My blog has continued to grow, and my favorite part of this is being able to connect with amazing people on social media who share my passion and love for the outdoors. I came across Rachel’s page on Instagram over a year ago, and I absolutely LOVE seeing all of her photos and videos. You can follow her too on Instagram and Facebook! She resides in NJ as a service supervisor.
Rachel, thank you so much for putting this together. I hope to connect with you and fish together sometime soon!
Rachel has a phenomenal passion for fishing, and she kicks butt constantly. What I love most about following Rachel is her genuine happiness in every single post. Her smile and excitement are absolutely contagious – and I was over the moon when she agreed to participate and let me share her story. What’s more, her message is touching and simple: We are just out here chasing our dreams!
As a little girl, my family and I would go fishing on the weekends together. I spent nights, in the living room, watching the Discovery Channel with my father as a little girl. I can remember being intrigued and in awe of the men catching fish and collecting data for marine research they were conducting. It was when I saw the title of Marine Biologist, under one of the researcher’s names, that it would be what I wanted to be someday too. I never did get a chance to hunt, although I do love to shoot, because my father feared that I would hit my live target and then start to cry once I realized it was the reason it no longer had a life. My father has been my influence and role model for fishing, while my mama has been my biggest supporter and fan.
Although I have been fishing since I’m a little girl, after more than nearly 3 decades off from the sport, I began fishing again in 2018. I am in my fifth season of fishing and my second season of strictly kayak fishing.
Rachel’s favorite fish to catch is the largemouth bass. There is a complete story behind those beautiful eyes of a largemouth bass that most people can’t see. Every one of those bass’ eyes has a different look to them; if you look into them correctly, you can see a world that is open to so much beauty and discovery. I mainly fish in New Jersey. I have fished in Pennsylvania, Florida and Connecticut. I may be fishing in California this August; so exciting. I hope to begin fishing in other states as I become more versed and involved in the kayak angling world and scene.
I was always raised to be myself; to rely on nobody but me. I am a fisherman, just like any other angler or man. I even have a tattoo on my right arm that says ‘fisherman’. Many people ask if I’m offended when I’m called that and not a lady angler. My response usually reminds them that the middle three letters of the word spell HER; I am a fisHERman.
There are plenty of times that I have been approached, by men, with questions and statements like:
You really do exist?! You really do fish?! I thought you were fake. Do you need help with that? Your posts and photos look fake and too perfect. And my response is simple: I am here doing the same that you’re doing, for the same reasons that you are doing them. I am me. I am real. I love fishing. I just want to be the same as everyone else.
I am currently the only female in the kayak bass fishing club I am in, here in NJ, but any of the members I have interacted with have treated me the same as they treat the other guys. This is my first season with the club and I can honestly say, they have welcomed me with open arms.
When I’m not fishing with the club, there are times that I do feel the need to prove myself. As time has passed on, I’m realizing that the only proof I need is that to me and not to anyone else. As a female, in a male dominated sport, I can only hope that men do realize that there are women that love fishing just as much as them, if not more, and all we want is to be the same on and off the water. Our love and passion is not different from theirs by any means.
We are just out here chasing our dreams!
Wild Woman 