Reeling in tourists: Oklahoma announces state fishing trail

David Avery, of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, pulls in a crappie on Wednesday from the waters of Grand Lake during a fishing vacation. Oklahoma officials hope their new fishing trail initiative will draw more anglers like Avery to the state.GLOBE | KAYLEA M. HUTSON-MILLER

By Kaylea M. Hutson-Miller

Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell is angling to bring visitors to the state.

Pinnell last week helped announce the state’s newest tourism initiative, an Oklahoma fishing trail, during an appearance at Lake Thunderbird State Park in Norman.

The initiative, a collaboration of the state departments of tourism, recreation and conservation, will divide the state into six “loops” that feature multiple lakes and highlight the species that anglers can catch.

“Fishing is a billion-dollar industry,” Pinnell said. “This is a way to highlight the great outdoors we have in Oklahoma. This is a way to showcase the great and diverse fishing opportunities found within the state.”

The northeast loop will highlight Grand Lake, Lake Hudson, Skiatook Lake, Lake Eufaula, Lake Tenkiller, Keystone Lake and Oolagah Lake. Fish available in those locations include paddlefish, smallmouth bass, striped bass hybrids, crappie and catfish.

Pinnell said the trail descriptions, available at TravelOK.com, are designed to give amateur anglers a way to plan a weekend trip or multiple-day excursion.

Anglers who catch at least four different species can upload information and pictures of their catch to fishinok.com to receive a decal touting their achievements.

How it began

Pinnell said he got the idea for a fishing trail while talking with stakeholders in the Grand Lake region. The conversation grew out of ways that Oklahoma tourism officials could draw on the success found at Grand Lake through hosting the Bassmaster Classic in 2013 and 2016 and the FLW Tour in 2013 and 2019.

The trail also is based on a similar idea in Alabama known as the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which highlights a series of the state’s golf courses.

“I think this is a fabulous concept,” said Andy Stewart, one of the state’s newest tourism commissioners. “The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a marketing mecca for Alabama. People plan trips specifically to play golf at those courses. I think the same concept will work for us using fishing.”

Stewart, who also is the general manager and co-owner of Patricia Island Country Club and Golf in Grove, said he’s played some of the 15 courses on the Alabama trail. He hopes the fishing trail provides a new emphasis for the state.

“It’s still early in the game, but the sky’s the limit for something like this,” he said. “This will tie the lakes together and bring a ton of exposure overall to Oklahoma and its lakes.”

As the state’s first secretary of tourism and branding, Pinnell said he sees the trail as one of the newest ways to promote the state. Eventually he hopes the trail’s listings will promote “everything to do in and around” the loops. He also sees it as a way to highlight state parks.

“This is a great marketing tool to showcase Oklahoma to the world and how great and diverse Oklahoma fishing is,” Pinnell said. “Our ultimate goal is to create tourism, and then create revenue for the state through sales, hotel taxes and more. We hope to create valuable sales tax dollars because of the fishing trail.”

State Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, is hopeful the trail will promote local economies as well. He said the fishing trail could breathe new life into the state’s tourism industry.

Did you know?

Tourism is Oklahoma’s third-largest industry. New research by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department indicates visitor spending hit a record high in 2017, with an estimated 21 million visitors generating $8.94 billion in total direct travel spending for the state.

This story previously appeared in The Joplin Globe. http://bit.ly/GlobeFishingTrail