Fishing is a disease that won't be cured by gas prices, equipment/boat prices, or anything else. Can't see all that many folks who truly love to fish just walking away. Tournament fishing may decline, but in many respects that's not necessarily a bad thing. Tournament fishing is my favorite thing to do, but if it goes away I'll still be out there.

If gas were $20 a gallon, lures $100 apiece, and there was only one lake I could still get to, I'd prolly be out there walking the bank trying to catch some fish.

The only thing really endangering fishing here in my opinion is over regulation. I hear more and more people crying out for stronger regulations. The one that worries me the most is "Fishing during the bass spawn should be illegal, we should have a season". Well folks, look to our neighbors to the north where that mindset has led to their regulations. You cannot legally fish for bass for almost 6 months of the year in New York state! Many of the other states up there have for the most part the same laws as good ole NY.