06-07-2013, 02:10 PM
In a license index run cooperatively by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), license sales from January through March 2013 decreased an estimated 17.5 percent compared to the same months in 2012. This index is based on license sales reported by 13 states strategically selected across the U.S. A late Spring across much of the country suppressed license sales, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, compared to sales in 2012 when an unusually warm spring significantly boosted early-year license sales. Compared to 2011 when spring weather was more typical, first quarter license sales in 2013 were actually up 1.1 percent, according to ASA.