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Fishing is a long-standing tradition in Kansas, and has a large base of stakeholders throughout the state. Kansas anglers and fisheries managers have historically put great effort into catfish fishing and management, which can be found in almost every body of water in the state, and whose anglers are a major focus of this project, however, many other species of fish are also targeted. With 24 large reservoirs, 40 state fishing lakes, and over 10,000 miles of rivers and streams, there are plenty of locations to enjoy angling activities within Kansas.
This project aims to better understand the social and economic valuation of recreational anglers across the state of Kansas, including attitudes, motivations, species preferences, and expenditures. We are surveying anglers across the state, with a specialinterest in anglers seeking species of catfish.
During a time when one of the largest components of fish management is the management of people, the integration of the biological, physical, and social aspects of fisheries management allow for sound decision-making on how and where to manage aquatic systems to the benefit of both the organisms and their habitats, as well as the people who utilize those organisms for food and recreation.