Although activity-general motivations in the context of recreational fishing have received attention previously, the catch-related aspects of recreational fishing are less well understood. Labeled as consumptive orientation, this article seeks to fill a gap in the literature concerning the measurement of these aspects. Based on a modified version of a scale originally developed by Graefe (1980), the authors performed a confirmatory factor analysis on scale responses from a sample of Texas anglers. The model was based on the hypothesis that the modified scale measures angler attitudes toward four distinct constructs: catching something, retaining fish, catching large fish, and catching large amounts of fish. Results indicated that the scale measures each of these four constructs and identified the appropriate scale items to use for each construct. The article discusses the implications of consumptive orientation from a measurement perspective and highlights some future research needs.

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To assist the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in developing a statewide catfish management plan, we surveyed 1,078 freshwater catfish anglers to examine their catch‐related attitudes and trip preferences by using a stated choice experiment. Respondents were presented with a series of paired hypothetical fishing trip scenarios for catfish and were asked to choose the trips that they most preferred. Trip scenarios varied by the relative number of catfish that were caught and harvested, relative size of catfish that were caught, water body type, level of site development, and distance traveled (i.e., representing travel costs). A conditional logit model was fitted to analyze angler preferences by determining the influence of trip attributes on angler choice. Model results indicated that anglers’ choice of fishing trips was most influenced by distance traveled, followed by the catch‐related aspects of the trip, with catfish size having a greater influence than the numbers of catfish caught or harvested. We then conducted a latent class analysis of catfish anglers, which involved the use of cluster analysis to assign anglers to five groups based on their catch‐related attitude scores, and we reran the stated choice model for each cluster. Clusters ranged from harvest‐oriented anglers to size‐oriented anglers that were focused on catching large trophy fish. Results from these models can assist fisheries managers in setting management goals and objectives that best meet the needs of their clientele. Received December 17, 2012; accepted June 27, 2013

This study estimated the economic benefit of recreational fisheries on two trophy crappie Pomoxis spp. fisheries in Mississippi. We accomplished this by estimating economic impacts of angler expenditures and angler willingness‐to‐pay for fishing trips above current expenditures. Anglers spent 91,811 activity days on Sardis Reservoir in 2006 and 46,036 on Grenada Reservoir in 2007. The total economic impacts to the state were estimated at US$5.83 million on Sardis Reservoir and $2.15 million on Grenada Reservoir, supporting 75 and 51 full‐ and part‐time jobs, respectively. Total consumer surplus was $5.57 million and $4.46 million on Sardis and Grenada reservoirs, respectively. Last, we used a model that predicted the effect of average spring water levels on total angling effort to estimate resulting changes in economic benefits. Spring angling effort and associated economic benefits peaked at intermediate water levels and declined at both low and high water levels. Future changes in precipitation patterns in the southeastern United States may require altering reservoir guide curves to maximize economic benefits associated with reservoir fisheries. Received June 25, 2012; accepted October 3, 2012