AnglerSurvey, a monthly consumer monitoring service, reports the species most sought by anglers in 2008. The tables below report the saltwater species targeted most often by anglers between January and December. Please note the rankings report the species targeted more often, which is not the same as anglers' preferred species or the species most commonly caught.
Among saltwater anglers, spotted seatrout was the most sought fish, being targeted by Gulf and Atlantic anglers. Red drum, flounder and striped bass were next. Please note that anglers often target more than one species per trip, with flounder and red drum frequently targeted in the same trip as spotted seatrout. Rankings are available each month to AnglerSurvey subscribers, as well as information on where anglers shop, preferred brands, average prices paid, and more.
| Spotted seatrout or weakfish | 29.50% |
| Redfish, red drum, channel bass | 29.20% |
| Flounder | 27.00% |
| Striped bass | 24.50% |
| Any saltwater fish that bites | 23.90% |
| Bluefish | 21.70% |
| Other fish not on this list | 18.90% |
| Grouper, snapper, sea bass | 15.00% |
| Mackerel (king, spanish, boston, etc.) | 11.40% |
| Snook | 9.80% |
| Shark | 8.10% |
| Dolphin | 6.90% |
| Tuna | 6.70% |
| Rockfish (Pacific coast only) | 5.70% |
| Calico bass | 5.20% |
| Tarpon | 5.10% |
| Yellowtail | 5.00% |
| Bonito | 3.90% |
| Tautog (Blackfish) | 3.70% |
| Billfish | 3.50% |
| Salmon | 2.90% |
| Bonefish | 1.20% |
| Permit | 1.00% |
Based on nearly 4,500 completed surveys in 2008 www.anglersurvey.com
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