There is a great article in Fishing Tackle Retailer this month penned by Ed Harp about the recent ICAST Show. He spoke to several industry leaders about their perspectives on the fishing industry including representatives from Ardent Outdoors, Costa Del Mar, LaserLure, Pure Fishing, Plano, and Sebile. Each person interviewed felt the signs were upbeat, yet reserved, and theyare seeing signs that the industry is on a rebound.
In that same publication FTR Editor Ronell Smith asks "Is the Worst Behind Us." He takes a realistic look at the state of the tackle business and notes "Things may not be as good as we'd all like them to be, but they are, to a lot of companies at least, better than they were a year ago."
Recent news about Gander Mountain going private is also good news for the industry. Gander will now be much lighter on their feet and be able to respond to trends, high and low points and get more actively involved in all facets of fishing.
Yesterday we also received news from the ASA of an increase in license sales of over 8% for 2009. This too points to a rebound in our industry.
Here at Wired2Fish, we too, are seeing signs of companies/advertisers getting back into the game, developing strong marketing strategies and planning for a good 2010.
Good news for all of us who love fishing. Cautious optimism should be our mantra!
