Abstract Objective During the COVID‐19 pandemic, 2020 Texas fishing license sales were 25% higher than those in 2019, with over 200,000 first‐time anglers. To better understand this unprecedented cohort of new anglers, we conducted an online survey to examine motivations, behaviors, preferences, and barriers to participation. Methods We invited 60,000 anglers to participate in a self‐administered online survey by e‐mailing an invitation to anglers from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department customer license database. Result Sixty‐eight percent of survey respondents were new anglers recruited during the COVID‐19 pandemic, while the remaining 32% were retained anglers that began fishing before the pandemic. Compared to the typical retained angler (i.e., White, male, 45–54 years old), new anglers were 1.9 times more likely to be female, twice as likely to fish in freshwater, 2.8 times more likely to be younger than 44 years old, and more likely to identify as Black or African American (1.9 times) or as Asian or Pacific Islander (2.8 times). New anglers were motivated to fish to spend time with family and friends and were less likely than retained anglers to keep the fish that they caught (1.5 times), to fish from a boat (1.5 times), to fish more than an hour from home (1.4 times), and to renew their fishing license (3.9 times). License sales of survey respondents in 2022 showed that 68% of retained anglers purchased another license, while 51% of new anglers purchased another fishing license. Conclusion In summary, new anglers differed significantly from retained anglers in terms of sociodemographics, motivations to fish, preferred amenities at fishing sites, and the challenges they face to continue fishing. To retain these new anglers, novel approaches are likely needed, which may include targeting specific demographics with more beginner information about fishing and directing users to sites with their preferred amenities.

Jennifer Granneman

Hanna Bauer

Kristopher A. Bodine

Daniel J. Daugherty

Nick Guild

J. Warren Schlechte

John B. Taylor

Zack Thomas

North American Journal of Fisheries Management

《北美渔业管理杂志》促进渔业管理者之间的交流，重点关注北美，并解决渔业资源的维护、增强和分配问题。它记录了海洋和淡水环境中鱼类和可开发贝类的实用监测和管理计划的发展。贡献与鱼类种群、栖息地和用户的管理有关，以保护和增强鱼类和渔业资源，以造福社会。渔业计划的成功、失败和影响的案例有助于向他人传达实际的管理经验。

The North American Journal of Fisheries Management aims to facilitate communication among fishery managers, with a particular focus on North America, addressing issues related to the conservation, enhancement, and allocation of fishery resources. It documents the development of practical monitoring and management plans for fish and exploitable shellfish in marine and freshwater environments. Contributions relate to the management of fish populations, habitats, and users, with the goal of protecting and enhancing fish and fishery resources for the benefit of society. Case studies of successful and unsuccessful fishery programs provide valuable practical management experiences for others.

《北美渔业管理杂志》旨在促进渔业管理者之间的交流，特别关注北美地区，解决渔业资源的保护、增殖和分配问题。该杂志记录了海洋和淡水环境中鱼类及可开发贝类的实用监测和管理计划的发展。文章内容涉及鱼类种群、栖息地及其用户的管理，旨在保护和增强鱼类及渔业资源，以造福社会。成功与失败的渔业管理案例为他人提供了宝贵的实践经验。

Category	Quartile
农林科学	4
农林科学, 渔业	4

COVID‐recruited anglers: Who are they and how can we retain them?

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