Social Fins

Just got back from the Classic in Birmingham, where my husband, Rod and I went to support our friends, Pam and Steven (Martin-Wells and Wells).  Pam did great and I am ultra-proud of her! I took tons of picture to make her a "Classic Scrapbook" for her Rookie Classic Year.  Won money betting she would make the cut - which she did, and fished the final day, ending up in 22nd place overall.  I'm sure her first two days surprised a lot of people - she caught the first limit of the Classic both days- but it didn't surprise anyone who knows Pam and has ever seen her fish.  Like I said, I got tons of terrific pictures, and am going to post some of them on my website, www.BassFancy.com and on Rod's www.AmericanLadyAnglers.com.  I'm sure Pam will put some on her website, www.PamMartinWells.com. 

Speaking of Websites, Rod is the Founder and one of the Tournament Directors for the all-new American Lady Anglers.  The Web Master just got the site up and running the day before we left for Birmingham to go to the Classic, and when we got back, the ALA Website already had over 1300 hits, just from our word-of-mouth, "there's a new ladies' team tournament trail and it's got a new website" that Rod did while on the road. If I slip and say "we", I don't mean "we" as in "I'm the American Lady Anglers".  I mean "we" as in "I'm going to join the American Lady Anglers and fish the ALA team tournament trail with a partner", and "we" is my husband Rod (the ALA's founder and idea-person" and me - who is only a loyal ALA member and sometime-secretary since I type faster.  I don't speak "for" the ALA, I am only speaking on behalf of getting people to hear about the ALA as an ALA member.

Check out the website if you want to find out about the ALA's  mission - which is basically to get any lady who wants to fish in a boat and fishing ALA events.  Also, the ALA's goals are to have lower entry fees, while getting bigger and better cash and prizes for payouts for the ladies, plus increased media exposure (of all kinds) for our lady anglers and their sponsors.  Rod and Lee (see Website for bios) are in the process of talking to some major sponsors, booking tournament venues, etc.  All of the basic paperwork stuff is getting done or has been done, the incorporation, accounting, contracts, insurance, etc., ad infinitum. 

Lots of cities all over the U.S. are interested in getting the lady anglers there to fish -  they are basically welcoming the ALA with open arms.  The ALA has a brand-new, 24-foot stage trailer which is in the process of being outfitted with top-of-the line equipment - digital scales (with computer-assisted angler entry and printouts), aerated livewell tanks for the fish, live release tanks, stage, computers and webcams for streaming video, etc. 

The main thing ALA staff is thinking about is how to make it fun and exciting for its lady anglers.  I'm sure the improved cash payouts and media attention will go a long way towards helping with that.  Lady-friendly companies are being strongly pursued for sponsorship, especially those either owned or run by women, and those that offer women's products - it just makes sense to the ALA Directors.  Fishing industry companies that are already known to be interested in the lady anglers are also being looked at as potential sponsors.

Ladies, please bear with the ALA  during its growing process!  The Website has had a huge number of  hits, plus  emails and phone calls, and the Tournament Directors  want to give everyone the individual attention they deserve.  One of the assets of the ALA Website is its "Partner Finder" page, where  lady anglers are invited  to post their information to help them find a partner to fish with.  The ALA hopes that the team format, allowing the women to combine their  fish, and to be in the front, back, (or middle) of the boat as they so choose, will help the ladies to have a better sense of camaraderie and fun while they compete. Hopefully, ALA's Web Master can get the "Partner Finder" function up and running soon, because the Directors  are already having ladies call and email  because they want to get a partner so they can get signed up as soon as the tournament schedule and host cities are posted.   

Since all of the former WBT  ladies and all other lady anglers are scattered all over the map in the different bass tournament trails this year, the ALA staff is working closely with another ladies' tournament trail that is having the standard Co/Pro, or Boater/Non-boater format.  The ALA is  actually looking at having a multi-day tournament at whichever lake the tournaments are scheduled, fishing with the other ladies tour for a Pro/Co two or three-day event, followed by a one-day team event where anyone can fish together as a team for the ALA event. The ALA has no desire to "divide up the ladies", and therefore have a smaller attendance or registration for any of the tournament trails.  The ALA's intent is just to offer more options, and therefore get more ladies out to fish.  The ALA is not going to interfere with, or schedule against, any ladies' tournament trail schedule.   This will allow all of the ladies be able to fish any and all of the ladies' tournaments available.  That is why the ALA is having the lower entry fees and higher payouts - to help all of the ladies defray their tournament expenses and get them all out to fish ALA tournaments.

ALa staff are also talking to selected cities about not only having the standard flyers, radio, and television pre-tournament publicity, but also personal appearances.  ALA members will appear at city-wide school assemblies, where they will talk to teenagers and young ladies and interest them in fishing and actually have a drawing and allow a couple to be outfitted by local tackle shops, dress them up and let them fish with selected (volunteer) pro lady anglers.  The ALA members will also show off our wraps (maybe a boat/tow-vehicle parade also) and demonstrate some fishing techniques.  Additionally, there are ALA Sponsor events planned with autograph-signing personal appearances, sponsor sample give-aways, and even Sponsor-donated prizes for random anglers. 

By allowing random anglers to win cash and prizes at our tournament events, and also having "fun" prizes, such as "big fish, daintiest fish, first fish", etc., it allows every lady angler participating in ALA events to anticipate that she could possibly win something at any and every venue, and that not just the top finishers will win money.  ALA's founders are hoping that all of these extra prizes will attract more anglers to fish ALA events, and to want to fish at all of our events.  The American Lady Anglers team tournament fishing trail organizers are  well-aware that it takes the participation of every angler to make tournament fishing a success, for the ladies, their sponsors, and for the tournament trail organizers.  Every lady is integral to the success of American Lady Anglers.

So...Ladies - all of you - Come Fish With Us!  And bring your BFF!  Bear with ALA while they grow their tournament trail.  It takes awhile for the Website, Equipment, and Tournament Schedule to catch up with the organizers' big ideas, but it will happen, and then it will be a success.  It will be a success that every lady will have had a part in helping to make it all happen - for all of our current lady anglers and for our future lady anglers.