"The strangest thing I ever caught would have to be a pair of men's underwear," said Linda Sands, who finished third in the Women's Bassmaster Tour season opener in Alabama. "It was on Smith Lake (Alabama) where we live. I caught them on a worm."
There was no word on boxers or briefs.
WBT Kick-Off Gets Big Time Approval
The nation's most enthusiastic female tournament bass anglers labored in the shadows for years and never enjoyed the important foundation that the men had long benefited from - a large, influential organization and national media partner.
Until now.
The support of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and parent company ESPN was in plain view at the recent launch of the Women's Bassmaster Tour at Alabama's Lake Neely Henry. And its significance was not lost on the competitors.
Here's a sampling of their reactions:
- Susan Gregory, of Long Beach, Miss.: "I competed on another tournament circuit for two years. This was awesome. The turnout was great. The field was full. We had a wonderful turnout at the weigh-ins. We had a lot of the people from town show up, and it was unbelievable. The excitement of this tournament was awesome. I just can't put it into words. There were sponsors out there on the docks supporting us. It's just a whole new sport for us."
- Co-angler Keri Schieber, of Cumming, Ga.: "I thought it was incredible. It was very professionally done. And all of the women I fished with were so nice. What I'm seeing with the pros is it's just like one, big family. Hopefully next year I'll be fishing as a pro."
- Linda Sands, of Cullman, Ala.: "Words can't describe how I feel about this first tournament. Just pulling in here (Guntersville High School football stadium, site of the final weigh-in) was overwhelming, to tell you the truth. It's been a long time coming, and we appreciate it so much what ESPN and BASS are doing for us."
- Penny Berryman, of Hot Springs, Ark.: "It really lived up to (expectations). You should have seen the weigh-ins. Everybody was screaming and hollering and having a great time. It was very well done. Does it feel different (from past women's circuits)? Well, sure it does. Competitively, no; but because of all of the organization and extra workers behind it - and the publicity - it's really wonderful. I can't wait for it to grow more."
- Kathy Hurst, of Ripley, Miss.: "It was great. I'm really excited about the circuit. I think it's going to grow to be a really good thing for women's fishing and the fishing industry as a whole."
BASS SCHOOL
Thanks to an innovative job-shadowing program at Lincoln Junior High School in Bentonville, Ark., 13-year-old Dalton Ross recently spent a day with pro Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark.
Ross hopes to be a bass pro someday.
"I think it's really cool that the school saw bass fishing as a legitimate profession," McClelland told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "That's an indication of how far this sport has come. It keeps growing and giving more people a realistic chance to make a living at it.
"I was honored that Dalton wanted to spend a day with me."
TEAM TRU-TUNGSTEN
Tru-Tungsten has gotten caught up in the Women's Bassmaster Tour excitement, as well, and has signed six female pros - Pam Martin-Wells, Laura Gober, Carol Martens, Robin Babb, Mary Hencken and Cheryl LaLumandier.
"Our purpose in sponsoring these outstanding women is to show the fishing industry that Tru-Tungsten is supporting the whole family in different kinds of fishing tournaments," pro staff manager Tom Branch Jr. said. "The women of Tru-Tungsten are going to prove that if you fish harder with Tru-Tungsten weights and lures, you will have an advantage on the competition."