kayak

Fischer’s bass fishing She Shed

Take a tour inside Kristine Fischer's home-away-from home.

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Photography by
Craig Lamb
We break the mold on our popular Man Cave series with this epic She Shed designed by BassmastHER ambassador and kayak pro angler Kristine Fischer.
Fischer had only been here seven days this year when the photo gallery was shot in mid-July. Her rigorous schedule includes fishing the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series, the Kayak Bass Fishing tour and Hobie Bass Open Series. If those weren’t enough, she is competing as a co-angler at select St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN, serving as an ambassador for BassmastHER and competing as a boater in select tournaments with a Ranger aluminum model towed by a Toyota Tundra.
“This is like a recharge station for me. I can ground myself with time off, catch up on business and reorganize my gear for the next leg of travel. I typically start out in January in Texas and Florida, so I’ll prioritize the packing around prespawn for that run of travel. Then I’ll come back here and reload for the next round as the schedule opens up throughout the South, and then to the Northeast for the smallmouth tournaments.”
“You’ll see a different look than what you see with the bass guys on the Elite tour,” Fischer said. The evidence is on full display with this Hobie Mirage Lynx. “I’m a closet musky angler; that’s is my true passion to the core. Whenever I need a vacation or relaxation (or an adrenaline charge) I will load up this kayak and go off the grid to chase my passion on a remote musky river.”
On the bass scene, Fischer identifies as a power angler as you’ll see via her wall of baits. On the shelfs are containers for storing bulk soft plastics by category, while the Plano EDGE boxes at right are for hard baits. Fischer packs what is needed for a given tournament from the shelves, restocking the items upon returning from a long trip.
That approach has paid off greatly for Fischer, now seven seasons into the kayak pro tours. She has accomplished about everything possible at that level, including 10 national titles, numerous top 10s, and a Hobie B.O.S. Tournament of Champions win — the kayak equivalent of the Bassmaster Classic.
While these Plano EDGE boxes are standard gear for bass boat anglers, Fischer must narrow the choices to fit aboard a kayak.
To do that, from the Plano EDGE boxes she creates kayak-sized boxes containing baits specific to a tournament location.
Fischer’s “grab-and-go” boxes ideally fit in her kayak.
“This is my grandpa, or ‘Paw,’ who helped introduced me to fishing back home in Nebraska.”
“On Sundays he’d make fish-shaped pancakes for breakfast, then we’d go pond fishing in the afternoon.”
“He is one of my biggest supporters.”
Abu Garcia reels are stored on the top shelf and packed as needed for road trips.
Fischer also has a Ranger aluminum boat as part of BassmastHer that includes competing in tournaments. “With the boat it’s a challenge now, because it has bigger needs, and transitioning back to a kayak tournament requires strategic packing.”
Big baits for power fishing adorn the walls.
That includes big crankbaits for targeting trophy bass. That intentional strategy pays off for the scoring system used in kayak tournaments. Instead of pounds, the scoring is according to total length in inches of bass measured during competition days.
“I love to flip a jig, throw big topwaters and frogs and go for the big bite.”
That lineup includes big swimbaits and other soft plastics for targeting big bass that add inches to a tournament score.
The minimalist approach to rigging Fischer’s musky attack kayak is a must. She favors stretches of remote river where bank access can mean lowering the Hobie Mirage Lynx by rope into a musky hole. She packs the mandatory net, two heavy-duty casting rigs, a single Yak Attack storage box and a Yeti soft cooler to keep weight at a minimum.
Fischer’s affinity for musky madness is obvious in this artwork she painted with coaching from kayak renaissance man Jody Queen, a musician, artist and pro angler on the tour. “We painted this in his studio in West Virginia on an all-night session. It was magical.”
It’s obvious that Fischer’s penchant for big bass and big baits comes from her connection to trophy muskie fishing, and doing it from a kayak.
She reserved adequate space on the tackle wall for a large collection of big musky baits.
“This is one of my prized possessions.” Fischer finished third in her first boater tournament, a Lady Bass Anglers Association tour event on Lake Guntersville.
Most meaningful was the bond she created with the tour anglers, each of then signing this t shirt.
“Being accepted by this group of women means the world to me.”
Another high accolade that Fischer says ranks at the top of her achievements was being honored by Kayak Bass Fishing as the K.B.F. Sportsman of the Year, not awarded to competitors. An exception was made for Fischer’s passion for representing the sport in a positive, professional manner and promoting it to anglers of all ages and genders.
The world’s best kayak anglers compete in the Hobie Fishing Worlds, with Fischer having finished 25th in 2024, and fifth in the 2022 event held in Sweden.
Fischer’s YouTube award for surpassing 100,000 subscribers to her channel. As @midwestfishergal, she also has an equally impressive number of followers on Instagram and on Facebook.
Trophies and plaques wrap around the tackle wall.
More evidence of Fischer’s passion for musky madness is this measuring board for sizing up trophy fish.
In the corner is a collection of gear that portrays the outdoor pursuits have fundamentally shaped who she is today.
These Yeti Soft Coolers are the perfect size for a kayak float trip.
A collection of Hobie Mirage Drive with Kick Up Fins are perfect for power fishing.
There is also room for two bicycles in her She Shed.
Most probably don’t know how infatuated Fischer is with wild turkey hunting. Back home around Nebraska, she spent countless hours with her bow, blind and decoys relentlessly tracking the wily game bird. She still has the passion as made obvious by this bag of decoys.
Bass outfits share space with, not surprisingly, heavy-duty muskie rigs as shown in the background.
Fischer enjoys having friends over for their favorite beverage for conversations around a campfire.
AFTCO rain gear and other outerwear are staged at the ready for the next trip.
Yeti waterproof dry bags for kayaking hang beside Fischer’s backpack for hiking trips and a backpack for waterfowl hunting.
Just as varied as her tackle wall wall, you will find waders for fly fishing and waterfowl hunting.
Fischer chooses Dakota Lithium batteries for powering electronics and power needs for the kayak.
She created this recharge station for the Dakota Lithium batteries and those used with GoPro cameras for social media content.
As the story goes, Fischer discovered this artwork hanging on the wall of a bar and grill in Virginia. “It represents a snapshot of my lifestyle and what I believe in: an eagle, American flag and a pickup truck.” She finally convinced the owner to sell it to her. “I decided that one day, when I finally got a permanent place that it would hang there for me to see.”
Outside the She Shed is Fischer’s 2024 Toyota Tundra for towing the Ranger Boat she uses in bass tournaments.
Not surprisingly, it’s hooked up and ready for the next adventure.

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