Lauderdale event's 50th year boosts hopes for boaters

Today's economy still feels like a tight band around the chest - no one can really breathe easily. So when events like this past week's 50th Anniversary Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) put the marine industry on display, everyone starts looking for signs of relief. Thankfully, we saw some.

Fishing is all about friendships and storytelling. So it's no wonder website forums became instantly popular as bragging boards and informational highways. Forums remain a positive venue for many anglers, but more and more I see online fishing communication flourishing at social networking sites.

I've been editor of Sport Fishing magazine since 2001, but I've been a female angler all my life. In those many years, I have seen the industry and its angling public evolve to enfold more women, children and families. I've heard the watchdogs warn that fishing must broaden its appeal or face the imminent fade typical of traditional hook-and-bullet sports.
 
As a result, I've really noticed the proliferation of pink.
 
Pink rods, pink reels, pink shirts, pink tackle bags, pink hats, pink gloves.