Bridget's First Bass

Bridget has been fishing with her dad since the age of 5. He would cast her rod and reel for her and if the line didn’t land where she wanted it to go, he would cast it again at her insistence. A trout-fishing trip to Levittown Lake (about 25 miles from their home) actually landed Bridget her first largemouth bass. She got angry at her father for not letting her keep it. After all, her fish was much bigger than his trout! Being so young, she didn’t understand that there were different species of fish and different seasons to catch them in. This was the start of her passion for bass fishing. Shortly after that trip, she knew she had the “bug” pretty bad and all she wanted to do was fish. By the age of 7, she was fishing out of a boat and her dad was teaching her to use artificial lures to catch bass.                                   

When the Women’s Bassmaster Tour was announced, Bridget realized she wantedto be a part of history in the making. She had spent years watching the male anglers on television and feeling dismayed by the few women who were able to break through the mold. The WBT tour was a dream, come true.

Before joining the WBT, Bridget had never fished outside of Pennsylvania. Fishing all over the country with her dad at her side has been an adventure for both of them. Ken does all the driving, supports her morally and encourages her to follow her “gut” instincts on the water. He often tells her that she is living out his dream also. Now, he documents her tournaments at launch and weigh-in with a video camera. On tournament days his “bass caddy” duties include doing the laundry and he always has dinner waiting for Bridget. Ken does get to explore the lake at each tournament and do some bank fishing early in the day before it gets too hot.

Bridget feels that the main reason her dad insists on traveling with her and being her bass caddie is because he wants her to be safe. Although she has been a police officer since the age of 21, he still thinks of her as the 5 year-old little girl having her picture made with her very first bass. Ken is a retired “Philly cop” with 26 years of service. Now he works part-time as a security guard, but when it is tournament time, he changes uniforms and becomes “Bridget’s Bass Caddie”.

Growing up in a family of police officers has been an inspiration for Bridget. Her older brother Sean is also a police officer. She says that she doesn’t recall ever NOT wanting to be a police officer because she has so much admiration for her Dad and was always proud to see him in uniform. She spent much of her childhood (when not fishing) pretending to be a police officer. She would carry a camera around to catch neighborhood kids in the act of “wrongdoing”. She has always wanted to be one of the “good guys”.

Now, she wants to make fishing a career and dreams of someday fishing on the Elite Tour and eventually qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic. Other than her dad, Bridget’s fishing mentors include Penny Berryman, Lucy Mize, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Roland Martin and Mike Iaconelli. Her favorite fishing techniques are topwater and finesse fishing. Her favorite lake is Lake Guntersville. She is also thankful for all the friends she has made while fishing the WBT, especially her practice partner Kathy Womack from Moody, Alabama.

Bridget knows she is lucky to have supportive parents who encourage her to follow her dreams. They have always given her the space to be whoever she wanted to be. Bridget’s mom is a colon cancer survivor and has been unable to travel in recent years. Bridget says that her mom doesn’t quite “get it” when it comes to tournament fishing, but she definitely supports her. Her dad Ken is her biggest fan and he will always be “one of the good guys” in her life. She is so grateful that he took the time when she was growing up to take her fishing.

Bridget’s sponsors include; Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Kicker Fish Bait Company, Blakemore Lure Group and Bridesburg Bait and Tackle.


Bridget Allen and Lucy Mize
Lake Guntersville