A dialogue on her rookie season as a pro
Most of the anglers you see crossing the weigh-in stage at a Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit event have one thing in common – they are men. In fact, if you spend any time at a walleye tournament, you would not think any women were even interested in walleye fishing. Well, the times are changing. There is one female pioneer in the RCL circuit making a name for herself – Julia Davis of Port Clinton, Ohio. As a rookie pro on the RCL circuit this season, Davis became the first full-time female pro walleye angler.
With all eyes in the walleye world on her, this pioneer had a lot of trailblazing to do. Most anglers were cheering for her, but some of the old guard just wanted her to go away. Davis survived a tough rookie season to represent herself and her sponsors with plenty of class.
Davis was born in Milwaukee in 1963 to a fishing family that includes her twin brother Steve and three older siblings. In the Davis family, it was important to fish, camp and enjoy the great outdoors.
“I have been fishing for most of my life,” Davis said. “My family would head to the Spooner, Wis., area and spend a couple of weeks fishing and enjoying the outdoors. That is where I caught my first fish. I would fish off a dock until my parents made me come in.”
Davis’ passion for walleye fishing was late in coming.
“I only started fishing for walleyes 12 years ago,” Davis said. “An old boyfriend of mine and I would camp by Lake Winnebago and fish for walleyes. I started to really get interested in targeting walleyes. I then hooked up with another female angler, and we decided to fish a team walleye circuit. That is where my life basically took a turn toward the world of big-time walleye fishing.”
In 1999, Davis met RCL pro Rick LaCourse. Rick asked her to pre-fish a tournament on Lake Winnebago, and their meeting changed her life forever.
“I accepted, because why would you pass up a chance to fish with a well-known pro?” Davis said. “I think since I had been fishing this lake for about 10 years, he thought I could help him, but he ended up showing me more in a couple of days of pre-fishing than I had learned in over 10 years of fishing as a weekend warrior.”
Evidently LaCourse learned more from Davis than she realized, because she soon received another invitation from the pro.
“After Rick left town, I continued to fish, and then I received a phone call from him,” Davis said. “He informed me that I was signed up to fish a team tournament in North Dakota with him. I, of course, didn’t sign myself up, so my response was, `I am?’ Well, I went to North Dakota, and we took third place. That finish was high enough to qualify me for the 2000 RCL championship as a co-angler.”
Davis ran with the opportunities in front of her and formed a friendship with other RCL pros like Scott and Marty Glorvigen of Grand Rapids, Minn., and Bruce DeShano of Sand Point, Mich.
“I basically was tested by LaCourse, the Glorvigens and Bruce DeShano,” Davis said. “DeShano in particular has helped me a lot. Prior to the 2002 RCL season, all of them suggested that I start fishing as a pro. They all thought I was ready. Bruce let me use his Ranger to start the season. Without the great support of these anglers and the push to start fishing as a pro, I am not sure I would have entered the world of pro walleye fishing.”
Since her meeting with LaCourse in 1999, the year of her inaugural season on the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit, Davis’ life has been a walleye-fishing whirlwind.
“Prior to fishing for walleyes for a living, I worked for a publishing company for 10 years,” Davis said. “I have done 120 promotional stops in my first year as a pro. With my tournament and promotional schedule, I am on the road over 200 days per year. So the change in my life has been pretty drastic, but I love every minute of it.”
Davis believes in the ultimate basics when it comes to her own personal fishing philosophy.
“I believe you need to have a good grasp of all the basic fishing techniques if you want to be successful as a walleye angler,” Davis said. “If you are not versatile, you can’t be successful as a pro. My other basic philosophy, especially in regard to pro angling, is that you need to have ethics on the water. Find your own areas, and don’t follow other boats to try and catch fish. If you didn’t fish an area during the first day of a tournament or during practice, leave it alone if other anglers are fishing there.”
Three men have influenced Davis’ walleye fishing more than others.
“My dad was my first great influence when it comes to fishing,” Davis said. “He was the first person to take me out fishing. He really instilled the idea of being patient, and thanks to him, I love to fish. As far as tournament fishing, Rick LaCourse and Bruce DeShano have been my greatest mentors. With their help I have learned an incredible amount of information in a relatively short period of time. I have learned that this is a big business and not just a hobby to enjoy on the weekends while you are not at work. Of course there have been others, but these are my main influences.”
After a rough first season as a pro, Davis has learned plenty from her failures and triumphs.
“My first full season as a pro on the RCL circuit has been a real baptism by fire,” Davis said. “I really didn’t expect a lot of top-20 finishes my first season, but I would have liked to have had at least one high finish during the regular season. I learned a lot about a variety of things. I found out I can handle some pretty tough situations while I am out on the water.”
As any angler knows, fishing accomplishments number more than just great tournament finishes. Davis is no exception.
“At the Saginaw Bay tournament I had a really nice first-day weight, but I had to make it back through some really rough water,” Davis said. “My partner and I made a 38-mile run in some very big waves. I had never traveled that far in rough water as an angler. I was very proud of that achievement.”
To Davis, the future of women in professional walleye fishing looks bright.
“I think I am helping to open the doors for more female anglers to come into the world of pro walleye fishing,” Davis said. “I love being in this position, being able to promote more women in the sport of fishing and hopefully inspiring more kids, both boys and girls, to get involved. If I can positively influence one person to come and enjoy walleye fishing, that would make me happy. With all the support given to me by my fellow competitors and the folks working for the RCL, I think the future looks very bright for women and professional walleye fishing as a whole.”
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