Today, I was chatting with a friend over MSN, and the subject of women fishing competitively came up. Now…most of you know that I do not fish competitively. I do, however, think of myself as a pretty adept fisherwoman in some areas of fishing…Pike Fishing, for example. I feel as though a person can be taken seriously even if they fish only because of a true passion for the sport.

However, my friend and I started chatting about the sport of competitive fishing, and fishing in general, and why it was so hard for women to be successful or taken seriously. He said that to be respected women feel the need to behave in a manly way and to be “butch” so to speak. That men respect them more for behaving in this manner and they get more press and attention doing this but still not as much as the men. Another friend of mine also noted that women do not get as much press in the sport and wondered why.

We chatted and chatted about this subject until I finally said…”if a man will only give me respect because I conform to what he thinks I should behave like…or look like…then I do not want his respect”…and that is that.

I thought about my lovely friend Sondra Rankin (http://www.sondrarankin.com/) who is a professional fisherwoman, and she is beautiful. She is also a girl…and she is one when she fishes. She is adorable. Does she gets as much press as I think she deserves…Hell NO!!!! There are so many lovely women in this world that need to be open to the idea that fishing is no longer a man’s sport. Sondra embodies this. However, there are so many lovely men in this world that also need to be opened up to this idea, as well. Women like Sondra are slowly making their way in the industry…but I have to ask, how long will it take?

Is this truly a phenomenon that we are combating? Are women still conforming to gain the respect of the men in the industry? Are they hiking up their waders and hiding behind their hats for fear of getting made fun of or standing out for being a woman in a man’s world? Do we live in 1950?

I feel that getting women into the sport is something that needs to occur regardless of whether it is in the competitive arena or just out at their local lake. Women do not need to be scared of fishing…you do not have to baby us. We are strong, and we are capable. My theory is…women just do not understand the sport. They do not understand that you can be pretty and dirty, and concerned about your hair all while reeling in a fish bigger than your boyfriends. Introduce more women to the sport of fishing in a way that is relatable to who we really are as women and more women will realize that they love it!!! Simple right???

Girls we have a mission!!! We need to stand up and let down our hair and not be afraid to be who we are while we are casting that rod. We need to stand up and tell young girls that you can out fish your brothers and still be the apple of your daddy’s eye. We need to send the message to the next generation of fisherbabes that it is okay to net a monster fish one second…then turn around and ask if your eye makeup is running and if your hair looks fabulous for the photo…and we need to know that it is OKAY to talk about lipstick in the boat. Fishing does not have to be a MAN’s sport any longer…you can bet your ass that its okay to talk about beer and sex in the boat…so therefore, I declare that it is okay to talk about makeup and sex and the city in the boat.

There have been times when I have stepped off the boat and into my stilettos ladies…So I am here to say…

UNDERNEATH MY WADERS, I WEAR VICTORIA’S SECRET LINGERIE…DEAL WITH IT!!! It is who I am…It is who I will always be…and you know what…that is just fine!!

Happy Fishing…and Shopping ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

INBASSANGLER!!!

Yes…that is right!!! The person who commented under the screenname INBASSANGLER is our LUCKY GRAND PRIZE WINNER, and he/she will receive all of the prizes listed on the original post “A Fishy Tale Contest”!!!!!

BUT THAT IS NOT ALL…because there were so many GREAT entries, I DECIDED TO GIVE OUT A 2ND PRIZE WHICH IS A PLANO STOWAWAY BOX FILLED WITH FISHING GOODIES!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SECOND PRIZE WINNER:

MIKEYT1STL

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2 WINNERS and thanks to everyone who participated and told us your GREAT FISHING MEMORIES!!!

NOW…FOR SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION…if you have won a prize during this contest, YOU MUST SEND AN EMAIL TO fisherbabestaff@fisherbabe.com to claim your prize WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS!!! IF I DO NOT HAVE AN EMAIL FROM YOU BY 6:30PM CST ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER, 7 2009, another winner will be chosen randomly from the remaining contest entrants.

Thanks again to everyone who participated and THANKS SO MUCH to all my readers who helped me reach such a great milestone!!

Happy Fishing ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

** The winners can expect to receive their prizes in the next 4-6 weeks.

SHOWALTERS FLY-IN FISHING…To Canadian Wilderness Outposts!

Showalters Fly-In Fishing is the camp I chose to feature first in this series for a reason. A couple of years back, the fisherhubby, myself, the fisherdaddy, and fishersister were frozen off of the camp we had booked for our yearly May pike fishing trip. With only 2 days to plan another trip…were we FREAKING OUT!!! I was calling every camp I had written in my fishin’ notebook trying to find a spot for us to fish. Every camp had the same response…a resounding NO!!! Most…even if they had the space…would not allow us to come because they just did not want to deal with the trouble of a last minute booking.

Showalters was totally different. Eddie, the owner of the camp, was extremely gracious and really worked to try and find us a spot! We did not end up going on a trip at that time, but the kindness that I received from them really stuck out in my mind!!! So here they are now…featured as the first lodge of choice for The Fisherbabe’s Guide To Gettin’ Away!!

Showalters offers a fly-in fishing experience to 11 different lakes in Northwestern Ontario. Booking a trip with them gives you a choice between Action Lake, Apps Lake, Carroll Lake, Cochrane Lake, Crooked Lake, Hammerhead Lake, Irwin Lake, Pine Needle Lake, Sand Point Lake, Severn Lake, and South Shore Rapids. Having your choice between this many bodies of water can really prove to be beneficial for an angler. The types of fish that you can catch at Showalters are Walleye, Northern Pike, and they also offer 3 Lake Trout Lakes.

Showalters provides such great, reasonable prices that I could hardly believe it when I clicked on their rates page!! I had to call the camp to confirm that they were correct!! The rates are as follows and are all in USD:

3 day trip – $720.00 per person

4 day trip – $820.00 per person

5 day trip – $920.00 per person

These prices include your cabin, a full sized gas range, refrigerator, freezers, cooking utensils, and kitchen utensils. PLUS…and you all know how GREAT I think THIS is…they have running water WITH SHOWERS in all their cabins.

Also included in the price are boats with swivel seats and 8-9 horse powered motors, fishing licenses, and life jackets. ALSO…and this is VERY IMPORTANT…they provide UNLIMITED FUEL…which is a rare luxury from camps these days!!!!!

Before starting this post, I called up to the Showalters Offices to confirm my information and chat a little with the owner, Eddie Showalter. Eddie has been the owner of the camp for 3 years now, but he purchased the camp from his father who had owned and operated the camp since 1958. That’s right…this is a family camp and has been for many years. Eddie, himself, has 35 years experience working this camp under his belt, and believe me…its great to have that kind of knowledge and experience on your side!

You know…camp owners and managers can really make or break a fishing trip. Getting a great one can make even a small trip feel like the time of your life…and getting a bad one can make the biggest dream trip quickly turn into a nightmare. Two years ago, Eddie was a helpful and super nice guy to deal with, and he has not changed a bit!!! It was great to talk to him on the phone again this time, and he even remembered meeting me at the All Canada Show in Omaha, Nebraska last year. That is a great memory, right there, and even though I am certain he is a super busy guy, he answered all my questions without hesitation. That is definitely the kind of person that makes me wanna fish their camp!!

AND IT GETS EVEN BETTER…Eddie informed me that they are starting up a new branch of their business called Fly-In Camping!!! He and “his people” are working on getting the website up and running right now. It should be ready to view by mid-November!! The rates for these “fly-in camping” trips are considerably lower than the rates for the cabins and will most likely be in the $550.00 a person range FOR A WEEK!!!! PLUS, there will be FIVE different lakes to choose from!

For this type of trip, Showalters will provide boats, motors, and gas along with an emergency radio to keep you as safe and secure as possible. The camper/angler will be responsible for providing his/her fishing and camping gear. WHAT AN EXCITING ADVENTURE!!!!

To contact Showalters Fly-In Fishing Outposts you can use one of the following methods:

Call (807)484-2412 (winter) OR (807)222-2332 (summer)

OR

Go to http://www.fly-incanada.com/

I encourage you to check out this SUPER camp, and give ‘em a call if you have any questions!!! I am certain that Eddie will be happy to answer any question or address any concern you might have!!!

Happy Planning ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

**Photo courtesy of Eddie Showalter and take from www.fly-incanada.com.

 ***Disclaimer – PLEASE NOTE that the Fisherbabe does not nor does any person affiliated with the Fisherbabe guarantee any prices, amenities, or services listed in the above posting. Also, the Fisherbabe cannot nor can any person affiliated with the Fisherbabe be held responsible for any dissatisfaction that comes from visiting this camp or any other camp reviewed on this site upon our recommendation. The Fisherbabe recommends that any person booking any trip be very thorough in their own research and investigation of any camp that he or she may choose to visit.

In honor of you guys viewing my blog 10,000 times, I am giving away some awesome free stuff to one lucky winner!!!! There are a variety of prizes to win including:

An FTO 170 tackle bag which holds four FTO 102 utility cases (not included) and features three zippered pockets and a removable shoulder strap. The dimensions of this bag are 14” x 9” x 9”.

A 1435 Plano Guide Series polycarbonate box. The Guide Series waterproof cases provide unparalleled protection for your important items. The strong poly-carbonate structure and TPR lining make the cases crushproof and airtight. Perfect for the boating, fishing, hunting, hiking or camping. The dimensions of this box are 9.75″x7.5″x 4″. This case is airtight and lockable with a patent pending latch with pressure release and features a comfortable moulded handle.

A ONE YEAR subscription to FLW Outdoors Magazine. This magazine is a must have for any angler but should especially appeal to the Bass fans that read my blog. I had to throw something in there for you guys!!

Also included are a couple of packages of weedless jigs from www.fishcraze.com/. Along with those jigs, I will also be including in the prize a selection of my favorite lures for trophy fish…and yes, I am including a couple of the FAMOUS CABELA’S ORANGE HAMMER LURES!!!!

So…as you can see its a big variety of A LOT of great stuff!!! But reaching 10,000 views in only 7 months is a huge deal, and I, of course, owe it all to you guys!!!! Thanks so much for reading, and I do hope you will all stick around to hear my adventures for years to come!!!

NOW…to the RULES…to win these lovely prizes here is what you MUST do:

1. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite fishy tale.

That is it…LOL!! Just leave me a simple comment including your favorite fishing memory, and you, my friends, will be entered in the random drawing to be held next week.

But here is a twist…you can be entered to win TWICE by leaving a comment here on this blog AND on the same post on Fisherbabe.com. You may copy and paste the same tale…that is just fine. When the contest deadline arrives in one week (Monday October 5,2009), I will combine the list and www.random.org will choose a winner!!!

So get to commenting…I just can’t wait to read those stories!!!! Feel free to email me with any questions, but emails will not be entered into the contest…ONLY COMMENTS WILL BE ENTERED TO WIN!!

Happy Posting ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

I haven’t ever really interviewed anyone on my blog before. SO…you can imagine how excited I am that the first person to answer a few questions for this Fisherbabe is none other than Mr. Jason Sealock who is the Editor-In-Chief over at FLW Outdoors. I met Jason recently, and what a NICE GUY!! He was nice enough to send me a few of his amazing magazines to read. I was so impressed that I decided to review them right here on my blog immediately. Annnnnnd…since he is such a nice guy, he agreed to a little mini interview for all my readers!!!

I know…YAY RIGHT??????

So here we go…

The Fisherbabe (FB): Tell us about the magazine and its beginnings. How did this amazing publication come to be?

Jason Sealock (Jason): FLW Outdoors Magazine actually started as a newsletter called CAST in 1980. It was a membership newsletter for anglers fishing the Operation Bass circuit. From there the newsletter became Bass Fishing magazine in the early 90’s. In 2002, it became FLW Outdoors Magazine and was more geared towards teaching readers the tricks and techniques of the nation’s best anglers. In 2006, we split the magazine into three separate magazines – the Bass Edition, the Walleye Edition and the Saltwater Edition. Each magazine was wholly independent. Today we still produce the Bass Edition and the Walleye Edition.

We really try to get in the boat with the best anglers and learn the behind the scenes stuff that you don’t get from regular tournament reporting or even on television. We focus on very detailed aspects that can be expanded in the magazine and then applied to your own fisheries.

FB: How did you become the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine?

Jason: My path is an odd one. I actually graduated from college with a degree in Marketing/Business Management. I went to work in the Information Technology field. I freelanced on the side with an outdoors page for a local paper in Northwest Arkansas (The Morning News). I got to know the staff at FLW Outdoors pretty well through reporting on the tournaments. In 2004, I got a call asking if I wanted to switch careers and come to work full-time as a Public Relations Specialist and Associate Editor for FLW Outdoors.

We took the leap of faith and moved to Kentucky. I worked as associate editor until 2006 when I promoted to Photo Editor. In 2007, the previous editor left for another company, and I took over as editor-in-chief. I have the best young staff with so much talent. We have no preconceived notions on how a fishing magazine has to be made. And we pride ourselves on our hands-on knowledge of the sport, the products and the techniques.

FB: Tell us…what is the most exciting fishing memory you have?

Jason: It’s hard to pin it on one memory, but the most memorable experience that replays vividly in my mind was catching a 42-pound striper in Beaver Lake while bass fishing.

It was 1996. The lake was flooded in early spring, and I was slow rolling a spinnerbait over buck brush. I pulled my spinnerbait over a shallow bush and this huge mouth came out and swirled on the spinnerbait. For an instant, I thought I’d hooked the state record largemouth. The fish shot out towards the middle of the lake. I had a low-profile baitcaster with 12-pound line, and I started to see my spool. So I put the trolling motor on high and chased the fish down to get my line back.

After about 12 minutes, I landed the fish. It took two tries to get the fish in the boat because I needed two hands to grab its bottom jaw and pull it aboard. I remember her jaw felt like a suitcase handle at the time. At the end of the fight, I don’t know who was more worn out, the fish or me.

We shot pictures, and I was going to keep the fish to mount it, but I decided if there was a chance someone else could feel what I did, then I should let it go. So I babied the fish for about 10 minutes in the water until it swam off on its own. Got home to find out the camera didn’t have any film. But I have a witness, a scale, the measurements (44 ¼ inches long with the biggest gut I had ever seen on a fish) and of course the lasting memory.

FB: That is a super cool memory!! What is the best part of working at FLW Magazine?

Jason: The people are the best part of my job. I work with great folks, and I’ve met some great anglers and industry reps that I consider friends all over the country. The folks in the fishing industry are more like a big family than just your peers. And so many folks around fishing will help you, a total stranger, for no other reason than you share a common bond with them. I meet more down-to-earth, good-natured people around fishing than anything else I’ve ever done.

FB: Kinda like you helping me now…LOL!!! We met through twitter, and now you have a great blog that people can follow and be a part of. Are you a member of any other social networking sites? Tell me a little more about your blog and what my readers can expect to see on there.

Jason: I’m still a social-networking newbie, but I think I have a pretty good grasp on it. On Twitter (www.twitter.com/FLW_Magazine), it’s not about selling your products; it’s about connecting with people that share a common passion with you. No one gets on twitter to see what you have to sell. They get on there to be “connected” to people around things that interest them.

Likewise, our blog (http://flwmag.blogspot.com/) is very new. Our goal is to have a new blog every single day. The blog is geared towards more personal experiences with products, at great destinations, and with the top anglers in the sport. We get a lot of great inside information that readers will find here. We’ve started shooting videos and we have a YouTube page at www.youtube.com/flwmagazine. We’re even on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/FLW-Outdoors-Magazine/119868703580.

FB: How lucky do you feel to be doing what you do every day?

Jason: I’m extremely lucky to be in this position. I joke with Charlie Evans (CEO) that they’ll have to run me out of here with a stick. I also know that thousands of people want to have my job, so it pushes me to keep improving and listen to what folks are asking for in the magazine. At the end of the day, you’ve got to make a magazine folks want to read.

FB: …And lastly, how lucky do you feel to be getting interviewed by The Fisherbabe…LOL????????

Jason: I’m very excited to share information with you. Like I said before, the people in and around this sport is what makes it so great. Fishing is a blast, and I still enjoy fishing by myself on occasion. I enjoy the sport more, however, with others.

See what a nice guy he is everyone…he even said he was excited to be sharing information with me!!!! Now about the magazine itself…I LOVED IT!!! The October issue is full of amazing and useful information on how to catch that Bass of a lifetime, and although I really was expecting “just another fishing magazine”, what I got was so much more!!

First of all, there are articles that are great for any fisherman or woman…regardless of the type of fish you prefer to catch. For example, in the August – September 2009 issue, there is a small article on “Capturing Photos Like A Pro” which I LOVED. How many pictures do you get where the tail fin is cut off. That is so disappointing after a great trip, and this article helps you fix the details like that. A great read for anyone who loves to fish…or just take GREAT pictures!!!

Another great little article in this issue is one that lists some of the superstitions of some of the best fishermen in the country. It is a super fun read, and who knew bananas could bring such bad luck!!!

The October 2009 cover (featured above) is one of my favorite covers of any fishing magazine that I have ever read. The photo itself is amazing, and reading the article about Greg Hackney was really, really entertaining. In fact, the October magazine is full of great articles and tips on how to catch more bass. I would definitely suggest you go out and get yourselves a copy ‘cuz there is just too much good stuff to talk about here on this blog post!!!

I hope you guys enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!!! Talking with Jason was informative and great. Needless to say, the professionalism and excitement that comes with FLW Outdoors Magazine has made me a fan for life!!

Happy Reading ~

LIZZY aka The Fisherbabe

P.S. Be sure to check out their main website at http://www.flwoutdoors.com/!! If you want to leave Jason and the others at FLW Outdoors a comment on their new blog, the address is http://www.flwmag.blogspot.com/!!