And our door prize winner is … Lisa Craig
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, we’ll feature a different submission every week, with articles being posted on Mondays. 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.
Lisa Craig
Chandler, Texas
And our door prize winner is … Lisa Craig
Watch out for your door prizes, I’m going to win it! For me, one of the best parts of going to a fishing tournament is winning a door prize. As you know, most have something graciously donated from a sponsor to be drawn and given away. You put your name in the hat and a few lucky anglers will win a nice gift. If I’m at your tournament, watch out, I’m going to win!
As a beginning lady angler, that’s something to look forward to! At the beginning of my career (just this last April), it made me feel so much better to at least bring home one small token. Not being able to get up on the weigh-in stand feels bad, but winning a prize sure makes the trip a little more worthwhile. The longer I fish, the more I’m getting to that weigh-in table. Then it’s even more special to win a door prize. The odds are in my favor, I’m not sure why. I hope it’s the fishing gods.
I’m planning to fish every weekend for the next several months on several different circuits. Funny how each circuit and district has such awesome prizes. The Women’s Bass Fishing Association always has one superneat gift to give away at registration. They make you guess “how many” of an object is in the jar. Two tournaments ago, I lost to my friend Judy Wong by just a few guesses. She was right on and got a very nice tackle bag. Then the next tournament, by one guess, I won! Wow that was close! That’s probably the only time I will beat her at a tournament! I left with a very nice crank rod. Thank you WBFA.
That was a Thursday-Friday tournament, so then on that Saturday, I won an expensive reel at an Oilman’s Bass Classic! It was a benefit tournament. Wow was it! I sure did benefit. What a great start for a new angler. Equipment is so hard to build on, with the costs so high; it really helps to win door prizes. I now have a new rig that’s ready to go fishing.
The American Bass Anglers trail has small districts throughout the United States. Competing fishermen are there to win the cash. Again, I also want to be in the money but know that even if I’m not, I’ll come home with something (even if it’s just learning a new trick). What happens? Out of thirty sum-odd guys, I win the limited edition tournament cap! All the contestants wanted that! Only so many made you know. Plus it had lures in it! All right!
But really the best part was that I was very happy with where I placed. I had three nice fish, and was very proud to walk up to the weigh-in with a bunch of awesome anglers.
Recently, I participated in the Bassmaster University, two full days of learning from the big dogs: Jay Yellas, Denny Brauer and other pros from around the nation, sharing their thoughts and stories. After half a notebook full of notes, our pleasing host announced they were going to draw participants’ names for a few prizes! All righty now. First winner got a big tackle bag. Second got a rod, third got some of the nicest zoom tubes with tube hooks! After having just learned about pitching a tube, I was thrilled to have won that packet! Being in a sea of 260 classmates, I was excited to once again hear, “Our next door prize goes to Lisa Craig.” OK, now I knew I could do it! What a nice gift pack from the Bassmaster University. It’s a treasure! I can’t wait to try them on my next tournament at Toledo Bend.
The more I fish, the better I get and the bigger the tournaments will be. So I’m just waiting for the day I enter one that has a draw boat. You know why! Watch out! I’m going to win that boat! Ladies, this is so much fun!
Every experience has been positive. All the anglers were courteous, and tournaments were well organized. It added to the overall joy of fishing a tournament. With so many other aspects of why women should be encouraged to fish competitively, this silly story could be just one more reason to join in. Maybe, just maybe you could win a door prize.
Our next winner is …