Introduction to Fishing
My first memory of fishing was with the Girl Scouts, canoeing in upstate New York. I think I caught a bluegill, and from that moment on, if I saw a mud puddle, I was ready to fish! In my late thirties, I went fishing with friends on Lake of the Ozarks, and that’s when I started bass fishing with artificial lures. I remember the first time I learned to Texas rig a worm. My friend had to correct me because I had the bullet weight on upside down, and we all got a good laugh from it.
A few years later, I joined the St. Louis Gateway Bass’n Gals, a ladies bass fishing club that allows both boaters and non-boaters to fish together. I joined in 2000, and it was a great environment to learn boat handling, conservation, and bass fishing techniques. The friendships I made in this club are lifelong, and it was through this group that I truly found my place in the fishing world. I’ve had incredible opportunities to fish across the country and learn from guides, books, and seminars like Bassmaster University.
The St. Louis Gateway Bass’n Gals is still going strong today, and it’s because of this club that I’ve achieved much of my success in fishing. One of the founding members, Mary Lipka, is a true inspiration to me. She was the first amateur angler to win a Bass’n Gals Classic from the amateur division, and she’s been a mentor and friend to many women in the club, including myself.
Perceptions and Attitudes
From my experience, many people still perceive women as occasional anglers, sitting in the back of the boat with their husbands or boyfriends. I’ve been stared at while putting gas in my boat, and people are often surprised to find out that it’s mine. When I visit tackle shops, I’m sometimes treated differently than my male counterparts. Although social media has helped bring more recognition to female anglers, I feel that when the Bass’n Gals organization was in full swing, women like Kathy Majors, Penny Berryman, and Pam Martin Wells were more well-known across the industry.
The fishing community had a real opportunity to propel women forward when Kim Bain-Moore and Pam Martin-Wells participated in the Bassmaster Classic. Winning a spot through the Women’s Bassmaster Tour was a significant accomplishment, but unfortunately, ESPN made the decision to eliminate the tour. Although some of us were given opportunities to fish in the Open division, I chose to fish the FLW Everstart Series. While the FLW community was welcoming, I eventually shifted to the Lady Bass Anglers Association (LBAA), as I felt a responsibility to support an organization created by women, for women.
Representation and Visibility
I don’t believe women are adequately represented in fishing media, events, or leadership roles. You can see the disparity just by looking at magazines, TV shows, and tournament coverage. I think the key to overcoming this is starting with kids. Boys and girls should fish together from a young age in school programs. By making it a normal occurrence, perceptions about women in fishing can change.
Today, we see young men jumping straight into major fishing circuits out of college, often with significant sponsorships. That’s not something I’ve seen happen for women, and sponsorships for female anglers are often limited to discounted products, which don’t pay the bills. If women are getting monetary sponsorships, they’re not getting the TV time to show it, so many of us have turned to social media platforms like YouTube to create our own visibility.
Changes Over Time
Bass’n Gals was founded to provide women with a competitive fishing venue because Bassmaster tournaments were initially only open to men. Even now, there are still some anglers who ask tournament directors to change the draw if they get paired with a woman, and sometimes those requests are granted. It’s a reflection of the larger issues of pay disparity, sponsorship limitations, and family commitments that make it harder for women to compete in major tours. The infrastructure to support women in professional fishing isn’t as robust as it should be.
Personal Achievements
One of my most memorable achievements was being published in Bassmaster’s Bass Times when I competed on the Women’s Bassmaster Tour at Lake Dardanelle. As a woman in a sport where I rarely saw people who looked like me in magazines, being featured was a huge milestone.
Advice for Aspiring Female Anglers
My advice is simple: if you have a dream, go for it. Will it be hard? Yes. But will it be worth it? Only you’ll know when you get there. I’ve spent my life doing things that weren’t supposed to be done by a woman. I didn’t care then, and I don’t care now. I loved working on helicopters, teaching people how to maintain aircraft, and now I love fishing and sharing what I’ve learned with others. Do what you love and don’t let anything stop you.
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