AS SEEN IN THE SPRING 2004 ISSUE

Men need not apply.

    It would really be great if a larger number of women entered and competed in professional fishing tournaments.  The sport of tournament angling for females is now more conducive than ever before. Luckily for us ladies, fish, however brilliant they may seem at times, don’t know who is on the other end of the line, so the playing field is always equal.

     A number of women who have a passion for the sport are joining the ranks of men and becoming professional tournament anglers. Although, what defines passion for the sport? Passion is a word that conjures up all sorts of feelings and memories.  It’s love, commitment, enthusiasm and dedication, which happen to be words of similar meaning. If you combine them all you have just defined passion.

    Competitive fishing is one of the only sports without barriers. Inshore tournaments, offshore tournaments, catch & release tournaments, multiple day events, you name it and there is probably a tournament designed around it and around almost every species of saltwater game fish. Each tournament has its own set of rules and regulations, but they all have one thing common, women are welcome!  Even big dollar televised events are open to all. Unlike auto and horse racing where female participants are extremely rare, competitive fishing events count females among the rank and file. Tournament organizers are now going out of their way to make events “female friendly” in hopes of attracting additional sponsorship from a variety of untapped corporations.

     You may ask, just who are the small number of women who are currently competing? Well they’re moms, wives, sisters, daughters, career women and business owners. These women are very motivated, very patient and make excellent competitors. They are simply every day gals who have a desire to compete. Women who participate in professional fishing tournaments prefer not to be held in the spotlight or given handicaps of any kind. These women are there to challenge the fish and their own abilities, not their male counterparts. After years of paying dues, a select number of lady anglers now fish shoulder to shoulder with men on numerous tournament circuits. Although men still dominate the field, females are beginning to claim trophies, checks and corporate sponsorships.

    For ladies who are interested in getting involved in competitive tournament fishing, you should begin on a local level. Do some research and start fishing in an open division tournament in your regional area. Once you’ve experienced competitive fishing locally, you can then start competing on a state level. Remember that tournament fishing is not something that is played in solitude and a good team is essential to your success, especially when big dollars and reputations are on the line. Be selective when it comes to deciding who your fishing buddies are going to be and always keep in mind that there is no “I” in the word team. Everyone has to accept their role in order to make your team a successful one. While time spent on the water fishing together is the only thing that will make your team gel with the same goals, each member still has to understand their individual roles. With a little practice and a lot of preparation, your tournament fishing team should be able to accept whatever challenges lie ahead. Each person you fish with will teach you something new as there is always something exciting to learn about this wonderful sport

     When it comes to competing in high pressure events, men are accustomed to running at full tilt at all times. Male anglers often try to make fish do what they want them to do and often have hot heads and raised tempers when things don’t go their way. On the other hand, women in general tend to be more level headed and concentrate more on the environment they’re fishing in and the style required to bag the “trophy”. As we all know, Mars and Venus are a world apart and a mixed team of guys and gals is probably your best bet.

      If you do not have a friend with a boat or for whatever reason you’re not able to establish your own team, try contacted an existing all male team. Having lady anglers aboard is often just what the doctor ordered. It’s not uncommon to hear many all male teams admit they would welcome ladies if the situation presented itself. Plus, by having a woman aboard, a team also becomes eligible for female divisions and can win additional prizes. 

      If you are going to try to set up a team yourself, keep in mind when selecting your members the individuals all have to be able to get along and each needs to understand that every member can offer helpful knowledge. The key is to always listen with an open mind and establishing individual roles is a must. There are no hero’s on any tournament teams as the entire team wins together and the entire team loses together. Once members have been chosen and the camaraderie created, you’ll quickly realize how rewarding a fishing team can really be.

      If you’re really interested in competing, take it one step at a time and start out slow. Enter a woman’s only event which will help you gain some confidence. Check with your local tackle shops and use the internet to search for women only tournaments in your area. Although, there’s no reason in the world any women should feel she is not worthy enough to fish with and against male oriented teams.

      It’s unfortunate that all too often great tournament teams are never quite been able to fuse all their talents together. I think lack of communication is mostly at fault here. When fishing in tournaments it’s not the best angler that wins but the team who works the best together. Commitment is a must as there’s lots of work that goes into any given event. Usually, to ease the pain, entry fees and additional expenses are divided amongst all the members. How winnings will be distributed depends on what was mutually agreed upon prior to the event.  So these issues all need to be ironed out way in advance. Once the business end of the deal is taken care of you can exclusively focus on everything required to put together a winning catch.       You should realize though that you don’t just show up and start fishing. Pre fishing is almost always required if you want to be competitive and have any hopes of qualifying in the top of the field, especially if you’re fishing away from your home port.

     Once you’ve had some practice and want to take it to the next level, seeking sponsorship is a good idea. This is not always an easy task. The more tournaments you compete in the more exposure you‘ll receive and the more success you’ll have. Remember a picture up on a podium speaks a thousand words to potential sponsors. If you’re using a particular rod & reel or any type of tackle or accessories that has proven successful for your team, let that company know about it. Forward companies any photos you may have snapped with their products and I promise you that will help get their attention. Plus, the winning fish always looks bigger with a lady angler posed next to it.

     Tournament fishing can be very exciting and very competitive so make sure you are up for the challenge. If you are, it will undoubtedly be an extremely rewarding experience for everyone involved. Women don’t need to accept being recognized as fishing widows any longer.
Ladies, get out there and fish long, fish hard, fish often and always fish on!
    

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