About
Credits & Attributions
We build on the work of a lot of dedicated scientists, agencies, and anglers. Here is who, and how we credit them.
You Can Fish is a source-backed resource. Across our species profiles, technique guides, gear pages, and glossary, we cite the agencies, databases, and publications behind the facts we present, and we link to them directly on the pages where they appear. This page collects the recurring sources we rely on so you can see, at a glance, the foundation our information rests on. We are grateful for the public-service research and reporting these organizations make available.
Government & scientific agencies
Fisheries science, species data, regulations, and conservation research.
- NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service, FishWatch)
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- U.S. Geological Survey, including the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database
- State fish and wildlife agencies, including Florida (FWC), Texas, California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and many others
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the regional Fishery Management Councils
- Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida / IFAS Extension
- FishBase, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), and NatureServe
Records, conservation & advocacy
- International Game Fish Association (IGFA)
- Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation / Take Me Fishing
- Trout Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation, and the BoatUS Foundation
- Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, The Billfish Foundation, and the Wild Salmon Center
Angling education & publications
Practical, field-tested knowledge from anglers and outdoor media. We weigh these against primary sources, but they shape how we explain technique and gear.
- Salt Strong, In-Fisherman, and Bassmaster (B.A.S.S.)
- Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, On The Water, and Salt Water Sportsman
- Wired2Fish, Bass Resource, and Florida Sportsman
- Orvis, MidCurrent, and other fly-fishing resources for our fly content
- FishingBooker and various regional charter and guide publications
Safety & health
- The Skin Cancer Foundation (sun protection)
- The American Red Cross and Divers Alert Network (water safety and first aid)
- FoodSafety.gov (handling and storing your catch)
Individual pages cite the specific source behind each claim, and many draw on additional state and local agencies, regional publications, and primary scientific literature beyond those listed here. The presence of a source in this list reflects the research we consulted; it does not imply any endorsement of You Can Fish by that organization.
Maps & geographic data
Our location finder (ZIP, city, and region search) uses place coordinates derived from the GeoNames geographical database.
- GeoNames geographical data, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. We trimmed it to United States ZIP code centroids.
Imagery
Photography and illustrations on You Can Fish are either original to us, licensed for our use, or generated for the site. Where we use third-party imagery that requires attribution, such as Creative Commons licensed photographs, we credit the creator and license below.
Creative Commons and other attributed image credits will be listed here. If you believe an image on this site is yours and is not properly credited, please reach out and we will correct or remove it promptly.
Affiliate links
Some outbound product links are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This never influences our recommendations. See our full Affiliate Disclosure for details.