What this sport needs is a Danika Patrik (sp?). Belive me if the sponsors find a woman that has the ability to compete with these guys They will throw money at her. Inturn having a woman compete at the elite leval will show girls around the world that they can do it and it is worth while. Some of these girls will grow up to be tournament fisherman and as more flood into the sport they will get more acceptance. I belive that this is what BASS was trying to do when allowing the champion from the WBASS a classic birth. Give girls someone to look up to in the sport. Most of the complaints that I heard from the elites was that she was given a classic birth from a trail that they did not have access to not that she was a woman.
I am a nurse and am not gay. I agree that perceptions and social roles need to be changed. The interesting thing is that 1: men don't complain that they wern't encouraged to play with dolls and most woman (my wife included)don't complain that they wern't encouraged to fish. Until that changes I don't see much change coming about.
Buy the way my 7 seven year old daughter has decided that she wants to learn to fish this year to be like her DAD. I cant wait to spend time with her on the water and maybee turn her into Danika Patrik, if she wants. 8-)