By Frank Berte

For the last three-quarters of a century, the Destin Fishing Rodeo has brought people together from all over the Southeastern United States and abroad to celebrate their love for fishing! It lasts for the entire month of October and is arguably the largest fishing contest/festival in the world.

In the early days, starting in 1948, things were simpler. A line, a hook, a boat and some gumption were all you really needed to win the Rodeo. There was no GPS, no depth finder. People couldn’t GPS pinpoint their favorite fishing spots with an accuracy of about a foot or two. Things have certainly changed in the last 75 years. And, as a wise man once said, it’s just as important to look forward as it is to look back. So, we thought it might be fun to take a look into the future of our favorite fishing fest.

Sports fishing is quite popular in the U.S. The equipment market alone was estimated at USD 16.82 billion in 2023 and USD 17.84 billion in 2024, and it is on track to grow at about 6.54% to reach USD 26.21 billion by 2030. Our sport is growing every day. A study by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), found that the number of all anglers, six years and older, has grown and now is on track to exceed 52.4 million, or roughly one in six Americans! As anglers, we contribute $148 billion to the economy and support more than 950,000 jobs across the country and, somehow, we still manage to contribute a whopping $1.8 billion towards fishing conservation.

Moving into the near future, scientists have predicted that, without some serious conservation, we could see the end of commercial fishing by 2048. The world’s fish stocks are being overexploited with populations on the decline, because we’re catching fish faster than they can reproduce. Their studies show that if nothing changes, we could run out of seafood for normal consumption by the 100th anniversary of the Destin Fishing Rodeo! We will need to repopulate the oceans, which sounds nearly impossible, or start fishing in a whole new way.

Catch & release is a common practice of fishing for species that are either limited to a small number per person or have size and weight restrictions. Regardless, the process can be deadly for fish caught in deeper water, because just like divers that come up too quickly and get the bends from expanding oxygen bubbles in their blood, fish, such as grouper, experience something very similar. When released at the surface, it is nearly impossible for them to swim back down to the bottom before they are picked off by sharks or simply die of exhaustion before they make it down to the water pressure to which they are accustomed.

This year we are proud to have Return ‘em Right as one of our sponsors. Its core mission is to help anglers return the bottom dwellers to their environment close to the ocean floor. The device is quite effective. Connecting the fish to a weight that quickly returns the fish to the proper depth where it releases them safely. This year Return ‘em Right has added a Catch & Release division and are offering its products to all charter boats and private anglers that want to participate in this cutting-edge style of fishing.

Returning mature fish to their home after catching them is one way to maintain local populations. But the global seafood supply must expand far quicker to meet future demand. Today, aquaculture is the fastest-growing method of food production in the world. For example, in 2020, 87 million tons of fish were produced in these facilities. It’s estimated that to meet demand, that number will need to grow to 155 million by 2050. Expanding aquaculture, managing wild fisheries and reducing waste will be instrumental in meeting this demand and, in a sense, keeping our sport alive!

All this being said, there are some really exciting new ways to go fishing that give more than just a nod to the future. Here are a few that we feel are leading the charge in technological advancements. First on our list is ReelView Fishing. It offers a live video feed of your hook and bait via underwater cameras operating through an electrical fishing line that can transfer high-speed data in real time. It’s pretty amazing! It lets anglers see exactly what’s on their bait and enables them to make split-second decisions to catch more fish!

Livingston Lures offers a highly advanced lure with an internal circuit board that emits the sound of an injured bait fish that almost instantly gets hit and can be used on a variety of different species in multiple environments.

The Angler App is super helpful for all levels of fishermen and women. The app offers great tips and historical data to help you stay on top of the fish, as well as the ability to store your coordinates privately and share them with friends when needed. You’ll discover new fishing spots and the best times to fish in the location of your choice. Explore GPS fishing maps, mark your spots with waypoints, find the best bait and get insider intel wherever you choose to drop your line!

Another growing angle for shore fishing anglers is local guides who offer fishing with drones. The drones can drop your hook right on top of the fish, taking all the guesswork out of casting.

Seabreacher is a company that offers a line of fish-shaped personal submarines. They can bring you right into the underwater world and are available in Orca, Dolphin and, yes, shark models! They come in one- and two-seat configurations, and certainly give weight to the concept if you can’t beat them join them! This vessel puts you literally next to the fish and retails for a mere $80,000. How you catch the fish underwater is still in development, but not too far off in the future.

With technology ever advancing, it’s possible to envision a future where fleets of seaworthy drones are equipped with underwater cameras, trackers, sensors and a wealth of other data-gathering instrumentation. AI will leverage advances in data analytics to process and analyze more data which means more fish! By 2148, when we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Destin Fishing Rodeo, we should be able to catch simmering, seasoned filets right out of the water. But let’s face it, why do we fish? We fish to challenge ourselves. Even in 200 years, it will be more about the experience than the technology. Just ask Bruce how he feels about a robotic weighmaster… Happy Rodeo!

More info about the Destin Fishing Rodeo October 1-31 here.

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