When you mention Florida, what comes into our mind are theme parks and vacation spot. But aside from that Florida has also been a haven for anglers from all over United States and numerous countries around the world.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have been working hard in promoting and maintaining the natural resources of Florida to attract anglers from all over the world. Florida is home to some of the highest quality and most diverse fishing in the world. Recent national statistics show that Florida has 2.8 million resident anglers and attracts 885,000 tourists every year. Compared to Texas which has more inland water area and people, Florida has still more resident anglers and more than four times as many tourist anglers. This helped boost Florida’s economy by a billion dollars in direct sales.

Because of rising gas prices, Florida is anticipating more anglers from neighboring states and those along the I-10 and I-95 corridors. Vacationers from Florida are likely to spend their time within the state borders to conserve fuel and avoid paying for non-resident fishing license fees. A Florida license for resident freshwater or saltwater fishing costs $17 and is valid for 365 days from date of purchase. With the average number of fishing trips per angler in 2006 of 17.2 days of fishing with many fishing trips lasting four or more hours, fishing still remains an exceptional recreational value.