Interview with women's 12 pound record holder, Lea Anne Powell.

It's not every week you break your personal best on back to back days. In fact, for most of us it will never happen in a lifetime. Lea Anne Powell not only did that, but she set a fishing record while doing it. We caught up with the new women's 12-pound class record holder in between tournament fishing and racing appearances.

Follow along we dive into her humble fishing beginnings, her first rod and onto her first tournament appearance and her 12 pound largemouth of a lifetime.

Your Beginning/Your Start

Q: Can you tell us about your intro to fishing?

My grandfather took me and my brother fishing, I remember sitting at a dock using a cane pole.  From there, my cousin Ashley took us to a stocked rainbow trout pond.  I was hooked from there.

Q: Who was your fishing mentor, or your primary influence while learning, or did you pull yourself up by your bootstraps to get where you are?

There wasn’t one mentor—just a lot of grit and trial and error. I learned from watching, asking questions, and failing forward. Every cast taught me something new.

Q: What was the first fish species that you fell in love with?

Bass. There’s just something about the fight they put up and the unpredictability of how they strike.  Not to mention the ever changing situations…. throw one color they will shut off, figuring them out was so methodical.

Q: What’s your home water?

Lake Lanier will always have my heart. It’s where I cut my teeth, learned to read the water, and really built my confidence as an angler.

Q: Do you remember your very first rod?

Absolutely. It wasn’t fancy, but it was mine. That rod gave me independence. It felt like I was officially part of the game.

Q: Do you have a specific catch, or moment fishing that made you think, “I just absolutely love everything about this sport”?

Yes—landing my first big bass on a topwater lure. There’s nothing like seeing the water explode and realizing you fooled a fish that big. I was hooked for life.

Your Start

Q: At what age did you start pursuing fishing formally, or seriously?

I started getting serious in my late twenties. It went from being a hobby to something I knew I wanted to master.  I have never done much in moderation.

Q: When and what was your first tournament?

My first tournament was an event in California. I was nervous and honestly didn’t know if I belonged.

Q: How did it go?

I didn’t win, but I learned more in one day than I had in years of fishing solo. It lit a fire in me.

Q: Do you compete in salt and freshwater tournaments?

Yes, but freshwater—especially bass tournaments—are where my heart is.

Q: What’s your go-to lure to start a tournament?

A Texas-rigged soft plastic. It’s versatile and dependable when the bite is tough.

Q: Were there any tournament moments where you really questioned yourself and fishing?

Oh, plenty. There are days when nothing clicks—wrong spots, wrong lures—and you start asking yourself if you’ve lost your touch.

Q: What about the opposite? What are the moments that pulled you back from doubt?

Breaking personal bests or landing a clutch fish in the last few minutes of a tournament. Those moments remind me why I grind so hard.

Your Style

Q: Do you have an all-time favorite species you’ll love to fish for?

Yes—bass. They’re smart, elusive, and every one feels like a puzzle.

Q: Which species or locations are still on your bucket list?

Peacock bass in the Amazon and giant trevally in Oman.

Q: What’s your go-to rod and reel combo?

A Daiwa Tatula rod paired with a Daiwa Tatula reel. Smooth and reliable. 

Q: If the fate of the world depended on you catching a fish on your next cast, which lure are you putting on?

Weightless senko.

Your Record

Q: You now hold the record for women’s 12-pound class. But that was your second personal best in 16 hours. Can you run us through how those two catches came about?

I went to OH Ivie to fun fish with my friend Dalton Smith. The first day I was there we fished up river with the steep rocks and cliffs because the main lake was blowing too hard. We took a lunch break and went to elm creek; their food is to die for by the way.

By the time we got done eating and hanging out and killing some time, we decided to go back out to the main lake. We explored quite a bit and couldn’t really find any fish to commit. Towards the evening we decided to start deep cranking.  We were throwing DT 16s til I felt like my shoulder was gonna fall off.  

I got tired and passed rod over to Dalton. He immediately hooked into a seven pounder. Right after I took the rod and threw straight  back out and hooked into a 10 Pounder!!!!! my first double digit ever.  The line went spongy and it was on. I couldn’t believe it. Everyone on the lake heard when I caught that fish. Lol

We went out that evening and decided to get back at it the following morning. We were Fishing in about 15 foot of water in some salt trees.  Dalton was on the back of the boat fiddling with something and I was playing with the live scope.  I’m not one for video games, but I saw something that looked like a fish following my lure and Dalton had told me to retrieve steadily up to the top. I was retrieving when the fish nosed on my bait and then turned away.  

Instinctively, I opened the bale, and I let the bait fall back down (despite what I was told) the fish that was tailing my lure immediately nosed down on the bait and gave the smallest tick ever. I pressure set the fish and it was game on. She was 15 foot down 45 foot from the boat in salt trees. I had no idea the complexity of the flight that was underway.  

Dalton ran up to the front of the boat and looked at the livescope and he told me to look down because apparently I had a wolf pack with this fish. However, I could not take my eyes off the rod tip because every time she got remotely close to the boat she would start swimming back down.  After about a 15 minute fight, we finally got her in the net.  This fish was so big she dredged a hole where the hook was and when she hit the deck, the bait just fell out out of her mouth. It was insane.

Q: Were the conditions just perfect? Or did you feel something in the air?

Luckily, the weather calmed down and it seemed to be right place right time.  It was just a fun day fishing kind of hard to describe.

Q: What did you catch it/them on?

she was caught on 10 pound Seeger red label with about a 3 inch set up: a damiki rig with a white fluke and the tail dipped and Spike It dip -n- glow chartreuse garlic scent.  Can’t go wrong!

Q: Most of us won’t ever dream of a fish that big. What is the reality of holding it like?

Surreal. It’s not just the size—it’s the story, the work, and the years behind that moment.

Your Image

Q: Can you give us a run-down of how it feels to be a highly visible representative of women in angling?

It’s humbling. I never set out to be “the woman in fishing,” I just wanted to be good at what I truly am passionate about. But I take pride in showing other women they belong on the water too!

Q: Have you faced adversity as a woman that you now have a platform to combat within sportfishing?

Yes. From not being taken seriously to being underestimated. But I’d rather let my results speak. You can’t argue with a record fish on the board, going to regionals my second year ever fishing serious tournaments, or teaching others with Texas Parks and Wildlife certification. 

Q: How does it feel having the next generation of women anglers looking to you as an example?

It’s the best part of all this. If my journey can light a fire for someone else, every struggle has been worth it!!

You can learn more about Lea Anne's fishing journey, her tournament appearances and more by following her Instagram account, or check out her website for more info.

Now let's go fishing.

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