Wife / mother / businesswoman / professional angler keeps busy

The pink shoes were the first things I noticed about Christina Bradley the morning I met her for fishing. I also noted she drove a full-sized Dodge pickup that pulled a Triton bass boat that would have made any man drool. She even wore a fancy gold shirt adorned with her sponsor’s name, Geico Insurance. The Triton was also wrapped in a Geico pattern complete with that gecko.

It was the contrast of the pink shoes that made me like Bradley from the start. At 35 years old, the Northern Virginia resident is a mother and a wife with a good corporate job. She also had a dream to become a professional bass angler.

Christina, or Christy as her friends call her, was the subject of an article I’ve been doing called “A Day on the Water.” I spend fi ve hours with an angler on a fishery he or she has never been on and write what he or she does for publication. Bradley was the fi rst female featured in the series.

The brunette with strikingly intense blue eyes told me she’s been fishing tournaments since her first in 1999, when her brother’s wife couldn’t make an event so Bradley filled in. At day’s end, she and her brother had won and the competitive fire was lit. For the past two years, Bradley has been touring on the newly formed BASSMasters women’s circuit. She’s the fi rst to admit that with all she has going on, it hasn’t been easy.

“Last year it was tournament to tournament because of the money. At $3,000 per event, plus expenses and time off, it’s challenging,” she told me as we fished.

In her fi rst season she fi nished 18th overall and knew she had to try another year. With the help of her sponsors, this year is a bit easier logistically. The competition is just as fi erce, however.

“Some of these girls have been fishing tournaments for 20 years,” Bradley said. Hearken back to the fi rst impression of the pink shoes, though. I think the color choice is no accident. The pink shoes are a clever reminder of Bradley’s femininity.

Bradley is learning the ropes of being a woman in a sport more associated with men. I am thankful she is smart enough not to push herself as such. There’s nothing I dislike more than seeing a “Barbie” on a fishing or hunting show. It’s demeaning to women, men and the sport. Many of us know there are few things more beautiful than seeing our wives fishing. How many of you have always wished your wife would go fishing with you? Well, maybe not all of you.

Bradley and I spoke about that. She understands how competitive professional fishing can be and the media issues. She gets it. A woman in a male-dominated sport, she admits there are many pitfalls but thinks she has found a good balance between being feminine and a respected competitor.

From the fi ve hours I spent with her in a 20-foot boat, I think she’s well suited to succeed on the women’s tour. She was leaving the day after we fished for an event on Kentucky Lake.

We fished that morning at Motts Run Reservoir just outside Fredericksburg. Supervisor Don Minor greeted us warmly. His facility and lake are beautiful. Included are a boat ramp and rental boats, fishing piers, and even grills and picnic tables along the 160-acre lake. You may contact Minor for more information by calling 540-786-8989. So how did Bradley do that morning?

Within five minutes she had her first fish in the boat. It was a feisty 13-inch largemouth bass. Her second fish came about four and a half hours later, but we enjoyed good conversation and laughs in between. When the fi ve hours were up, we made it back to the dock to put the Triton back on the trailer. You know what happened next?

Bradley was asked to autograph photos. She was speechless. The men who wanted the photos all wanted to know if she caught anything. I think she realized she is living her dream.

Look for Bradley whenever they show the Women’s BASSMaster Tour on television. She’s the one with the yellow shirt, yellow boat and pink shoes.

Until next time, remember to cherish, protect and conserve the outdoors while sharing it with others.