The Women’s Offshore Alliance (WOA) is about to become the first all-female team to take on the White Marlin Open fishing tournament in Ocean City.
Women’s Offshore Alliance Member Nikki GeorgeThe newly formed team is made up of four working moms. They have ten children between them, and demanding jobs to boot. One is working on her MBA while working full time, and one is a neuorology nurse.
But the team has one thing in common: a passion for fishing.
The ladies will make their tournament debut with some serious sponsorships. They’ll compete on an 2018 Everglades 435CC, captained by Walter George. They have partnerships with Annapolis Boat Sales, Maryland Boat Gear, Hari Mari and Warbird Fishing Gear. Atlastrax USA will provide live tracking of the team.
And the team will raffle off $8,000 in rods, built by Shore Tackle and Custom Rods, with all proceeds going to cancer and muscular dystrophy charities.
The tournament runs from August 7 through 11 and is “the world’s largest and richest billfish tournament.” Prize money can run above $1 million.
The Women’s Offshore Alliance says they aim to promote and grow the presence of women in sportfishing and boating.
The WOA anglers come from a wide range of fishing skills from commercial Bluefin Tuna fishing and offshore pelagic trolling to light-tackle inshore fishing and trolling.
Team members Nikki George, Jaime Buffington, Shannon Ehinger and Lisa Foxwell joined forces to meet other women who love fishing, but also to encourage women who may be too intimidated to try.
Buffington says, “Fishing is often thought of as a man’s sport, I feel it’s important to show other ladies that they can enjoy fishing and being on the water as well.”
Ehinger agrees, “I love more than anything seeing someone catch their bucket list fish or see the beauty out there or dig deep and amazed they just got that fish in all by themselves.”
The Women’s Offshore Alliance also hopes they can encourage women to involve their entire families in fishing. If moms and dads can pass on the sport to the their children, it will foster “the next generation of anglers and stewards of our natural resources”.
To follow the all-women team, or if you are a female angler who would like to join the Alliance, click here.
