According to a January 2009 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recreational saltwater anglers pumped more than $31 billion into the United States economy in 2006. Saltwater anglers spent $5.8 billion nationwide on expenses related to their fishing trips, such as ice and bait. An additional $25.6 billion was spent on fishing equipment.

Florida anglers accounted for more than half the total, spending $16.7 billion. Texas anglers came in second with $3.2 billion, followed by California ($3 billion), Louisiana ($2.9 billion) and North Carolina ($2 billion).