One of the best ways for Oklahoma to become a Top 10 tourist destination is through the great outdoors, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell said Tuesday at an official launch for the Oklahoma Fishing Trail.
Taking advantage of National Go Fishing Day, Pinnell said the state has arguably the most diverse fishing opportunities in the country with everything from catfish to paddlefish to rainbow trout and alligator gar. It has recognized national-interest bass fisheries like Grand Lake and Lake Texoma.
And events like last week’s renowned Okie Noodling Festival and major bass tournaments, including the Bassmaster Classic, already show that diversity and high interest.
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Pinnell said tourism and fishing are big business for Oklahoma and that the Fishing Trail will be a way to further promote it.
“It’s a billion-dollar industry, and it’s for people who are young or old or coming in minivans or trucks and everything in between,” he said. “The sales tax dollars are a big deal to communities across Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma anglers spend $1.8 billion on fishing annually and support more than 15,000 jobs, Pinnell said.
Arizona has a golf trail, Alabama has a bass trail, Arkansas even has a wine trail. Oklahoma’s Fishing Trail will have its own web page at FishinOK.com where visitors will see maps to six regional trails that feature prime fishing locations.
Anglers will be challenged to catch an “Oklahoma Grand Slam” of several species and report the catches to the website. Free Fishing Trail pamphlets will be available at Tourist Information Centers, and Fishing Trail hats and T-shirts will be for sale.
“We’ve been talking about this for a while, and it was something I talked about during the campaign,” Pinnell said. “People either laughed or didn’t know what it was, but it’s an idea that creates a buzz around fishing and helps promote the diverse fishing we have in Oklahoma. You can do it all in Oklahoma when it comes to fishing.”
Marketing dollars spent on tourism show a 7-to-1 or 8-to-1 return, and putting the departments of Tourism and Recreation and Wildlife Conservation behind the effort will make all the difference. The departments are “all in,” and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is already working on signage to guide tourists along the way, the lieutenant governor said.
“There will be money behind it, and there will be people accountable,” Pinnell said.
The drive to promote fishing comes with renewed focus on infrastructure like working with communities to improve access, such as boat ramps needed to attract larger tournaments, and tackling a backlog of improvements needed at state parks, he said.
As the first standalone secretary of tourism and branding, Pinnell said the state has someone in leadership now that wakes up every morning focused on things like access and “that big list for our state parks,” he said. “We’re not interested in selling things off, but I am interested in capital improvement projects.”
Pinnell said he would be advocating for the state Legislature to dedicate more money to tourism and outdoor recreation.
As one example, he said the state parks would soon launch a new web-based registration system that will take credit cards. “That is a needed modernization that is going to happen along with capital improvements,” he said.
Wildlife Department Director J.D. Strong said he defied any state to top what Oklahoma was announcing on National Go Fishing Day and said it was good to see the state’s diversity touted.
“We are blessed to live in the most eco-diverse state of any other state in the country,” he said.
Some lakes or rivers might be prime places to catch certain species, while others offer many.
“Take Grand Lake for example, you can go there and one in one day catch bass, catfish, crappie, sunfish, and also snag a paddlefish while you’re at it and complete a grand slam right there in one spot,” he said.
People who love to fish also stay in hotels and enjoy the restaurants, entertainment and other tourism interests along the way, Pinnell said. “No one gets left out.”
“We believe that in Oklahoma you’re not doing tourism right if you’re not promoting the outdoors with its diverse fishing and wildlife, and I think it’s something we need to do a better job focusing on,” he said.
