Quote: “In 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, fishing enthusiasts spent $469.8 million on fishfinders and other electronics to enhance their edge, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. And they have a lot more purchasing power: The American Sportfishing Association says licensed anglers dole out $46 billion annually on fishing equipment, transportation, lodging, and other expenses associated with the sport.
Note:
(a) summary underneath the title in print: Lawsuits are rising among makers of gear that help anglers locate fish
(b) “Rick Kortlang * * * the 58-year-old retiree from Springfield, Va, keeps his eyes fixed on one of his two fishfinders, electronic gadgets that use global positioning technology, sonar, and video-game-like displays to give him sweeping views of the river bottom. * * * In shallower water, he sees a patch of baitfish, making it a good bet that coveted largemouth bass lurk nearby.”
(i) Springfield, Virginia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Virginia
(a census-designated place [that is] the most populous area of the Washington Metropolitan Area and the most affluent region in the nation)
(ii) largemouth bass
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largemouth_bass
(Micropterus salmoides; freshwater; native to North America; a maximum recorded overall length of 29.5 in (75 cm))
(c) “The gear obsession that’s gripped fishing fans like Kortlang in recent years has sparked a race among makers of marine electronics, such as Flir Systems, Garmin, and Japan’s Furuno Electric”
Furuno Electric Company 古野電気株式会社 was founded in Nagasaki, Japan in 1938. en.wikipedia.org
(The “furu” and “no” are both Japanese pronunciations.)
(d) “Now even skiff owners have the kind of bottom-mapping prowess once limited to the likes of shipwreck hunters and the military.”
(i) skiff (n): "any of various small boats [that is usually for only one person]; especially : a flat-bottomed rowboat" www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skiff
(ii) skiff (n): “any of various small boats propelled by oars, sail, or motor” www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/skiff
(iii) skiff
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiff
(section 1 Etymology)
(e) Fishing “tournaments on ESPN2 have helped turn Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, and other fishermen into millionaire celebrities.”
The Dutch and Belgian surname Van Dam refers to “someone from any of the numerous places called Dam (for example in Utrecht province and in Gennep, Limberg) or Ten Damme (for example in Overijssel), or from other places named for a dam, dike, or pond (for example Stadje Damme in West Flanders).”
(f) Kortlang’s “two fishfinders, which he figures ran him a combined $2,300.”