Young Minnesotans are becoming fishing dropouts.

And the drop is a whopper.

A recent DNR study says the number of state anglers between the ages of 16 and 44 has declined 9.3 percent in the past five years. The largest decline occurred in the 25 to 34 age group, down 12 percent since 2001.

Is anybody really surprised?

Well, yes and no. A kid in Chicago might not get into fishing because there's no place in the neighborhood to go fishing.

But that's not the case -- or the excuse -- in Minnesota.

Fishing opportunities remain abundant in our water-rich state. So many lakes within reach of so many. Even city kids have fishing close by.

There are dozens of kid's ponds stocked with panfish by DNR and scattered around the Twin Cities.

So -- what's the problem? Why are kids today not as thrilled by a top- water bass strike as we were at their age? Why don't they find joy in a bobber going down?

Is a video game more exciting than the tug of a walleye or northern pike?

Is it more fun just hanging out than hanging out in a fishing boat? Is there no time for fishing between hockey and soccer practice?

Maybe kids who don't fish also don't have anybody to take them fishing?

If a parent doesn't fish, it's been shown, there's a good chance the kid will never own a tackle box.

Is it parents? Schools? Video games, iPods and other e-thing- amajigs?

The answer, most likely, is: There is no one answer. Indeed, the times they are a-changin'.

Kids and families lead busy lives these days, which might mean there's no time to fish between hockey practice and dance lessons.

Families are a-changin'. More families have only a single parent whose hands already are full of things to do without adding a dozen nightcrawlers.

Society is a-changin'. At a recent gathering of anglers, we exchanged stories about how fishing entered our lives as kids. Some of us were able to hop on a bike and ride a few blocks to reach fishing water. Today, parents are afraid to let their kids ride bikes beyond the backyard for fear of pedophiles -- real or imagined -- lurking on street corners.

If this is widespread in America's neighborhoods, the decline in fishing is the tip of the iceberg.

What hasn't changed -- and I'm positive about this -- is that the fascination of fishing is alive and well in a youngster's mind. After three decades of watching kids try fishing -- some for the first time -- I'm convinced the mystique, the fun, the excitement of fishing is unchanged since I was a kid.

A bobber going down is a hoot and always will be.

OK, so what? With fewer anglers coming up, doesn't that mean more fish to catch for the rest of us? No more long lines at boat launches on opening day? No more complicated fishing regs?

Perhaps. But fewer anglers in the future also means fewer license sales, which means less license money to do good things for fish stocks and water quality. Fewer anglers means less political clout for clean water laws.

Who cares more about a healthy stream than an angler seeking a rising trout or a bronze-backed smallmouth bass?

So -- is there a way to help youngsters discover the joys of angling? Yes, of course. Do we have the will? That remains to be seen. The DNR only recently has amped up programs to recruit young people into hunting and fishing. That's a good first step, but it won't be enough.

A few weeks ago on this page, outdoors columnist Dennis Anderson suggested that Minnesotans should launch a volunteer organization of adult fishing coaches patterned after the long and successful firearm safety program.

These coaches could offer fishing classes in schools for kids who want to learn about fishing.

Ordinarily, we might expect our schools to teach a lifetime sport such as fishing. It's not happening, of course. Our schools are too busy teaching ball sports to bother with something like angling and its clean water ramifications. OK, kids, who wants to be quarterback?

If our young people are to discover the joy of angling, we cannot rely on our schools to do it.

In reality, the future of fishing looks like this: Older anglers will have to teach younger anglers.

Interestingly, it's always been that way.

Ron Schara• ron@mnbound.com.