Many people in my hometown of Madison, North Carolina and neighboring communities know that I fish. My daughter says that I am a “celebrity” so to speak to those who know me and to those who have read about me in local and area newspapers. I am the only female angler from my hometown that tournament bass fishes on a national level. I am frequently called “the fishing lady” as friends and strangers alike always want to know how well I did in my last tournament and where will I be fishing the next one. Every summer, their favorite question for me is “Is it too hot to fish?” I usually reply with a sheepish grin: “Not early in the morning or late in the evening”! Most of these people know that when I am not working I am at a pond or lake or preparing for my next tournament. They know that I fish!

It has taken me years to build my “fishing” reputation. I had to prove to many that I was serious and dedicated to the sport, including some family members. I have been schooled along the way by many male anglers, but my husband is the one who gave me “the bass fishing fever”. Some of those male anglers I fished with had a wife or girlfriend. I had to earn their trust as well. After all, I was spending a whole day on a boat with their husband or boyfriend. My husband has always been supportive of my efforts and if there was any jealousy, it was because I was out fishing some days while he was working! In many of the bass tournaments I fished, I was often the only female in a field of 200 or more anglers. I built up my fishing reputation through hard work, dedication, persistence and patience one tournament at a time.

Although tournament bass fishing is my choice, I do like to fish for other species of fish. I grew up fishing with my mother and siblings. We fished for whatever was biting that day. It was my husband who taught me that you could select the species of fish you wanted to catch. Bass fishing is my favorite, but I also like to go catfishing. If I lived at the coast, I would probably be on a pier at every opportunity to see what I could catch. I have always wanted to go deep-sea fishing but my fear of water and inability to swim would definitely interfere with my ability to enjoy a day of fishing on the ocean no matter how large the boat or how calm the water.

Yes, I just said that I can’t swim and I am afraid of water! So how is it that I can launch and load a boat by myself and fish all day (many times I fish alone) on a big lake? I guess I put a lot of trust in my life jacket and a lot of faith in my guardian “fishing” angel, not to mention my mother looking down from above to guide and protect me! I inherited my fear of water from my mother, but unlike my mother I chose to not let that fear keep me from doing something I love. She was happy fishing from the bank of a pond or lake. The first time I watched a TV show with women anglers driving their own bass boats and competing in bass tournaments, I knew I wanted to be a part of the excitement. That meant facing my fear of water. My mother was never comfortable with me fishing out of a boat, but she would always ask about my tournaments. I envy the mothers and daughters who tournament fish together. What a special bond they must have!

Sometimes I ask myself, “Why do I fish”? This is especially true on days when I “can’t buy a bite” and vow that I am going to give all my tackle away! Tournament fishing is an expensive hobby. I could take the work and expense out of it and just fish on occasion at a local pond or lake. Nothing wrong with that… many people choose to fish that way and I do that myself, on occasion. I just know that when I set foot on a bass boat at day break on tournament days and observe dozens of other boats floating around with their running lights reflecting like Christmas decorations on the water and watch the shadowy figures of other competitors making last minute adjustments to their tackle and boat as they wish each other a good and safe day of fishing, it is one of the most exhilarating feelings I have ever experienced. Listening to the Star Spangled Banner being sung while watching our country’s flag hang silently in the mist of dawn’s early light, always brings tears to my eyes as I am forever reminded how lucky I am to be alive and able to enjoy the many freedoms that others can only dream about. 

I fish! That’s what I do and will do as long as I can cast and reel. Because I fish, it doesn’t make me special. I respect all outdoor enthusiasts no matter what their sport of choice may be as long as they participate with honesty and integrity. Because I fish, it doesn’t make me different. According to a 2006 survey by the Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation, I am one of over 34 million adults in the United States that fish. I fish because fishing makes me happy when little else in life can. The more I fish, the more I want to fish.

I know that someday my fishing days will end and I will pass my tackle down to my grandson in hopes that he will keep my angling legacy alive as I have done for my mother and other family members before her. It is like adding links to a chain and hoping that all the links remain strong and there are no breaks.

As I enter my “rockin" years” I will look forward to my grandson’s visits and the “fish stories” he has to share with me. I will never be alone. I will have all my fishing memories to keep me company and give me moments of peace as I remember the joy of competition, the beautiful lakes and rivers of America that I got to fish and the angling friends I made along the way.

Most of all, I will remember the fish…the ones that fought the hardest, the ones that leaped above the water’s surface to show their powerful acrobatic form, the biggest ones, the smallest ones and the “ones that got away”.

Without the fish, there would be no fishing!