Keeping with the ladies of professional bass fishing again, today’s Friday Finale historical photo features two of the most recognizable professional female anglers, Fredda Lee and Linda England. The two appeared in a big story in the Miami Herald back in February 1991. The article, titled, “The Big Stink,” was all about the controversy surrounding the then hot topic of women fishing the Bassmaster tournament trail. Both the B.A.S.S. and Bass’n Gals organizations were in Florida that same week fishing their respective Invitationals.
A little background to this story. The previous summer, Helen Sevier, then head of B.A.S.S., announced that in 1991, women would be allowed to fish with the men on their professional tournament trail. According to the story, Linda and Fredda’s sponsors at the time immediately entered them into the season’s tournaments. The two “canceled speaking engagements, rescheduled boat show appearances and altered other plans so they could prepare for their first big-money tournament, which was to be held in New York.”
But not long after the initial announcement went out, on June 21 of that year, “Sevier issued a one-page news release dis-inviting the women.” The article states that one hundred of the top pros along with a number of their wives signed a petition, and that 76.8 percent of fishermen responding to a survey felt the women shouldn’t be allowed to compete. That set the stage for the ensuing controversy.
Being a Florida newspaper reporting on the two organizations in town to fish, they spoke with probably the most well-known angler in Florida at the time, Roland Martin, and his comments only added fuel to the fire. The story quoted him as saying, “I prefer not to fish with women if I have the choice. I just feel like men would embarrass women in catching fish.” He went on to be quoted, “I can cast farther than a woman can. Say we’re approaching an area where bass are likely to be. I’m going to cast out there before we get close enough for her to cast. It’s ruthless, but that wins tournaments. For me it has nothing to do with sex or bathrooms.”
Linda England conceded that “not many women would want to put themselves in that position, but some would, and they ought to be able to.”
Some suggested the pair should sue B.A.S.S., but they felt it best for the sport if they just let things be despite being disappointed in the outcome at that time and expressing their dissatisfaction. At the time, Linda and Fredda both had some big-name sponsors, and Linda had career winnings of nearly $300,000. Pop that into an inflation calculator and you approach three quarters of a million dollars in today’s world – not too shabby.
The whole thing eventually played out in history, with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers later that year telling B.A.S.S. that they couldn’t hold their tournament if they didn’t let women in. Sevier relented and at the last minute, Ray Scott got Charlie Reed’s wife, Vojai, to fish the event, where she placed 58th. Women were in.
Unfortunately, Linda and Fredda didn’t get their chance to fish the Okeechobee event. But the picture of the two of them strategizing in a hotel room for their first practice day on Okeechobee is a great one. Sadly, they have both passed, but aren’t forgotten.
