Make Oklahoma the Top Fishing Destination!

Attachment 347063

Initiative Aims to Showcase State's Quality Angling, Make Oklahoma the Top Fishing Destination

Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell on Tuesday announced the launch of the Oklahoma Fishing Trail, an initiative designed to showcase the state's quality fishing opportunities and increase tourism.
“Our goal is to become a Top 10 tourism state, and the No. 1 fishing state in the nation,” said Pinnell, also the state’s Secretary of Tourism and Branding. “Fishing is big business, and the Oklahoma Fishing Trail initiative will promote our state’s unique fishing opportunities — arguably the most diverse fishing in the country — increase tourism, and generate additional tax revenue for the state.
"Most people don’t realize the kind of revenue we’re talking about. On average, anglers in Oklahoma already spend $1.8 billion on fishing annually and support more than 15,000 jobs in the state. And we’re only going to grow from there.”

Not a fan of the tourism thing. We are the best kept secret in the Union and as far as Im concerned Oklahoma is FULL��

I have fished in Oklahoma since 1960 and I remember floating the Illinois River when it was pristine and look at it now. I remember fishing Otter Creek on the Upper Mountain Fork in the late 50's and early 1960's when it was pristine. The lake was built and completed in 1965, I think. I fished Broken Bow in the middle 1980's and it was pristine and there were few crowds and moderate boat traffic. Now the Lake and and City of Broken Bow has explosive growth. The developments have skyrocketed the land values. There are numerous gated communities North of town. I was there in May or June of last year and there were crowds everywhere you went. The traffic was bumper to bumper and almost at a stand still around the marina. The food prices at the area restaurants were outrageous IMO. I loved Broken Bow once and now.........
I may never go back because of the over commercialization. I can extrapolate what the Tourism Department wants to do for the sake of the almighty buck. To me Broken Bow is another Branson.
I have never been so blunt with an opinion on this board since I joined umpteen years ago. I personally dont want to go back. I had wonderful memories of "God's Country" growing up and those memories are shattered now.

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Originally Posted by cricket george

I had wonderful memories of "God's Country" growing up and those memories are shattered now.

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I'm not going to disagree with you, I have and in fact we all have places that have changed dramatically over the years. I would like to go back and fish some secluded farm ponds where I once got 5 largemouth bass all weighing from 4+ to 5+ pounds in less than two hours....that pound would now be setting in the middle of someones front room in an urban housing development.

Oklahoma has an estimated population in 2019 of 3.95 million, up from 3.75 million at the 2010 Census. Its growth rate is currently 0.84%, ...
The United States has added about 17 million people since the last major census in 2010, a 5.3 percent population growth. The increase has been steady over that time, at 0.7-0.8 percent a year.
Oklahoma: Canadian County is Listed as the Fastest Growing County in OK.

• 2010-2017 population change: +20.3% (116,338 to 139,926)
• 2010-2017 population change, Oklahoma: +4.6% (3,759,529 to 3,930,864)
• 2010-2017 pop. change due to migration: +18,423
• 2017 unemployment: 3.6% (Oklahoma: 4.3%)

My Point to all of this is it's NEVER going to get any better in our lifetimes, so we need to enjoy what we got while we got it!

Amen Lonnie84 Amen

I love Oklahoma, lived in Ponca City in the early 80's. Going to Ponca today to get a couple motorcycles.

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Ask Mississippi about becoming a popular fishing destination!! It’s a double edged sword...


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