Mike Parker of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says the pandemic has sent people into a frenzy of looking for safe, affordable ways to get outdoors.
Parker says the Fish and Boat Commission sold about 20% more fishing licenses last year than the year before.
“So a 20% increase puts us at just about 1 million fishing licenses across the state, which is equal to the number that we saw back when fishing license sales last peaked, which was around the mid 90s,” Parker says
About a quarter of the people who bought a fishing license last year were new anglers, he says.
Those looking to get out near or on the water should put safety first, he says, and wear a life-jacket.
“We had 11 boating fatalities in 2020 and and not a single one of those victims was wearing a life jacket. So far in 2021, we've had three boating related fatalities across Pennsylvania and again, none of them were wearing life jackets,” he says.
Parker also asks that people don’t litter and be mindful of land along waterways that might be private property.