Reelady

I really don't get it either, as it does not have any affect on them. I have fished with people that have brought anywhere from 3 to 9 rods. From my experience, the number of rods that my non-boater brought had no bearing on how quickly they were packed up, ready to go, with their life jacket secured. I would always give them a "heads up" when I started to feel antsy, that way they could make sure the little things are all put up and the only thing they would have to deal with would be the one rod in their hand.

I couldn't agree with you more. Have you considered fishing as a non-boater in the Weekend Series? That's the only "draw" tournament that I can think of in this area. The other local tournaments are all partner tournaments, so unless you know a boater who wants to team up with you, your choices are pretty limited. My advice to you is to fish with as many people as you can. You can learn so much this way.

I personally would never limit the amount of rods that I would allow my co-angler bring. I have, on the average, 12 setups on my boat, and a few are duplicates. No, I don't "use" all of those rods during one tournament... but they are there... just in case :-* I may be on the extreme side when it comes to "being prepared", but that's just how I am. I would much rather know that I have access to something should I end up needing it, then to need something and realize that you don't have it. I can think of quite a few occasions where what worked during my prefish totally bombed on tournament day. This is when I pick out something radically different that I would have never dreamed of throwing during my prefish because I was convinced that I had the fish figured out... Good thing I kept that "unimportant" rod on my boat I earned a paycheck for that tournament Besides, how does the number of rods that my co-angler bring on my boat affect me? It doesn't. They are the ones that will have to deal with rods getting all tangled up, they are the ones dealing with no foot room because they insisted on bringing a tackle store with them. I say this only because I have BEEN that person before ;D I would much rather deal with the inconvenience of dealing with too many rods, then to deal with not having the rod or bait that I need. The only downfall would be the additional weight of a heavy tackle bag, but I'm only 115 pounds, so me plus my tackle is probably still lighter than your average male co-angler

This ad caught my attention, and I have zero interest in racing. This campaign worked, and brought a LOT of attention to her sport from non racing fans as well. I mean heck, here it is years after I saw that ad, and it still lives on in my mind, not because of her sex appeal, but more because it gave me hope regarding the future of Professional Female Anglers, and our ability to grow the sport that we love...

As a professional Angler, I have devoted an incredible amount of time studying fishing demographics. At first, I targeted "female" oriented company's. But, after a few back to back rejections, I QUICKLY realized that I was targeting the wrong market segment. The reason they declined was because the demographics of "people that fish" did NOT target the female consumers that they sought out. It makes TOTAL sense. These company's want maximum ROI (Return On Investment), therefore, it only makes sense to target the #'s. In support of my theory that the Women's Tour marketing strategy was targeting the wrong demographic (women)... Read this... Taken from The Outdoor Wire January 6, 2010 "And it would be hard to fault BASS or their parent company for their efforts - or the decision. Even awarding WBT anglers in the Bassmaster Classic failed to kindle much interest in women's competition. Truth be told, it's pretty darned difficult to kindle much interest - or financial support- for women-centric outdoor activities in general. The reasoning, according to industry insiders I've spoken with is simple: women's products simply do not sell to the levels commensurate with the percentages of women reported to be participating in the outdoors. Last year, I asked one technical clothing manufacturer if they would be offering new gear based on a breakthrough fabric in cuts designed for women. The response was pretty simple: no. The reasoning? Women were not buying the current products. There was no way to sell top management on putting hard-to-get fabrics into lines the marketing departments didn't believe would sell. Having said that, there are companies focused on women's gear that are surviving in the marketplace. For the most part, they seem to be doing well - and offering ever-broadening lines and product selections. But if you look at them as a subset of the overall outdoor market, they are really only a tiny fraction of the overall marketplace. In today's economic climate, fractional groups are getting an emphasis directly proportional to their impact on the bottom line. That's true of any small category. If there are no sales in existing lines, there's less than zero interest in expanding a moribund category." I have put the key points in bold. Read them carefully as I feel that THIS poorly thought out marketing strategy is what lead to the demise of the Women's Bassmaster Tour.... NOT the lack of participation, as they claim. Here is post that I came across on another fishing forum regarding the decline of participants in BASS Tournaments. "Just seems funny to me BASS says "lack of participation" and there is (still) 2 1/2 months left before the first tournament for the girls to get registered. How in the heck do they know there is lack of participation. If they claim this, it should have been decided in October at the end of the 2009 WBT championship. Why wait 2 1/2 months and claim lack of participation. Heck last year the first tournament of the Northern Opens had 191 entries and the third tournament had 104. This is a decline of 87 boats. Southern Opens went from 197 for #1 to 126 for the third tournament which is a drop of 71 boats. Central Opens started with 201 boats and dropped to 126 for the third tournament which is a decline of 75 boats. Seems like a pretty good "decline in participation". But I see they (the Opens) are still around for 2010. The girls % of decline in participation from start to finish is less than the opens." Interesting...... Well, here is what I know for sure. There is already talk of a new Women's Tour as their have been multiple inquiry's made by new potential title sponsors (not female oriented) interested in exploring a potential relationship with an all female fishing tour. Something else I know is that whoever it is that decides to come on board to use this group of women as a platform to increase their brand awareness (through proper marketing) will have the most incredible army of devoted women who are unmatched in their drive to succeed and to grow this sport to its full potential. We are a "niche" within a "niche", very comparable to Danica Patrick. She is a woman in a "man's sport" and her presence has brought a lot of attention to her sport. I don't watch racing, and personally have no interest in it, but I do know who Danica Patrick is. How did I first discover her? I saw a full page ad in a magazine dressed in her racing attire, sporting a Swiss Watch. Correction... she was used in a "Got Milk" ad campaign. Awesome huh? Seeing that ad gave me hope that yesterdays advertising standards were a thing of the past. I'm sure it caught the attention from the guys reading the magazine, but for very obvious and different reasoning then mine... She is beautiful and is 100% woman from head to toe. The outfit she was wearing proved that. History shows that Niche marketing can and WILL produce results. Now I do not have a degree in marketing, but I do consider myself very business savvy as well as having excellent salesmanship and communication skills. Believe me, I sit here chomping at the bit because I feel very confident that I would do an incredible job marketing the ladies of the WBT as a whole to new potential sponsors. I was part of this organization since its *** in 2005. I know these ladies. I know their drive and ambition. I know how capable and determined they are. I know how passionate they are. This group of ladies is a goldmine just waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, not having a voice, and more surgeries on the near horizon puts a real damper on my ability to pursue this... at least for now.... Thanks to all who take the time to really read my messages. I know I go on and on, but hey, I am a woman after all, and I do love to talk, or in this case... "type". I've been quiet for WAY TOO LONG!

It was not unusual for many of the ladies to hold off paying for the tournament until the last possible moment. I mean, why give away money that could be sitting and earning interest if you don't need to? But then there was the group of ladies who put their deposits down for each tournament at the beginning of the season and then pay the balance for each tournament just prior to the event. Now in the past, when they would see a low number of registered anglers for a tournament, they would send out email blasts reminding everyone to register and pointing out the fact that the entry's were low. But this time, there were no reminder emails... nothing about low numbers. As the matter of fact, I just went back to read some of the emails that I received regarding registration for 2010. Here is a portion of it..... "2010 WBT REGISTRATION: Early priority registration for the top 50 pros and co-anglers from the 2009 AOY points series ended Sunday, November 8, at 11:59pm. Thirty-four percent of those eligible took advantage of their opportunity. Registration for any WBT angler who wants to register for all four regular 2010 season tournaments opened at 9:00am today, Monday, November 9th. Within the first thirty minutes nine people registered. Although we know everyone is not able to register early, we encourage those that can to do so. Early registration dramatically improves an anglers chance of being guaranteed to fish." And here is something interesting they included at the end of that email.... "WBT DATA TIDBIT: Beginning with the very first WBT preview tournament at Lake Lewisville, Lewisville, TX, October 2005, through the 2009 Academy Sports + Outdoors WBT Championship, October 2009 (19 regular season and 4 post season Championships), there have been 495 women who have participated in a WBT Tournament. Of those 495, fifty-two have participated as a pro or a co-angler at one time or another. I wanted to share this tidbit so people would realize how small of a population of anglers participate on the WBT Tour. Approximately 14.7 million people bass fish in the United States. Women account for 12%, or 1.7 million, yet only 495 have become part of the WBT Family. " The ladies of the WBT are fierce promoters. We promoted the tour in every way imaginable... but we, as individuals can only reach so many people.... Alright... so tell me.... how many fishing shows does ESPN broadcast where there is a female host or co-host? How many commercials do you see with females promoting fishing products, or products targeted to the middle aged male demographic? What about magazine ads in fishing or hunting magazines... How many women do you see in those advertisements? I'm a little women, and I drive a big truck and pull a big boat across the country all by myself. Those elements combined could be the basis for a great ad campaign that would be non-gender specific. Why would that work? Because guys love big trucks and are eager to learn about new technology that will make their driving experience more convenient or enjoyable. At the same time these men are learning all about the latest gadgets and gizmos on this new beefy truck, the women readers take note of a little woman driving a big (safe) truck across the country, all alone with a boat in tow. They think... gosh, if SHE could do it, well then so can I! Same thing with a boat. How many ads have you seen with a woman driving the boat... big motor or trolling motor... So please tell me.... if women don't see other woman owning and operating these (big scary) boats, that THEY own, then how are they to know that women boat owners even exist???? If ladies made their decisions simply based on the ads that they saw on television or in magazines, they would never purchase a truck, and certainly would never dream of owning a boat! Ladies... if you can drive a car... you can drive a truck.. If you can drive a truck... you can operate a boat. It is truly that simple. Yes, there is a learning curve, but nothing different then learning how to ride a bike or learning how to drive. The WBT ladies were absolutely incredible when it came to the promotion of the sport. These ladies are not a shy group of ladies. These ladies are adventurous, fiercely motivated, and completely dedicated to the sport. But we couldn't do it alone, and from the stats that were mentioned in that email that I had received, it almost seems like "we" are to blame for the low number of women that have competed in the WBT. We needed exposure from the big boys if they wanted to grow this sport into its full potential. Television exposure, Feature articles, females used to advertise products in outdoor related magazines. Basically, we needed what BassResource did for the WBT on a much bigger scale if we were to succeed. Glenn... I cannot thank you enough for being such an incredible supporter and promoter of the WBT. Your site was a key player in our growth, as you kept everyone up to date with everything WBT. You helped your subscribers to get to know us. This is exactly what we needed. Thank you... thank you.... thank you.

No, it was not made known to the registered anglers, otherwise, they wouldn't have registered. We were informed via an email blast at 11:45 AM on Jan 4. I'm not sure if that message was made public at that time, or if it was just to the WBT Anglers.

I can vouch for that first hand. I create fishing,hunting, boating and fly fishing graphics that are available on various gifts and apparel. I sell my products through multiple online stores, and I think I am safe to say that 90% of the purchases are made by women. If you are curious, here is a link to one of my stores www.cafepress.com/reelgifts I would have to disagree with this... Yes, there is a whole demographic of female anglers or potential female anglers that is virtually untouched. Yes... this is a goldmine.. BUT, like you already stated... targeting this group will take TIME and time was something we did not have). But here is where I disagree.... The real and obvious benefit of the WBT should NOT have been directed towards that untouched demographic.... Instead, they should have used the WBT to promote to the "majority", and not gone after sponsors who were targeting a female demographic audience. Since 75% of the anglers are male, this should have been the targeted audience. Using females to promote male or non-gender based products is nothing new. Look at Danica Patrick. Does she have Revlon or Playtex as a sponsor? No... her sponsors are Bell Helmets, Peak Antifreeze, Alpinestars (manufacturers of high performance apparel and technical footwear & clothing), Kaenon (Polorized Eyeware), Samsonite (luggage), Tissot (Swiss Watch), Troy Lee Designs (they paint custom helmets), Marqui Jets (Private Jet Co.), and GoDaddy.com (Internet services). As you can see, none of her sponsors are targeting the female demographics of her sport. They were playing the numbers. So will men take notice of a women who is driving down the road pulling her boat wrapped in a Gillette, Maxim, Adult Swim, or Verizon Wireless theme? Ummm.... YES, they will and they DO. Men are intrigued by women that do "guy" things. ESPN/BASS should have recognized this and used us as yet another way to target the majority demographic. Now the beautiful thing about this is that it would have had a trickle down effect on the wives, girlfriends and daughters. So basically they would have been targeting this untouched demographic through the "back door". Why? Because women who do "guy things" as a profession often become a HUGE role model to children, teens, and young adults who are in the process of finding themselves. I took this role very seriously, as I quickly began to realize how what I was doing could affect someone else's life, and the decisions that they make. I have personally received so many letters from young girls who basically say that when they grow up, that they want to be just like me. That is serious!!! I believe someone in the marketing department seriously dropped the ball here and blew an incredible opportunity to market new or existing (male or non-gender targeted) products in a whole new, refreshing kind of way, rather than the same old same old. We were there. We were eager and chomping at the bit to make this work. We fished for little payouts knowing that we were paving the way for new and upcoming female anglers. These ladies were all absolutely incredible women who I have the utmost amount of respect for. Trust me, fishing a tour is no easy task. It is financially draining, physically demanding, and at times emotionally taxing. We fished in everything from 106 degree bluebird skies and no wind in North Carolina to 33 degrees of sleet, ice, snow and rain in South Carolina. Just like the men, there was NOTHING that would keep these women off the water. Nothing. It really makes me sad to know that after 5 years of these ladies doing everything in their power to grow the WBT... it all ended with 3 sentences which read very much like a "Dear John" letter.

Thanks for those kind words Bass Brat. I do appreciate them so much. Now as far as the respect thing? I have personally never experienced the flagrant disrespect or rude behavior like the stories I have heard from others. But I also really want to stress that it's not just the ladies that are being treated in this sort of manner, as I have heard unbelievable stories from guys who have fished out of the back of the boat as well. I've really only fished off the "back of the boat" for a few tournaments, and those experiences were just fine. Gosh, had I been treated badly or in a condescending sort of manner, that would have really been upsetting to me. I'm guessing I would probably be a bit gun shy to get in the back of someone else's boat again, be it a man or a woman in the front. A big part of me wishes that somehow, some way, that there could be more of a "team" spirit on the boat instead of feeling like you are competing for the same fish, and against each other. I absolutely LOVE team tournaments and the feeling of working WITH someone towards the same goal. It's just a much better atmosphere if you ask me. I have a friend who fishes in a local club, and they have it so that they are weighing in 3 different weights. One is a combined weight, and the other two are them weighing in the fish that they caught as an individual.

Well then let's see to it that you do! We are practically neighbors after all 8-)

First of all... I want to thank any and all of you who were supportive of the Womens Bassmaster Tour. I'd also like to apologize for my sudden (and extended) absence in the fishing world. It's a bit lengthy to give you all the details, but in a nutshell, I had surgery to repair a herniated disc in my neck in February 2009. Well, my worst nightmare became my reality when I awoke from surgery to discover that I had NO voice. I ended up with a paralyzed vocal cord which not only robbed me of my ability to speak, but it also robbed me of the ability to live a "normal" life. I made a living "speaking". I also had just filmed a television show pilot a few months before my surgery. My life was incredible, and my opportunities were growing at a record pace. Then suddenly, it all ended. No voice means talking. No talking means no promoting, selling, fishing seminars, guest appearances, radio interviews, television appearances among a few things.... I had fished the WBT since its *** in 2005. These women were by far the most ambitious, dedicated, independent, and passionate women I have ever met. I feel so lucky to have been part of such an amazing group of ladies. The ladies tour offered something very unique, and that would have been the "personality" of the WBT. Unfortunately though, the lack of national media coverage made it near impossible for people to get to know us in order for them to feel that special "connection" to us as a tour. But those that did make an effort to get to know the faces and personalities of the WBT quickly realized what a very special group of ladies they were. It absolutely breaks my heart that the WBT is no more. Prior to me losing my voice in Feb 2009, fishing was my life, as well as my income. I was a Professional Angler, and dedicated my life to promoting fishing in any and every way imaginable. Now in response to some comments that I have read... Why did the women need their own tour? Because BASS/ESPN saw it as a 'niche" and a possible source of income to them. It was a business decision, and not made because "women don't want or like to fish with the men." As far as how the women feel about fishing with the men.... I'll be very honest and tell you that I have heard absolute HORROR stories from some of the gals that fished as a non-boater in other male dominated tournaments. I've also heard horror stories from male non-boaters as well. Whether you are male or female makes no difference. If you are on the back of someones boat, and they make your day so unpleasant by the way they speak or through their actions..., well that is just not a nice way to spend your day. I've heard the most appalling stories. So bad, that they have vowed to never fish with another male again. That makes me so sad that someone who calls them self a "Professional Angler" could treat someone in such an unprofessional manner. That is just wrong. "Who follows or really cares about the WBT anyway?" - many many more than you would ever imagine. Here is a question to you.... How many people really care about the Opens or who fishes them? Did local guys fishing the Opens develop huge fan bases like the ladies did? I'm guessing not. Why? Because while these women were fierce competitors on the water, off the water we are Mothers or act in a maternal way. We love to talk to anyone that will talk about fishing... and as far as kids... we embraced them. We attracted attention because we were ladies traveling around the country in our big pickup trucks with our bass boats in tow. Not a very usual sight to see one, let alone 100 of them invading a town for a WBT event. "So they'll just have to compete against the boys and fish the Opens". - Well, only one problem with that which is actually getting to fish. For example, when I fished the WBT Championship in 2008, this gave me priority entry into the Opens. I was in the second "wave" of people that could sign up for the Opens. I called to register on the second day of my week of registration and ended up 200 something on the waiting list. And THIS was with me having "priority" entry. What about those that don't have priority entry? Forget it. It's not happening... or maybe they might call you to fish the third and final tournament because so many people who weren't doing well in the standings found no use in fishing the last tournament, so they bailed. Now I'm about to go out on a limb here because I am friends with many of the Elite guys. But... I don't think that they should be allowed to fish the opens if they are fishing the Elites. If they can't qualify to fish the Elites because they had a bad year on tour, then that's just how it goes. They should have to fish the Opens the following year and hope to re-qualify for the Elites. But for the Elites to use the Opens as an "insurance" policy to fish the Elites if they were to bomb on tour just doesn't seem right. And what happens if they "double" qualify for the Elites? They will use their qualification from the Opens to fish the Elites, and their Elite qualification will be handed down to the next eligible Elite angler. Basically, this is robbing the "ordinary Joe's (and Janes) of pursuing their dream as a Professional Angler. Personally, I think that if 20 Elite guys are fishing the opens, that they should increase the field by another 20. I also feel that if their is a double qualification to fish the Elites, that they must use their qualification through the Elites, and that the Opens qualification would be granted to the next eligible Open's Angler. So there you have it.... Marcia's opinion in a nutshell. So yes, even without a voice... I still have plenty to say I thank ALL of you who supported the ladies of the WBT. It's such a shame that we were never given a chance to shine because so many of you would have bonded with us as a tour, if you were only given the opportunity to get to know us. We were bound and fiercely determined to make a difference in the fishing world... we just needed the chance. It is truly a sad sad day... not just for the WBT, but for the sport as well as we were incredible role models to so many.....

My favorite fishing situation is when during a tournament, I am catching fish like crazy and everyone else isn't lol... kidding... okay not really... but another one of my favorite situations is when there is an incredible topwater bite that just won't quit. That, to me, is by far the most exciting way to catch fish

When I think of cold water baits, the first thing that comes to my mind are 1)blade baits, like a Vibe-e. 2)Spoons ( I love the Flutter spoon by Lake Fork Trophy lures) 3)Spinnerbaits (slow rolling them deep and shallow) 4)Jerk baits (hard and soft)

Well... lets just say that many times I have that exact intention... to "look" but not "touch... Lol... and I can also honestly say that no matter what my initial intentions were, I just could not fight off the urge to get my line in the water. I have complete and total admiration and respect for people that can keep their lines out of the water and just "look" Cuz I pretty much look and feel like this guy if that "ljust looking" stuff lasts too long FYI... Many if not most of the Elite guys will just "scout" a lake before fishing a tournament. Or, if they just want to check the size of the fish in an area, they will fish with either no hooks, or a bent hook to get them close enough to the boat so that they can verify the size.

I like to throw out a marker buoy on top the ledge I'm fishing. Sometimes I will throw out ,many to not only mark the ledge, but any type of contour or structure I found on this ledge. I'll approach it 360 degrees until i find out what triggers these fish. For starters, I will back my boat off the ledge and throw past the top of the ledge. Using a crankbait for my first time probing of this area allows me to work fast, cover a lot of water, and catch the active fish. I'll pull it down the ledge, parallel to the ledge (in both directions) and cast from behind the ledge. I like to use a deep diving crankbait that will bounce off the ledge and really rile the fish up. You want that crankbait to dig into the ground!!!. Some of my other favorite ways to approach a ledge is to throw a Carolina rig, a dropshot rig, and a jig in the same way that i threw my crankbait. With ledges, you have to understand that the "active" fish are shallower and are in the "I'm hungry" mode. But... sitting a bit deeper are the bigger fish that come up shallow to feed, but then quickly return to their safe deeper hideout. So, if you are fishing a ledge and only catching small fish... back off that ledge and throw a Carolina rig or a jig and try to entice those deeper bigger fish into biting. Those fish are catch-able, you just have to know how to push their buttons. It could very well mean casting to the same spot over and over and over until that fish has just clearly had enough of you, and will bite out of aggravation. Another thing that I really key in on is STRUCTURE ON STRUCTURE. This is the key to finding that "sweet spot". Look for that isolated rock pile or single rock sitting on or just below the ledge. Look for the one lay-down that is running North/South, when all the other lay-downs are laying East/West. Look for changes in bottom composition. Look for a mini point coming off the ledge. Look for that one little grass clump sitting all by itself on or near that ledge. Look for a depth change on that ledge. That ledge may be the bank of what used to be a river or creek. Well, rivers and creeks often times have "feeder" creeks. These will appear as "ditches" running perpendiculiar to the ledge. These are very desirable areas for bass to hang out in. Some of my favorite baits to fish a ledge with are: The LIVE Magic Shad on a drop-shot rig. A Ringfry or a baby ringfry on a carolina rig A 1/2- 3/4oz jig with a Hyperfreak for a trailer for a very slow fall. More Lake Fork Trophy Lures products can be seen at www.lftlures.com Hopefully some of my information that I have shared will help some of you develop new tactics on how to approach ledge fishing. I certainly hope so!