The rich history of Bass'n Gal tournaments

Lisa Opfer (right) took first place in the Bass 'n Gals tournament by weighing in a total of 15.3 pounds of bass. Pam Dugan (left) was her boating partner. (Photo by Ken White/Special to the Daily Mail).

Back in 1976, when America was celebrating its 200th anniversary, Sugar Farris was starting the first bass fishing tournaments for woman known as Bass'n Gals.

It was the equivalent of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS). At one point it had 32,000 members in clubs and held nine tournaments a year, but ceased operations in 1997.

As Farris said, "After having heart surgery, I am just worn out from the never-ending effort of trying to get and keep corporate sponsorship. Sponsors don't want to give a long-term commitment, but they want to tell you how the tournaments are run. My grief is for all the women who loved the sport."

Bass 'n Gal started several innovations in tournament angling including the first five-fish limit and also the "paper tournament" concept on lakes where the slot limit made it illegal to keep certain- sized fish. The fish were measured and released. A formula reduced the measurement to pounds for the weigh-in.

Farris said she came up with the idea of an all-women tournament concept after attending a men's tournament where the wives passed the time playing bingo while waiting for the weigh-in when their husbands came in.

Many male anglers would be surprised to see just how good the lady anglers are in both the old and new Bass'n Gal Tournaments. I remember covering the last Women's World Championship Tournament on Coosa River in Alabama. I was an observer in a boat with Lesia Thompson. She revved up the 150 hp Merc and shot down the river to her favorite fishing hole. Using a plastic worm, she hooked a four-pound bass early then landed three more keepers before heading in for the weigh-in.

There were 174 keepers caught in the two days that weighed a total of 270 pounds. A heavy rain hampered the final days' fishing. Diane Kegley, Norphlet, Ark., won the tournament. Her winnings came to $26,000.

Mary Lipka, Hazelwood, won the World Championship in 1993 on the same waters.

Today, Lipka is a member of the Gateway Bass'n Gals club and is president this season. She has held every position as the club's officers. Lipka said, "Our club tries to get women interested in fishing. I am kind of too old to be fishing the ladies tournament. I don't like to get up that early five days a week. People don't realize the hard work involved, like driving a thousand miles each way, especially fishing in the Classics.

Mary Lipka, who has fished Bass'n Gal tournaments from the original woman's bass clubs to last weekend when she took third place in the Gateway Bass 'n Gals Tournament on Stockton Lake. (Submitted photo)

"They keep you busy from midnight to daylight, but it was so much fun that I enjoyed every minute of it. The difference between then and now is there is not the pressure and stress like there was back then. Today, our club is more fun and learning more about how and where to fish."

Lipka finished the Stockton tournament in third-place with seven bass that weighed 12.2 pounds that she checked in the two-day tournament. Lisa Opfer won the Stockton Lake tournament with a total weight of 15.3 pounds of bass. Finishing in second was Lynda Gessner with a total weight of 13.6 pounds.

Women today constitute more than one-third of all anglers. They own and operate their own rigs, trailer their rigs to any given lake throughout the country and for competition, just like their male counterparts.

For the women who participate in the sport, bass fishing is a driving passion in their lives. Many say that it boosts self-esteem and significantly reduces stress levels.

The Gateway Bass'n Gals strive to abolish the myth that women do not fish, and that bass fishing on a competitive-level is strictly a man's sport. The beginning angler needs a place to learn, and the accomplished, experienced angler cherishes the camaraderie she shares with her angling peers and is always willing to pass her knowledge on to beginning anglers.

Women's bass fishing clubs like the Gateway Bass'n Gals are committed to conservation and the preservation of our natural resources, helping to improve the skills of anglers through the exchange of techniques, ideals and demonstrations. They strive to introduce the youth of America to the sport of fishing through Kids Fish programs and charitable fund raising programs. They always practice catch-and-release.

Jim Pitts, Joplin, was fishing at Stockton last weekend and saw the Bass'n Gals in action. He said, "Those women knew what they were doing. I don't think I would want to compete against any of them. I know they all brought a lot of bass on Saturday at the weigh-in."

Future tournaments include Table Rock on June 11-12; Bull Shoals, August 27-28 and Pomme de Terre, Sept. 24-25.

For more information on Bass 'n Gal clubs contact Kristin Harper, tournament Director at KerstinHarper81@gmail.com.