![]() ![]() ![]() The best part of the day is following the boat run to their first fishing area. The next morning, when it comes time to compete, she tells the partner they are fishing as a team. “I address the bathroom question upon meeting my co-angler to put aside any stress they might have before we go out.”īradley breaks the stress with humorous anecdotes about being paired with “the girl” to lighten the mood. ![]() “The bathroom issue is obvious, but so is the question about my boat handling skills, because most women at this level are co-anglers,” Bradley said. She learned early on about the intimidation factor of a man riding along in her boat. Bradley runs a Ranger Boats Z520C Ranger Cup Equipped inventory bass boat, powered by a Mercury Pro XS 250 h.p. In the Opens and FLW circuits, a co-angler shares the boat with its owner, or boater angler. “Stepping up to the level of the Opens was a good next step.” “I know that if I surround myself with people that are better than me, then I’m going to improve as a result,” Bradley said. In 2013, she made history with a 4th place finish that stands as the highest finish for a woman in a coed professional level tournament. Bradley shifted to the Bassmaster Opens Series, where she’s competed ever since. Bradley competed all four years on the tour until it was dissolved when ESPN sold B.A.S.S. Her Bassmaster career started in 2005 with the launch of the WBT. Success eventually inspired her to the next level. They won the event and Schembs made his sister a permanent partner. He talked his sister into entering a coed team tournament in their home state of Virginia. Their stories prove there is more to competing in the sport of fishing than gender.īradley’s entry into the sport of fishing came from her brother Gary Schembs. Meet Christie Bradley, a tournament veteran in women and coed competitions, and Michelle Jalaba, a relative newcomer. ![]() To them, coed sports are commonplace, and they carry the interest to the next level upon graduating. Today, thousands of high school and college students compete on their school teams, with a surprising number of young women involved. ESPN launched the Women’s Bassmaster Tour (WBT), bringing with it the media coverage that influenced more women into the sport. In the early 2000’s, FLW launched its premier tours and feeder trails, while ESPN-owned Bassmaster elevated its already popular format fueled by the sports and entertainment powerhouse. Over the years, participation among women grew and continues even more today. Professional bass tournaments originated in the early 1970s, when fishing at any level was considered a man’s sport. “The reality is you are out there to catch bass you aren’t competing face to face with another man.” “I grew up the middle of five kids, boys included, and the thought never occurred to me that it really was just a sport for men,” she said. Jalaba, a former collegiate gymnast and Olympic team hopeful, is a lifelong athlete already with an ultra-highly competitive drive. “It’s really just me and the fish, instead of me competing just against guys.” “A fish doesn’t know the difference between a man or a woman on the other end of the line,” Bradley said. They don’t compete against other men, but against the appetite and behavior of the fish, specifically largemouth and smallmouth bass. That makes them stand out in the crowd, since most tournament trails have predominantly male rosters.īradley, Jalaba and a steadily increasing number of women are proving that gender makes no difference, however. The two women compete at the professional level of bass fishing. You can’t miss Christie Bradley and Michelle Jalaba when they are performing their craft on the water. ![]()
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