Fishing buddies exaggerating? Never. Just enhancing the details. Left to right: Steve Haugen, Brad Shoff, George Derby, Carl Caruso, and Randy Shoff.
Scott Baker
Whether you’re a seasoned angler or someone who just likes a good fish tale, fishing is full of surprises. It’s a world full of bizarre creatures, extreme destinations, eccentric techniques, and stories that would even amaze a landlubber.
Fishing alone is a rewarding sport, but there are times we want to add just a bit more fun. Casting our lines and waiting for bites from catfish, white bass, or striper, some friendly competition takes hold as we swap fishing facts and stories. From our years of time on the water, the RR Fishing Club has rounded up 10 truly surprising—and sometimes downright unbelievable—facts about our favorite hobby.
1. Recreational fishing is massive; in the United States alone, nearly 58 million people (about 19% of the U.S. population) participate in the sport.
2. In 2025, more Americans fished than played golf (29 million) and tennis (27 million) combined.
3. Men account for approximately 63% of anglers, while women make up 37%, hitting historic highs for female participation.
4. U.S. anglers take more than 204 million fishing trips annually, catching an estimated one point one billion fish and releasing about 65% of their haul.
5. If sportfishing was its own corporation, it would rank #54 on the Fortune 500 List, ahead of Cisco Systems.
6. Recreational fishing remains a massive economic driver, generating over $51 billion in annual retail sales and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.
7. The top 10 boat sale states are also the top 10 fishing states: Florida, Michigan, Texas, Minnesota, California, Wisconsin, Louisiana, North Carolina, New York, and South Carolina with 60% of recent boat buyers citing fishing as their primary boat use.
8. Nearly half of all fish species live in freshwater, despite rivers and lakes making up less than three percent of Earth’s water. There are over 10,000 freshwater species globally, with more than 800 found in North America alone.
9. Freshwater fishing in Texas boasts over 7,000 named lakes and nearly 190,000 miles of rivers, meaning we’re never far from world-class angling.
10. Despite thousands of lakes, there is only one naturally occurring large lake in the entire state of Texas: Caddo Lake. Every other lake and reservoir in Texas was built by damming a river.
There you have it! And the great thing is that we’ve barely scratched the surface. If we’ve left you itching to head out onto the water, consider joining the RR Fishing Club on the second Wednesday of each month at the Wildhorse Grill Boardroom at 4 p.m. For any inquiries, comments, or suggestions, contact RobsonFishing@gmail.com or Scott Baker at 214-334-7664.