Highlighting Women Anglers on International Women's Day

Women make fantastic anglers and represent a fast growing demographic within the fishing world. My own wife’s patience and natural feel for the sport has me losing the biggest fish bets we make every year and opening up my wallet for drinks at the end of the day. Whether it's redfish in Louisiana, brown trout in Montana, or coho salmon in British Columbia she continues to surprise me and inspire me.

On International Women’s Day we are paying tribute to women anglers all over by highlighting three women who dedicate their lives to fishing and water. Each represents a different region of the country, styles of fishing and favorite species targeted. The one thing they all have in common, however, is an early introduction to fishing and the outdoors that still shapes their lives today.

Betty Bauman: Founder of Ladies Let’s go Fishing

How long have you been fishing?

Since I was a child back home in Pennsylvania.

What was the first fish you caught?

I learned early on how to release bass and conservation ethics of handling fish on the family pond in Western PA

What type of fishing do you primarily do? (offshore inshore salt, fresh)

I'm mostly a saltwater angler and I love both inshore and offshore. I have a 25 foot boat and if it's windy I go inshore and on a calmer day I go offshore.

What is your go to piece of gear you will take into the apocalypse with you

A medium Penn spinning reel because it's versatile enough to catch inshore fish and all the way up to a mahi with it. 

What's your favorite species to target?

I like sailfish because of the thrill of the catch, I like mahi because they are so fun to catch and when you get into a school of them it is absolute pandemonium. If you can keep the school close to the boat you can catch fish after fish and they change into blues and neon greens when they get fired up. They get a lot of oohs and ahhs and they are great to eat. There's also many ways to catch them. You can troll for them, or sight fish. 

What’s your greatest catch ever?

I've got a couple 60 pound mahi that were stellar catches and I released a 350 pound marlin in the Virgin Islands. Let's put it this way my arms were very tired, but I kept fighting until it was at the boat for release. The crew threw me into the water after, which is customary after catching your first marlin. 

What’s your greatest moment in fishing? (This could be an amazing cast you had, a moment where your intuition paid off, your best fish, or anything else where your experience as an angler truly paid off)

I was in the Keys with my husband and I like to cast under weedlines. I was driving the boat by myself as my husband took a nap and I found a weedline. I had some inshore rods and I cast out an artificial shrimp and around a 40 pound Mahi came out from under the weedline, glowing with blues and greens. Then I cast again and a marlin came out from underneath. THe marlin came right up to the side of the boat and I could see the strip on its body. I didn't have the tackle to land them, but if you close your eyes it's one of those moments you never forget.

What’s your favorite body of water/place to fish without giving up any secret spots?

I would say IslaMorada, and I also love to fish the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. You can catch Mahi, Marlin, go backcountry for bonefish, tuna are not far from land and the water just goes from turquoise to indigo. It's just a wonderful destination to catch offshore fish.

What fish/destination is still on your bucket list and why?

Maybe Guatemala or Cabo San Lucas. Guatemala is a destination I haven't been to. It's more than just catching the fish, it's about learning about a new country and having a new adventure. I've done some trips with my organization to Cuba and that was on my list. 

What has fishing done for you as a person?

Fishing has given me a chance to engage with the outdoors and take my mind off the everyday stress of life. Boating is fun but fishing lets you interact with whats underneath the surface. It's not just the fish, but the birds, the egrets, you might see a manatee. It's the total experience regardless of what you might catch, or what you might release. When you're on a boat and you're not fishing, you may talk about the sunset for a while but when someone catches their first fish that's a memory you will never forget and one you will share with that person forever.

If the fate of the world depended on you catching a fish with your next cast, which bait would you put on to save us all?

If we are offshore I would put on a ballyhoo and if we are inshore I’m putting on a live pilchard. 

Conservation has an official definition, but it also has a personal meaning to each angler. What does fishing conservation mean to you personally?

A few things. Number one it means to release some fish and to know which fish you should release. And it means to limit your take and don't take your limit. Leave some fish in the water to live and dont always fill your freezer. Eat them fresh and catch some more.

What is the goal of Ladies Let’s Go Fishing?

The mission is to empower women to enter the sport of fishing by having knowledge and hands on practice of fishing experience with conservation in mind.

Upcoming events

We have freshwater bass fishing trips coming up in south Florida on March 4th,

March18-19th Gulf Coast inshore seminar

April 14-16 south Florida offshore seminar

May 19-21 Keys Screamin’ fishing tournament

Sept 22-23 bass fishing in central FLorida

Oct 13-15 Keys full day fishing university 

NOV 18-19 St Augustine surf fishing Academy 

We've had over 9000 graduates from our classes and more are signing up every year.

Why did you see the need to establish this? 

Around 26 years ago. There was talk at ICAST about the low numbers of women participating in the sport and at that point they were wondering why. If ladies have the chance to learn the terminology and the equipment before they are expected to perform on the water they will remain in the sport longer. If they have the opportunity to network with other women they will also remain in the sport.

Madison Palmer: Photographer and Influencer at Deadeye Outfitters

How long have you been fishing?

Earliest I've seen a picture of myself holding a fishing rod was four at a lake in the Sierra Nevadas.

What was the first fish you caught?

A rainbow trout, I was so little I don’t even remember, I just have pictures.

What type of fishing do you primarily do? (offshore inshore salt, fresh)

I primarily fish offshore, in Ventura County Sea Bass is probably my favorite right now and we are trying to get more into tuna fishing.

What is your go to piece of gear you will take into the apocalypse with you?

Probably my grundens. I literally couldn't survive on the ocean without them. It gets so cold and moist on the ocean. They are the first thing I pack when I'm packing my bag.

What's your favorite species to target?

In the salt its sea bass and in freshwater I love salmon fishing. My grandpa got me hooked on it in Idaho and I try to go every year with him. 

What’s your greatest catch ever?

Definitely a sea bass I caught last year. It was about 45 pounds. I went with my husband and a friend and my sea bass looks twice as big as theirs. 

What’s your greatest moment in fishing?

I think my greatest moment is in salmon fishing. It was early in the season and no one had caught a salmon yet as far as I had heard from anyone on the river. Everyone was losing motivation and I stayed out there all day long and ended up catching one 20 minutes before sunset. It was an average size for a salmon. 

The first time I went salmon fishing by myself in Idaho, I was camping on the side of the road, working a spot no one else was. I was trying to figure out how to work a hole all day and the second day I fished the morning and had to leave by afternoon. I ended up catching a giant native salmon and the only one near me was a trout angler with his kids. I ended up landing the fish solo in front of the trout angler and his family.

What’s your favorite body of water/place to fish? (no giving up big secrets here)

I would say Crowley Lake in the Sierras. It's the traditions. Every year since I’ve met my husband we’ve taken our kayak out there and fished for our anniversary and for mule days. You can catch big rainbows and browns. It's a big lake and a lot of fun for the tradition.

What fish/destination is still on your bucket list and why?

We want to go to New Zealand. I don't know if it will ever happen, but the hunting and fishing there look amazing.

I personally haven’t caught my own bluefin tuna yet. That is my goal for this year on our boat.

What has fishing done for you as a person?

Definitely it's taught me patience. And living in southern California now it allows us to get away from people and be in our own space. Growing up in the Sierras I had that all the time and now down here in Southern California it's harder to get, but fishing still allows it.

If the fate of the world depended on you catching a fish with your next cast, which bait would you put on to save us all?

In the ocean for sure a live squid. If I had access to any piece of squid it would be beneficial. 

Conservation has an official definition, but it also has a personal meaning to each angler. What does fishing conservation mean to you personally?

I would say it means always being respectful to your catches. Not taking too much time in handling, or taking your photo. Release the fish healthy and give the next angler a chance to catch them. We do this especially with trout fishing as they are a more tender species.

Cameron Rhodes: Writer and photographer at The Buckskin Billfish

How long have you been fishing?

I don’t really know. I must have been young, maybe around 4 or 5. I fished because my dad fished.

What was the first fish you caught?

I texted my dad to see if he could remember, and he guessed that it was probably a bluefish. 

When did you start taking fishing photos?

I think it was my sophomore year in college. My parents gifted me my first DSLR camera for my birthday and I started taking it along whenever my dad and I would go fishing together. I can’t say I produced anything at that time worth looking at again, but it was certainly something I enjoyed and practiced. I didn’t start shooting professionally until I landed a job with the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series. I’ve been working with the Gov Cup for seven years now and it was their early trust that later opened many doors for me.

What type of fishing do you primarily do? (offshore inshore salt, fresh)

Frankly, I don’t get on the water nearly as much as I’d like. But when I do go, I’m primarily in the Lowcountry’s saltwater creeks or offshore. 

What is your go to piece of gear you will take into the apocalypse with you?

I’m certain I won’t last very long, so maybe Pepto Bismol for the inevitable.

What piece of camera gear will you document the apocalypse with?

My Canon R5 and RF 70-200mm

What's your favorite species to target?

I’m on the other end of the lens a lot, but I’d have to say redfish. 

Which species is your favorite to photograph?

That is such a tough choice, and one likely to change depending on the day. But after having just returned from a trip to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, today I’d say sailfish and blue marlin.

You spend perhaps more time fishing behind the camera lens, so how does getting the feeling of getting the fishing photo differ from landing the fish?

As a professional writer, I get wrapped up in the romance of sport fishing characters and fish tales. I’m constantly taking note of little moments from the experience to accent whatever stories will be shared at the dock. Battling a fish comes with its own suite of thrills, but getting the shot feels like another splash of color to an already lively story. The fact that the angler can hang that shot on their office wall or blast it through their social channels just gives that fish tale some additional legs. It’s a good feeling, and a proud one.

What’s your greatest catch ever?

A nice red drum caught In Edisto Island, SC. I don’t even remember the length of the fish, but it was tough for me to hold up and I was extremely proud that I reeled it in successfully.

What’s your favorite fishing photo?

Many of my photos are fishing adjacent. I spend a lot of time photographing sport fishing boats on the run and tournament activity back at the dock. But right now I think my favorite photo is a shot of an angry, lit up, sailfish just before being released in Costa Rica. 

Your greatest catch, or the ultimate cover photo, which would you prefer?

The ultimate cover photo! I have yet to get a cover shot, but I’m hopeful for one in the future. Being the one to capture someone else’s catch is far more meaningful to me than celebrating my own. 

What’s your greatest moment in fishing? (This could be an amazing cast you had, a moment where your intuition paid off, your best fish, or anything else where your experience as an angler truly paid off)

I was probably around 10 years old at the time. My dad and I were fishing for bluefish in Long Island Sound. It was just the two of us on the water and the bite had been incredible. We would look for birds, pick up and run, and then immediately cast into a boil of hungry bluefish just off the bow. At that point, I’d never experienced fishing like that, the kind that keeps you on your toes and your heart in your throat. But it wasn’t even the feverish fishing that left the greatest impression on me that day. As the bite suddenly turned off, we both carefully scanned the horizon. This required patience, a virtue I even now, at 32, have yet to fully master. Suddenly, I spotted the white wings of hovering gulls and terns in the distance. Blinking twice to make sure my eyes could be trusted, I called out to my dad and pointed. While turning the engine, he said with a tone of elated praise, “Good eyes, Cam.” I couldn’t have felt more seen. It’s such a small moment between a father and daughter, but it’s still one that I remember vividly.

What’s your favorite body of water/place to fish? (no giving up big secrets here)

It’s a saltwater creek meandering along Edisto Island, South Carolina. I can’t say anything else though. It once was a relatively private spot, but it is now frequently visited by others. There are no secrets anymore. We certainly weren’t the first to fish it, but we’ll hold on to the myth of our undisclosed honey hole for as long as we can.

What fish/destination is still on your bucket list as an angler and why?

I’d really like to wrangle a tarpon someday. Not only are tarpon my favorite fish, they also put up a hell of a fight. There is something to be said about battling a species that boasts such interesting biology and life history, allowing them to even gulp air when in environments with low oxygen. Seeing a tarpon is like pulling the curtain back on prehistoric times. And I like the idea of catching and releasing a dinosaur.

What destination is on your list for photography?

I’d really like to go to Mag Bay to photograph striped marlin. With the outrageous number of bites possible there, I’d wear out my shutter.

What has fishing done for you as a person?

Anglers have been some of the most important and influential characters in my life, both personally and professionally. When choosing to pursue marine biology in college, later taking a job in federal fisheries management, and then going on to start my own business as a freelance writer and photographer, I know that it was fishermen and my fishing experiences with them that helped shape those interests. I can often count on the anglers in my life for guidance, inspiration, and a hell of a good laugh. 

If the fate of the world depended on you catching a fish with your next cast, which bait would you put on to save us all?

If the fate of the world depended on it, I’d use a good chunk of cut mullet. Somebody would bite, right?

Conservation has an official definition, but it also has a personal meaning to each angler. What does fishing conservation mean to you personally?

Conservation is about the use of a resource. When I initially got interested in a career in marine conservation, I was loosely planted in the preservationist mindset. I was interacting with people who were far more aligned with organizations that wanted to protect the environment and the world’s biodiversity without consideration for the potential impacts of extreme measures. Frankly, it’s preachy and annoying. After leaning on my own experiences with anglers and working with scientists who deeply care about people and sustainability, my perspective shifted to a conservation ethic that encourages anglers and hunters to pursue fish and game responsibly. That doesn’t mean we have to practice catch and release all the time. That doesn’t mean we can’t increase bag limits where appropriate. It’s instead the careful and practical interaction with a resource, and participation in a natural phenomenon between predator and prey. Personally, I like being part of that cycle and helping share the stories of those who practice that delicate balance. Preservation removes us from the wildness of the natural world, as if we don’t belong there or are somehow superior. Conservation makes us just another player in Earth’s game. I’d rather be in the game.

Now let's go fishing. The ladies can bring the big nets.

If you haven't experienced the #1 fishing app worldwide, make sure and check out Fishbrain to see all the fish data, fishing spots, weather conditions you've been missing out on plus much more.