Introduction to Fishing
My name is Lora Akin, and I’m 27 years old. I was born and raised on the Georgia/Alabama line by the Chattahoochee River. My love for fishing started at a very young age. My dad used to take me out on his boat to fish when I was still in diapers. Little did I know he was giving me a hobby that I would love for life! We would fish for anything that was biting, and even today, I catch myself smiling and getting excited over the tiniest catch.
Experiences and Challenges
As a woman in the fishing community, I’ve experienced both positive and negative feedback. I remember when I first started posting my content, I would receive comments and messages telling me what I needed to do differently or that I shouldn’t be out there doing a “man’s sport.” Over time, the negativity began to disappear as people realized I didn’t care what others thought. I was going to fish regardless because it’s something I genuinely love! It doesn’t matter to me if I catch anything; I just enjoy being outdoors. Eventually, the positivity started rolling in, and now, when I post content, I have a bunch of people supporting me and my goals.
Perceptions and Attitudes
I feel like the fishing community is becoming more welcoming towards female anglers. It’s not every day you see women with a passion for fishing, especially in my area. Initially, it was hard for the guys to accept the idea of women fishing, but now it’s a completely different story. When people see me out fishing, they always ask me what I’ve caught this time. We could sit and talk for hours about our experiences and catches. The support for women in the community has grown, and it’s great to see more women taking an interest in fishing.
Support Systems
Recently, I’ve found a great support system both locally and online. There are several groups that have been super supportive of women anglers. In my hometown, the Columbus Georgia Fishing group on Facebook has been incredibly helpful. You can ask for anything, and someone always has advice or tips. They’ve even gone as far as helping people stranded on the water with no way back! I’m also in a few other Facebook groups that are very supportive of women anglers all over, and they love helping others out. Having a good community and support group can take you a long way. I have to give a big thanks to my dad, friends, and other family members for supporting me and my goals. I feel like I’ve come so far in such a short period, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
Representation and Visibility
I think women anglers are on the rise in the fishing industry! While men are still the current face of most fishing companies, that could soon change. BassmastHER is a perfect example! They did an amazing job getting female anglers involved. Attending the BassmastHER event in Decatur, AL, was by far one of the best eye-opening experiences I’ve had. Seeing all of us come together, driving hours just to attend, really showed the passion some women have for fishing. I felt so welcomed and supported, and I left with even bigger goals than before! It was a great opportunity to learn more about the fishing industry and meet other female anglers. They showed us that women can excel in this sport too—there’s no such thing as a “man only sport.”
Personal Achievements
It’s hard to narrow down my achievements, as I feel like I’ve achieved many of my goals in such a short period. Attending BassmastHER was a huge achievement for me! I got to meet so many lovely women who share the same passion as me and found another support group in the process. I learned so much from everyone there, not just from the pros! It was a great learning experience, and I left with more confidence and knowledge to help me grow further down the road. It has given me the utmost confidence heading into the ICAST event for 2024. I was nervous since this will be my first year attending, but now I’m excited! Another huge achievement for me was breaking many of my personal bests this year. My favorite catch by far was the gar I caught on the Chattahoochee River—it was a little over 20 lbs! I caught it on one of my favorite 6th Sense swimbaits on 12 lb mono. It put up a good fight for about 10-15 minutes before I finally landed it. Afterward, I couldn’t stop shaking from the excitement!
Fishing Style
My fishing style changes all the time as I’m constantly learning new things. Location and water conditions are key factors in choosing what I should use at any given time. The Texas rig is my go-to for soft plastics, but I also use my fair share of hard baits. I mainly fish from my paddleboard, as it allows me to reach places most boats can’t. I don’t have a preference between baitcasters or spinning reels; I use them both depending on the bait. One of my favorite lures is the 6th Sense swim/glide baits. I’ve caught bass, gar, and catfish with them, and they’ve never let me down! Another go-to bait would be a frog—hands down. The blowup of a topwater bait gives me a buzz every time! I like to keep a variety of lures and baits with me since I never know what I might get into while fishing.
Advice to Aspiring Female Anglers
My advice to any female wanting to get started in the fishing industry is that anything is possible if you stick with it! JUST DO IT, like Nike! YouTube can be your best friend if you’re still learning, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are tons of groups on social media that are willing to help. Don’t ever fear what others may say or think. You may get hung up, lose some lures—you never know what will happen until you try. But at the end of the day, when you feel that line go tight and start shaking with a fish on the other end, you’ll experience a feeling that can stick with you for a lifetime. Go out there and have fun, no matter what!
You can follow my fishing journey and adventures through my Linktree: Southern Oaks Outdoors.
