Discerning the connection between license purchasing and trip-related behavior among recreational anglers

The perpetuation of sustainable recreational fisheries is dependent on both license purchasing and trip-related angler behavior. License purchasing and trip-related behavior are frequently assumed to be connected but have primarily been studied independently. Discerning the connection between these behaviors could potentially reveal opportunities for site-specific management to increase license sales. Our objectives were to investigate angler license purchasing behavior, and use it to predict differences among angler trip-related behaviors. We used a long-term (11-year) licensing database and trip-related behavior survey information (2017–2018 and 2018–2019 fishing seasons) collected by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. We identified differences among angler license purchasing patterns, and grouped anglers into three disparate typologies. However, angler license typologies exhibited minimal differences among trip-related behaviors. Our findings suggest license purchasing and trip-related angler behavior may represent independent decisions. Therefore, management actions may influence angler behavior, but could be independent of their license purchasing history.