In saltwater fishing, all of the approaches outlined above are employed. During the last quarter of the twentieth century, saltwater fly-fishing became highly popular. Saltwater fishing is done from a beach, rocks, a pier, or a boat, which can range in size from a small rowboat in interior waters to a large oceangoing vessel. Striped bass, bluefish, tarpon, bonefish, and permit are some of the most common fish captured from the shore. Saltwater fisherman trolling or bottom fishing from boats catch grouper, flounder, snapper, mackerel, and a variety of other species.
Saltwater big-game fishing was invented in 1898 by Charles Frederick Holder, who caught a 183-pound (83-kg) bluefin tuna off Santa Catalina Island, California, thanks to the invention of the powered boat. Tuna, marlin, swordfish, and shark are some of the most common fish caught by big-game fisherman. Big-game fishing moved to the Atlantic, and catches of increasing size were made with relatively light tackle and line, especially after Julius von Hofe of Brooklyn, New York, invented a reel with an internal drag in 1913. Big-game anglers sit in “fighting seats” that may be strapped into. The butts slot into a socket installed on the chair, and the rods are huge. The line is normally Dacron or nylon, with a wire leader near the hook to prevent the line from being sheared by the fish’s huge teeth.
The International Game
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), founded in 1939, accomplished a lot to promote and regulate big-game fishing by regulating marine fishing tournaments, establishing several line weight divisions, and preserving championship records. The IGFA also encouraged scientific research by supporting the tagging of released fish in order to determine fish habitat patterns and advocating for endangered species conservation. The group also assumed responsibility for keeping freshwater fishing records in 1978.
Fishing trends
Fishing trends at the turn of the century Sport fishing was growing around the turn of the century. It was believed that about 40 million Americans spent at least one day per year fishing, and that their combined expenditures on equipment, travel, and lodging injected $45 billion into the US economy each year. There are fewer anglers in Great Britain and continental Europe due to limited public angling access, but a substantial number of people fish there. Anglers’ access to new sport species such as the dorado of South America, the tigerfish of Africa, and the inconnu of northern North America and Asia has increased as air travel has become more widely available. There are angling aficionados for almost every species of any significance. Even the carp, which has long been regarded as a “trash fish” in North America, has a devoted following. The traditionally popular species, particularly salmon and trout, and, in North America, largemouth bass—the most popular game fish in the country, so popular that bass fishing boats are specially designed, and there are numerous tours of professional bass anglers whose competitions are frequently broadcast on cable television.
