A group of budding fishermen gained fishing skills through a program designed to increase female participation in the sport.
“Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing” offered an instructional course on inshore fishing along with hands-on skill practice with guides during the Progressive Insurance Tampa Boat Show on October 26. The session took place at the Tampa Convention Center.
Among the speakers and instructors for the “No Yelling School of Fishing” were Betty Bauman, founder of Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing, along with Captains Leiza Fitzgerald, Pam Wirth, Alice Trautman, Stacy Horak, and Stewart Ames.
Registration encompassed show admission, inshore/bay fishing guidance, practical training on knot-tying and casting, a networking event with the Freedom Boat Club, a swag bucket, and a voucher for a Freedom Boat Club Sunset Boat Cruise for a group of up to six individuals.
Participants practiced casting at the “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!” school in Tampa. Photo courtesy of Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!
During the optional charter fishing trip on Sunday, women fishing with Capt. Stewart Ames from Gone Fishing Charters released 15 redfish measuring between 12 to 32 inches, five snook from 20 to 25 inches, and a jack crevalle using both live and cut bait.
Women fishing with Capt. Rick Gross from Fishy Business charters released seven out of twelve Spanish mackerel between 12 to 18 inches, along with 20 snook that ranged from 22 to 32 inches, and six speckled trout between 12 to 18 inches, while practicing casting and knot tying.
“We appreciate the boat show’s dedication to women, who constitute 45 percent of all new anglers and present significant growth potential for the fishing industry,” stated Betty Bauman.
The last Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing event for 2019 is a surf fishing clinic in St. Augustine, Florida, scheduled for November 23.
The Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing Foundation (LLGF) is a nonprofit 501C3 organization committed to engaging women and families in fishing while promoting conservation and responsible angling practices. Recognized as the “No-Yelling School of Fishing,” LLGF provides weekend, immersive educational programs in various Florida regions, featuring classroom teachings, hands-on training, networking opportunities, and options to fish from boats or from shore.