First bass-fishing experience makes monumental memory

Reel Women: In their own words

Editor’s Note: After compiling some of the best fish stories from our female fishing fans over the last month or so, FLWOutdoors.com is finally ready to share them with the public. For the next several weeks, beginning Feb. 12, we’ll feature a different submission every couple of days, with a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule beginning Feb. 16. To be sure, the stories submitted by our readers have been most impressive as well – ranging from the truly humorous to the utterly heartbreaking. We hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we did. And hopefully, as more and more women get involved in the wonderful sport of fishing, we’ll get to read and hear about many more stories from our female fans in the future. Enjoy.

Pamela E. Wood

Bono, Ark.

First bass-fishing experience makes monumental memory

What was I thinking? I had never gone bass fishing in my life! I had caught bass – but never specifically trying to. How hard could it be? I’d fished for crappie, trout and catfish before; it’s got to be basically the same, right? WRONG! I guess I thought, “What better way to learn than out of the back of the boat from the pros?”

My first bass-fishing outing was on the FLW Tour at Lake Okeechobee in January 2001. My dad, brother and I decided to form a marketing-fishing team to promote our bait company, Mizmo. We thought we’d pick up a few additional sponsors and market those as well.

We flew to Florida the morning of our pre-tournament meeting. I was feeling a lot of anxiety – a lot. Not only had I never bass fished before, I was fishing in the FLW – the tournament trail that just happens to be named in honor of my husband’s uncle, Forrest L. Wood … and, I’m a woman! Out of 350 anglers, less than 10 were females! What have I done?

As the meeting time drew closer, I started dwelling on who I would draw out with. My thoughts were, “Please don’t let me draw out with a legend … please don’t let me draw Rick Clunn or Kevin VanDam, or …” The list went on and on. Don’t get me wrong, these guys are awesome, but I was very insecure – more or less a “fish out of water.”

We got to the meeting, ate a little dinner, hung out and just kind of took it all in. When the pairings started, my heart was literally pounding so hard I could barely breathe. When my name was called, I almost passed out – I had been paired with David Walker. Not Rick, not Kevin – David Walker, the young up-and-comer who just happened to be the 1999 Angler of the Year and who’s picture had been splashed all over the Kelloggs’ cereal box! No pressure, huh?

David and I met in the back of the room to discuss our strategies for the next morning. He was very kind; I can only imagine what was running through his head! I confessed to him that I was a rookie in every sense of the word. Anyway, he told me what he had been catching fish on, he suggested some colors, and then he told me that we would be making a long run.

I headed back to the trailer and started rigging my rods. That night I got to bed at a decent hour, however, I got no sleep – zero, zip, nada! When that alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., I wanted to throw up. I hadn’t even thought about what I would do if “nature” called while we were fishing: something else to stress over – great! No way was I getting out on the bank with the gators! Oh no, I forgot, he’s probably going to want me to back his boat in the water. Argh! I had backed an aluminum boat before – once or twice.

I finally met up with David that morning. He backed the boat to the water and then jumped in it. All I had to do was pull the trailer out and park. Surely I could handle that! I walked down and jumped in the boat. We went through boat check, and then we found a spot to wait for takeoff. We chatted a bit and then it was time.

We took off and I was holding on for dear life! David is a great boat driver, but we were dodging the coonce (birds). They were hovering just feet above the water. I think I just closed my eyes and buried my head. Forty minutes later, we arrived at his spot. David was like a jackrabbit; he popped up out of his seat, had his life jacket off and his lure in the water in a matter of seconds. I was still recovering from the ride.

I tried to peek at what he was throwing because I had absolutely no idea what to do first. I finally chose a rod, took off my vest and was about to make a cast when I looked up front in time to see David set the hook. I asked him if I should get the net. He said, “Nah, it feels like a catfish.” OK then, I guess I’m ready to fish. About that time, I looked down to see his “catfish.”

This huge fish came boiling to the top of the water. I thought, “Oh my gosh, that’s no catfish, that’s a bass.” I looked at David and said, “I bet you want the net now, don’t ya?” I don’t know what he was thinking, but he said, “YEAH!” I put the net in the water and he led that big gal right into it. I got the net (and the fish) over into the boat.

He put her in the livewell and turned around. He had a grin the size of Texas on his face. This quiet, seemingly shy guy, all of a sudden, became like a kid in a candy store! He grabbed me by the shoulders and started jumping up and down for he had just landed a 9-pound, 10-ounce lunker on light line with a crankbait! Any tension that I had that morning suddenly lifted. He was human just like me (although, at the time, he seemed superhuman; I mean, I hadn’t even made a cast yet)! He jumped back on the front deck, tried to calm himself with a few deep breaths and then started fishing again.

About 10 casts later, he set the hook again. This time, he hooked about a 6-pounder. Now, I may not be getting much practice fishing, but, man, I think I’m getting pretty good with the net! He put that fish in the box and then turned around and said, “Man, I gotta sit down for a minute.” His adrenalin was pumping so hard; he was well on his way to a top-10 finish, and I was there to witness it. He was on such a natural high! I thought he was a fishing god! Ten minutes and he had two big fish! Don’t get me wrong, I was dying to catch a fish of my own, but I had just witnessed something amazing!

David went on to catch a limit. I only managed to catch one of those dudes with all the teeth. But what an amazing experience. Somebody upstairs knew exactly whom I should be fishing with on that first fateful morning – David Walker.

I will never forget that day and my first experience with bass fishing. Oh, by the way, that was the big fish for the year! Thank you for the memory!