Spotted Seatrout Tops U.S. Recreational Catches

December 6, 2005

Release from:
NOAA

Marine recreational anglers caught more than 33 million spotted seatrout in 2004, according to new data included in NOAA's recently released report, "Fisheries of the United States". Spotted seatrout was the most popular catch among marine recreational anglers in the Gulf of Mexico. The top catches in other regions were scup (northeast), Atlantic croaker (mid-Atlantic), spot (southeast), and barred sandbass (pacific). Summer flounder, striped bass, bluefish, and red drum were also popular targets of U.S. anglers.

Anglers took nearly 74 million saltwater trips in 2004, roughly the same as last year. Participation in marine recreational fishing grew a modest three percent from the previous year. The 10-year trend is positive with the number of anglers up 15 percent and the number of trips up 11 percent. The statistics are based on survey data collected through the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS).

For more information, read the NOAA press release.