recovery Page.

Banner image courtesy David Mangum