The Lake Fork Anglers Bass Fishing Club has started a womens division.
Some ladies have been interested in joining the fishing club in the past, but not to interested in spending an eight hour day on the water with men other than their husbands or boyfriends etc.
Now you'd think that once we get to an age where you are able to fish on Thursday midweek, which mainly means that you are probably retired. And that having to tell the guy to turn around while I do my business or him telling you the same wouldn't be needed. But apparently that is an issue still with some women and probably more so with their spouses.
So with that in mind we still want women to have the opportunity to bass fish at Lake Fork in a friendly atmosphere and so we voted to start a womens division.
In our club as it is right now men and women of any age can join, the dues are $5 annually and tournaments are held every other Thursday daytime. The tournaments cost $12 per person and of that $11 is paid back for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and lunker.
The anglers themselves are divided into two categories. Boaters and co-anglers. The two are paired together at our meeting each month, which is held after the 2nd tournament in a month at Oak Ridge Marina, thru drawings. We do not do teams. Even if the boater draws the same co-angler a second tournament in a row she would have to throw that chip back in and draw again until she gets someone different. (However, just starting out there may be the same members fishing together more often than the men are.)
The whole premise is to have fun while fishing with someone you know or will get to know on a friendly basis. No back seating. Sharing baits and techniques to the point where both anglers are having a really nice day catching Lake Forks finest largemouth bass.
The men and the women all will be fishing in the same tournament for the same money with the same entries and the same rules. I might note right now that these tournaments are different in that you just measure the fish while the other angler watches, take a picture if you like, return the fish to the water and record the length on a laminated sheet each angler uses for the tournament. Slot fish (16 to 24), which are not to be kept at Lake Fork do count.
As far taking trips with your husband, visiting Momma in Nebraska, Summer in Alaska or whatever you like to do besides bass fishing at Fork is good with us. Of the approximately 22-24 tournaments we fish a year we are asking you to fish 8 or more. If you are interested in fishing for an Angler of the Year Award you'd probably be looking at least 18. Of the total amount you have to knock off 4.
Angler of the Year points are very close and there none extra. 40,39,38,37 etc no fish one less than last place.
So after all is said and done and the anglers come to have their sheets scored and the winners are given their money. That is when we all learn the story of the day. Each winner tells all. For some while you may have had great day fishing but didn't win you are still going to find out where, how and with what the winners caught their fish. Everyone learns. And then of course at Oak Ridge you have a great tackle shop and good prices a few steps away.
About the biggest thing we tell our members is dont make any doctor appointments on Thursdays.
Anyone interested can e-mail me at sjbasser@aol.com or call 903-440-2797. You can also check us out at
www.bassfin.com/. Our rules and guidelines, results from previous tournaments, Year to Date stats and a picture. Not to often you get to see two overs in one picture. A lady angler netted them for him.
We will be looking for both boaters and co-anglers.
