Introduction to fishing
Hey y’all, my name is Abbi Olsen, a born-and-raised Tennessee girl. I have been hooked on fishing since I was very young. My dad took my brother and I to a river when I was around 7, and I got my first pink pole. Little did he know he was giving me my hobby for life. We caught several bluegill and that was it for me, I was all in.
My Papa Joel is the other person who really took his time and was very patient teaching me how to fish. He took us all out on the pontoon boat as kids. He would untangle line and get hooks out of trees while everyone else fished. We caught bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish — whatever was biting. I have two uncles who also took so much time to teach me new knots and new rigs.
They’ve taken me to different lakes, showed me new fishing spots and my uncle Ethan even took me to catch my very first smallmouth. A day I will absolutely never forget. Just something about fighting those feisty things. Their love for fishing and competition definitely rubbed off on me over the years.
Experiences and challenges
I personally feel like I have had a very positive experience as a woman in the fishing community. I think it’s about 95% positive. I get some people that doubt I have caught some of the fish or some that try to act unimpressed and just talk about how they have caught bigger and better fish, but for the most part people are very supportive of me and always super excited for me.
I have felt immense support from my friends and family to keep fishing and to be outside. I think that so many people now are just happy to see anyone be outside and enjoying God’s creation, and fishing is a great way to do that.
Personal achievements
I have so many special moments from fishing it’s so hard to narrow it down to just a few, but just recently I caught my personal best fishing with my papa. We were fishing away and had only been there around 20 minutes, and I hooked up on a monster. He was hysterically trying to get the net out while I was trying to keep the fish out from under the boat.
When we finally got it in the boat I was shaking with excitement. My first lake 4.5 pounder. It was such a special memory I will never forget. My second favorite memory has to be down on Chickamauga Lake with my dad. We boated over 50 bass one day. It was a nonstop competition all day. My dad caught the biggest fish, but I caught the most so I count that as a win.
Representation and visibility
I grew up in a family where my granny and lots of my aunts and cousins fished. It definitely wasn’t unusual to me for women to fish. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized women anglers were definitely the minority. Growing up with it being so normalized I just loved it and was always encouraged to keep at it as I grew up, I love to see so many younger girls and women taking it up as a hobby or a career now. It is definitely a sport for everyone.
With social media these days I feel like there is such a great community of women anglers. It is so easy to find women and even men of every skill level. I learn so many tips and tricks from every different person I can on YouTube and TikTok.
Advice for aspiring female anglers
My biggest advice for anyone who wants to get into fishing is you do not have to spend a lot of money to get started. As I got older and started buying my own gear, I was so overwhelmed with the prices of rods and reels and certain lures. I have bought several Walmart Zebcos and still fish with so many of them. I fish with plastics 95% of the time. It doesn’t have to be some elaborate fancy rig to catch a fish.
Start with the basics: Find a pole you like and a plastics rig you like. I usually fish with a Carolina rig — it’s a super easy way to learn and start. Watch a couple of YouTube videos on how to set them up and tie them on and get out on the water. It is so much trial and error and experience. Get advice from as many people as you can. I find the old-school fishermen have the easiest tips to use as they use the K.I.S.S method … keep it simple stupid. I work as a barber and talk to many men on a daily basis who are always willing to share their tips and tricks with me.
Always just ask as many people are willing to lend a helping hand. As you get into fishing just don’t over complicate it. If you’re most comfortable with a Zebco 33, go for it. My granny has fished with one for years and caught many fish. I prefer a spinning reel — it throws a little farther and more accurately without having to worry about the backlash of a baitcaster.
I think a lot of newbies get caught up in feeling like you need a boat to fish, but fishing is fishing whether you’re on a bank, a dock, at a pond or on a boat. A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work any day. My best memories are out on the water, get out there and make some of your own. Best of luck out there!
You can follow Abbi on instagram: @abbigailangel
