MARKET TRENDS
BY MADELYN HUBBARD
tech and versatility aboard fishing boats he fishing boat segment is growing in some categories, adjusting in others, and advancing technologically across the board. Maybe it’ s cliché, but this sounds like a day fishing. Sometimes the fish hit, some spots are duds, and technology is increasingly helpful to catch fish – even for the experts at the sport.
Boston Whaler and Lund Boats reveal a shared industry focus on innovation, versatility and addressing the needs of both seasoned anglers and newcomers, and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation( RBFF) shared how dealers can retain these customers.
Growth segments and shifting sizes
While the overall marine market has stabilized post-pandemic, specific fishing boat categories are seeing growth.
“ Although the market has contracted over the past 8 to 10 years, some segments in saltwater fishing have grown, such as center consoles above 25 feet,” said Lenn Scholz, president of Boston Whaler.“ The segments that have seen growth in the 40 foot and up [ saltwater ] category, these markets are growing as much as 5 to 10 percent.”
This shift is driven in part by the availability of higher horsepower, enabling larger boats to meet consumers ' performance demands.
Meanwhile, the aluminum fishing boat segment is also seeing an uptick in sales, especially Deep V aluminum boats. According to Jeromie Johnston, president of Lund Boats, aluminum fishing boat sales are up year-over-year and Jon boats are selling well.
“ You look at fiberglass fishing boats for freshwater, that’ s actually down,” Johnston said.“ That counteracts a little bit. But I think what we are seeing is some of those folks that got into fishing during Covid, maybe they’ re new to boating, a lot of those folks are staying and refreshing their boat buying over the last couple of years.”
The consumer
Dave Chanda, president and CEO of RBFF, stressed that marketing campaigns should represent the diverse fishing community, highlighting the participation of women and individuals from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Women now represent about 36 percent of anglers, a little over 21 million participants, the highest percentage to date.“ We know through research that women are the decision makers in the family,” Chanda said. So female participant growth also contributes to the growth of male and youth anglers.
Chanda noted that anglers who get involved in fishing before they are 16 years old are more likely to return to the sport.“ If you don’ t capture a young angler by the time they are 16 or 17, the likelihood that they’ ll ever take up fishing drops by 85 percent,” he said.
Digital management services provider Lightspeed shared new and used fishing boat sales data based on sales between March 2024 and February 2025.
Generation X consumers purchased 38 percent of total unit sales. Baby Boomers followed closely at 35 percent and spent the most on average, with a unit price of $ 110,581. Millennials contributed 23 percent of purchases, favoring more affordable options at an average price of $ 71,443. Generation Z made up just 5 percent of sales, though their presence slightly increased in early 2025.
“ We definitely cater towards middle aged and older [ demographics ],” Johnston said.
24 may 2025 www. boatingindustry. com