Female Pro Anglers: Why Not?

[JackstrawIII]

I have a question that I hope isn't offensive in any way.

 

I've always looked at pro fishing and wondered why there aren't more ladies involved in the highest levels of competition. It seems like fishing is an area where women could compete with men on an even playing field, and yet it doesn't seem to happen. Though fishing is stereotypically seen as a "guy thing"... that's not actually true. A recent Bassmaster article suggests that over 1/3 of anglers in America are female... which makes one wonder why there is such minimal female representation in pro fishing. 

 

Has anyone else wondered this? Is there a good reason? I read some articles about it and people have postulated some ideas, but they all seem kinda arbitrary. 

 

Just curious to hear if anyone has insight into this. Thanks. 

[Susky River Rat]

I am just going to be candid and this is not how I personally think just trying to answer the question.  
 

It’s harder for women to be taken seriously in a “man’s sport”. Harder to get sponsors etc. Sadly It’s stereotypes that hold them back I would think. I hope I am wrong. Maybe someone else has insight. 

 

I do believe there is many women who can out fish a lot of men and should be on the tour. 

[Catt]

There are quite a few women who are/were very successful. 

 

One I personally know is Ann Thomasson-Wilson owner of Ann's Tackle in Jasper Texas. 

Ann was a pioneer in the professional fishing ranks as the sport began to take shape in the early 1970s. In 1988 and 1989, she reached the pinnacle as she won the title of Woman’s World Bass Champion. 

 

[Zcoker]

I don't see how your question would be offensive. Plenty of hardcore females out there. Kristine Fischer is one of them. Quite popular. She just stated doing pro tours with good sponsorship, or at least she's just getting into it. She was once kayak only and did a ton of pro kayak tournaments, out fishing many male competitors in her rigged out Hobie. She's also has a large following on YouTube with her channel. From what I gather, she's a HUGH advocate for female anglers. Inspirations is a good thing. Gotta start somewhere!  

[gim]

I assume the title of this should read Female Pro Anglers, not Angers (as in angry).

 

I've always wondered this too.  If you look at the Elites and MLF/BPS tour, there isn't a single one.  Its been like that for years too.  I'm not against it at all, I just find it a little odd.  As long as you qualify like everyone else, have at it.

 

The only female I know personally that specifically bass fishes is my wife and I'm the one that got her into it, even if it was ever so slightly.

 

My Mother is an avid walleye angler, she fishes tournaments here with my Father or a family friend of hers in about 10 events.  She's been doing this for almost 10 years now.  Walleye fishing is not casting though, its mostly live bait rigging or trolling.  She has never cared to cast much even though she grew up in an avid outdoors family.

 

I don't follow youtube much.  If someone is on there, they are generally looking for views, clicks, and subscriptions..."look at me" type attention.  Hard pass.

[Team9nine]

18 minutes ago, Catt said:

There are quite a few women who are/were very successful. 

 

One I personally know is Ann Thomasson-Wilson owner of Ann's Tackle in Jasper Texas. 

Ann was a pioneer in the professional fishing ranks as the sport began to take shape in the early 1970s. In 1988 and 1989, she reached the pinnacle as she won the title of Woman’s World Bass Champion. 

 

 

😎

https://bass-archives.com/ann-thomasson-living-dreams/

 

[Catt]

Not to stir the pot but quite a few men couldn't handle being beat by a woman. This bias closed a lot of doors. 

 

Another friend of mine is Diane (Reel Women) Johnson. Very successful tournament angler who sadly had to retire to take care of her husband.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

There are less professional anglers (folks who actually make a good living) than MLB baseball players, and just about every other major professional sport.  

 

Do you realize how many men try and fail at becoming professional anglers?

 

There are roughly 100 Elite Series spots, and roughly 80 BPT spots.    

 

Female derby anglers make up less than a percentage point of all those anglers at the Invitational (MLF) and Open (BASS) levels trying to qualify for the Elites or BPTs.

 

The reason more women aren't represented in pro fishing is because very, very, very few women try to make it.     Nothing is holding women back, sponsors would love to sponsor them, tournament organizations would love to have them, and ultimately male professional anglers would respect them if they earned their ticket to the Elites or BPTs on meritocracy.  

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, JackstrawIII said:

A recent Bassmaster article suggests that over 1/3 of anglers in America are female... 

If I were to accept this as true (I do not), then I think it would still badly mis-characterize the pro disparity.   Because I believe that ratio for 'serious' bass anglers is no where near 1/3.... or 1/10.  And anybody who is less than 'serious' is not even contemplating going pro.  My wife, mom, sister, step-daughter and granddaughter fish.  It isn't the same thing as me, my Dad, stepbrother, grandfather as anglers.... well, maybe my mom..

  But the average intensity of commitment even to fun fishing isn't close between men and women I know, except for a very few exceptions.  So, the 1/3 colors the discussion out the gate.  

  As to reasons why....I'm not sure B.A.S.S. and MLF aren't partly to blame.   Until maybe 18 months ago, they seemed to largely ignore women.

  I'd say ask some of the few women around the sport but they don't seem to know... or maybe aren't forthcoming about it.  Never heard Pam Martin Wells, Trait Zaldain, Kristine Fischer, Lisa Talmadge, etc. express that they understand why not more.  BASS seems to be making a concerted outreach lately.  Maybe we'll see a difference in coming years.

[MIbassyaker]

7 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

😎

https://bass-archives.com/ann-thomasson-living-dreams/

 

 

Brian, when I saw this thread, the first thing I thought of was the long series of  female angler profiles on your site:

https://bass-archives.com/category/lady-anglers/

[Choporoz]

3 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

, and ultimately male professional anglers would respect them if they earned their ticket to the Elites or BPTs on meritocracy.  

I want to believe this...and maybe I do.  But I wonder if female anglers believe it.   The risk or perception that it isn't true could be nearly as great a barrier as the real thing

[AlabamaSpothunter]

This site is a great representation for the Bass fishing public in terms of true committed or "obsessed" anglers.

 

To my knowledge we have one very special, and incredibly talented female angler, which is @ol'crickety

 

This goes to @Choporoz point above.  

[gim]

9 minutes ago, Catt said:

Not to stir the pot but quite a few men couldn't handle being beat by a woman.

 

Sounds like these men have ego issues.

 

Not like you need to be in great athletic shape or have a more muscular build to compete in this.  It can't be physical limitations that's holding it back.

 

Heck, nowadays, you can just master the scope and compete.

[Choporoz]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Not like you need to be in great athletic shape or have a more muscular build to compete in this.  It can't be physical limitations that's holding it back.

One theory has been not about athleticism, but some 'nebulous' hunter instinct.

[Catt]

Some of y'all need to do some research. I would suggest Bass Fishing Archives as a starting point. 

 

Bais against female anglers during the 70s was extremely high & is still quite high.

[gim]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

Some of y'all need to do some research. I would suggest Bass Fishing Archives as a starting point. 

 

Bais against female anglers during the 70s was extremely high & is still quite high.

 

That's so far before my time its completely irrelevant to me, and probably several others.  Females didn't used to be politicians, police officers, firefighters, pro basketball, or pro hockey players either.  This isn't the 70's anymore.

 

Can you give a specific example of bias towards female anglers in recent memory? There's none here.  And I have never seen it in my lifetime either.

[Choporoz]

Social media has a role here, I'd imagine.  We know it is nearly impossible to make it as a pro angler without internet personal marketing.  But women must face extraordinarily harder time building a brand online.  I only follow serious anglers (except Fat Cat Newton, I suppose).  But I'd guess that over half the time my FB feed shows a woman fishing, it's a pic that isn't getting any clicks because of the fish.  Couple that perception of females with fish in bikinis along with the unreal vile reception that serious women angler get online, it has to be far harder to create and maintain public online presence....than for a male, I mean.

[Catt]

@gimruis The female anglers got the message load & clear that they would not be accepted by male anglers. 

[Functional]

I think something else missed here is the dangers for women chasing a life in the professional circuit. Its a life on the road in hotels/motels and unless they have someone they do it with would be more dangerous for a female to be doing than a male. As is can already be sketchy enough for men to do it and if I recall right there have been recent comments made by some of our own members here that attest to that. A lone female is going to present a seemingly easier target than a lone male. This alone is probably enough to turn off a good portion of women who want to try their hand but don't want that type of risk.  If you ever have or will follow Kristine Fischer she even admits she doesnt do hotels or motels, she finds air bnbs or bunks up with other people she knows from the tour. 

 

As far as the sport itself there is nothing physically limiting that would prevent females from competing just as high level as men. I'm sure there are plenty of men who would get bent out of shape being beaten by a female but that is the case in nearly ever other coed sport. 

 

As for statistics think of it this way...if only 10% of the male fishing population competes in general and only 3-5% of that is in the pro level it makes sense why only a handful of females are at or approaching that level. (I've pulled those percentages from thin air, but I believe the sentiment should get my point across) 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

For the record on multiple podcasts Kristine Fischer has never said she felt she wasn't wanted or discriminated against because of her gender.   Perhaps women did feel that way in the 70s, but that's 50 years ago and a lot of stuff has changed.   I was never alive when women were discriminated against for fishing, moreover in my lifetime I've only witnessed men trying hard to include females into the sport.   Most men I know would LOVE to take a woman fishing, be it wifes, daughters, GFs, friends, whoever.  

 

If you really want a good opinion on the matter, her interviews on the Dave Mercer podcast, and the Bilge podcast are good listens.  

 

At least according to her, it's not because of biased opinions towards female anglers.  She says all the male anglers she competes against are extremely welcoming, and helpful.  

[GReb]

Maybe females aren’t as foolish to spend $100k to make $50k. 😂

[Catt]

There's a resentment against young anglers who Livescope & y'all think there's no resentment against females?

 

What guys tell Kristene to her face may not exactly what they say behind her back. 

 

The damage done back in 70s left a lasting impression. 

[Craig P]

I don’t know the history of bass tournament series but one thing I have noticed about bass anglers of yester-year and today is that they go on the road and those with kids (many) have a solid anchor at home, Mom!

 

I don’t know that a woman would get the same kind of support from their spouse.  As controversial as it is to say today, I will say it in general, Mom has always been and will always be better than Dad at raising a family. 

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, JackstrawIII said:

It seems like fishing is an area where women could compete with men on an even playing field, and yet it doesn't seem to happen.

 

Agreed. 

 

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

To my knowledge we have one very special, and incredibly talented female angler, which is @ol'crickety

 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

But the average intensity of commitment even to fun fishing isn't close between men and women I know, except for a very few exceptions.  So, the 1/3 colors the discussion out the gate. 

 

I am committed to fun fishing, but I'm not hardwired for competitive fishing. I wouldn't enjoy the pressure. Competing would make it less fun, not more fun. In my entire life, I competed in one tournament (for muskies) with another woman where all the other teams were men. That was my one and done, even though we won it and the men were nothing but supportive. I want to be on a quiet lake, not a lake that actually gathers anglers to compete. 

 

The only time I ever felt the competitive fire was when I was being kind to a guy who was in my canoe and he was catching more fish than me the first day and started bragging. Then it was game-on and I outfished him for six, straight days. My takeaway from that week wasn't to compete more, but to avoid fishing with guys like that.