Introduction to Fishing
My brother sparked my interest in fishing when I was in my early 20s. He taught me how to fish and invited me to compete in a “his and hers” tournament. After we won that (and the next one), I became his partner in local team tournaments. A few years later, I met my husband in that same club. The two of them encouraged me to fish the Women’s Bassmaster Tour when it started. I’ve been competing ever since.
Experiences and Challenges
I love challenging myself. I’m good at troubleshooting and have always been mechanically inclined. These skills have really helped me handle many challenges on and off the water independently during competitions. That is something I’ve always been proud of, although my husband has come to the rescue a few times, like when I lost a wheel bearing three hours from home or when he flew to Texas to help fix the trailer. (That’s a story for another day.) I’ve changed tires on the trailer many times and once had to change a 35″ tire on my Dodge 2500 leaving a Bassmaster Open on Lake Amistad. I was very relieved when another competitor stopped to help since I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to lift the tire myself. Challenges like this aren’t unique to women, but they can be intimidating factors in a woman’s decision to jump in on the boater side, especially if they are going to do it on their own.
A major positive was bringing GEICO into the sport. Over the years, I’ve heard many people complain that female anglers were taking sponsor dollars from anglers who performed better in tournaments. Business is business. Companies look for people to sponsor who will be different in some way and can help them demonstrate diversity and inclusion. I don’t apologize for accepting that sponsor money. I’d be crazy not to take advantage of those opportunities. Seeing GEICO as the headlining sponsor and the gecko dancing around on the Bassmaster stage was a proud, surreal experience. I brought that company into the sport.
Another positive is the girls and women who have always cheered for me. Competing as a boater at the Open level can be so humbling. At every tournament weigh-in, a few girls would cheer for me when I walked up to weigh my fish. Many of them would introduce themselves after I weighed in and talk to me about fishing. Those moments made me understand the significance of being there.
Support Systems
I see many social media groups popping up over the past five years or so that really seem to give women a place to share their passion with each other. It would have been cool to have that when I started. Being from Virginia, I wanted to fish Bass’n Gals but couldn’t justify the expense to travel to where they fished, and I didn’t have an easy way to connect with any of those competitors.
When I started with the WBT, I made fast friends with a few women, and some are lifelong friends now. Kathy Magers and a few others understood the value of building each other up and encouraging each other. They led the way for me and set great examples. Kathy patiently answered my questions and helped me navigate sponsorship when I got started. Girls really seem to be encouraging each other and networking more now. I encourage every girl to work with each other and go out of your way to make the other girls feel like they belong, especially those younger than you.
Personal Achievements
I’m proud to have a number of firsts for women in fishing, like being the first female boater to qualify for the Bassmaster Weekend Series National Championship, having the highest finish in a Bassmaster Weekend Series tournament, being the first to make the cut in a couple of other open-level trails, and being the highest finishing boater in the Bassmaster Opens so far. I know that particular record will no longer stand very soon, and I can’t wait to see the first woman win one and qualify for the Elites. The proudest moment was sitting in the hot seat after starting day three in ninth place at the Bassmaster Open on Douglas Lake. My husband drove eight hours to be there with me and brought our dog with him. I’ll never forget that. Having an Elite Series angler shake my hand when I bumped him was pivotal. I don’t know if he realized how much that meant to me. I felt like I genuinely had the respect of my peers. I earned it!
Advice for Aspiring Female Anglers
Focus on learning the mechanics and never hesitate to reach out to people for help. Take advantage of social media and connect with people you admire. Even if some don’t have time to respond, it can’t hurt to try. Try not to let the negative comments get to you. I learned that I needed to ignore comments on website forums when I started. That kind of thing can feed impostor syndrome and damage your mental game. Surround yourself with positive influences and never let anyone discourage you from pursuing your interest or chasing a dream.
I have to thank my sponsors, MARE of Aquia Marine and Green Top Sporting Goods. They have supported me for years and made it possible for me to compete at the opens level.
Follow Christie Bradley on Instagram: @christiebradleyfishing
