Sportfishing Industry Members Honored for Anglers’ Legacy Leadership
by Mary Jane Williamson
July 12, 2007—Las Vegas, NV—During ICAST 2007, the sportfishing industry’s annual trade show, six members of the American Sportfishing Association were recognized by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) for exceptional achievement in encouraging anglers to take the Anglers’ Legacy pledge and commit to taking more people fishing. ICAST was held July 11–13, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Recipients of the inaugural Anglers’ Legacy Leadership Award are Bass Pro Shops, BASS/ESPN Outdoors, FISHHER, Penn Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company, The Red Drum Tackle Shop, Inc. and Shimano American Corporation. Anglers’ Legacy is an RBFF program that encourages avid anglers to commit to sharing their passion for fishing by taking friends and family out on the water.
According to a recent RBFF survey each Anglers’ Legacy Ambassador, or avid angler, generates about $120 in fishing tackle and equipment per pledge. Anglers’ Legacy was launched to the sportfishing industry at ICAST in 2006. The campaign asks avid anglers to share their passion for fishing, driving them to AnglersLegacy.org where they’re asked to “Take the Pledge”—promising to take one new person fishing each year. In its first year, the program has garnered nearly 10,000 pledges.
ASA Member Involvement
Bass Pro Shops organized an in-store pledge drive with Anglers' Legacy sign-up stations in each one of their stores. Promoted through special signage at their store grand openings, those who “Take the Pledge” using the Bass Pro Shops partner code are entered into a drawing to win a Johnny Morris Signature Series baitcast rod and reel combo.
BASS/ESPN Outdoors sponsored an Anglers’ Legacy pledge drive that places individuals who enter a special promotion code when taking the Pledge into a sweepstakes that includes a Grand Prize trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and a fishing excursion with the editor of Bassmaster Magazine.
Fishing pro Linda Berry, on behalf of tackle company FISHHER, personally promoted the Anglers’ Legacy program, collecting pledges at the Bassmaster Classic, Bassmaster American and Women’s Bassmaster Tournaments.
Penn Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company promoted the Anglers’ Legacy program through Web banners and links, generating a significant amount of Web traffic to the Anglers’ Legacy.org Web site.
The Red Drum Tackle Shop, Inc. in Buxton, North Carolina, created a link to AnglersLegacy.org on their Web site and added a personal touch to the program by promoting it in-store through conversations with customers. Red Drum’s efforts have also generated a significant amount of Web traffic for AnglersLegacy.org.
Shimano American Corporation took Anglers’ Legacy on the road as part of their nationwide fishing tour and held an Anglers’ Legacy banner signing for its employees.
For more information about the program, visit AnglersLegacy.org or call RBFF at (703) 519-0013.
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to increase participation in recreational angling and boating. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing™ campaign and the Anglers’ Legacy program.
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice, speaking out on behalf of sportfishing and boating industries, state and federal natural resource agencies, conservation organizations, angler advocacy groups, and outdoor journalists when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring social, economic, and conservation values of sportfishing in America.
