Spending her youth fishing with family prepared Lindsey Brown to enter the world of competitive catfishing.
Women Who Catfish: Lindsey Brown
Story and Photos by Terry Madewell
Lindsey Brown is fully committed to catfishing, not only for the competition of tournaments or fishing for fun, but for the camaraderie of the catfishing community.
Growing up with a fishing rod in hand helps prepare a person for challenges that life, or fishing, may bring. Growing up near Gaffney, South Carolina, Lindsey Brown was a self-described tomboy, raised with a fishing pole in hand. But she never imagined in her youth that she’d be honored to later be known as a “PoleKat.”
Her first memories of fishing remain strong and were built via her connection with her dad and sister.
“I loved fishing with my dad,” she said. “We didn’t have access to major lakes, but we fished a private lake and several smaller lakes that had plenty of fish. I fished from docks and walking shorelines, and my younger sister and I grew up doing the things local boys did. Fishing, hooking worms and proudly holding fish we caught was the norm.
“I remember catching a nice bass, and I was so proud of my trophy, I kept it alive in a small plastic pool.”
These cherished fishing memories seeded a passion that didn’t fully fruit and mature until later in life.
Enter Benji Brown, a passionate catfisherman who along with son Riley, formed a formidable tournament catfishing team years ago named “Team PoleKat.” While dating Benji, Lindsey became intrigued about his strong connection to the sport. She appreciated his passion but wanted to understand the allure of catfishing.
Be careful what you ask for.
She asked to go catfishing, and while that first trip didn’t produce a lot of fish, she was fascinated by the strategy of targeting big cats. The next trip was produced the moment her life made a course correction in terms of catfishing.
“I’d fished for bream and bass growing up, and a chunky bass was a real prize,” she said. “When I caught my first big catfish, a 28-pounder, I was hooked. I’d never caught anything so powerful—the drag being pulled, rod tip buried in the water, struggling to turn the reel. I immediately wanted to catch one bigger. I began fishing with Benji and caught plenty of fish but couldn’t top the 28-pound-mark.”
For a while, her personal best, caught in July 2017, remained static until they took a trip to the James River in November that same year.
“The trip with Benji to the James River was when catfishing became an obsession,” she said. “I broke my big-fish mark with an 80-pound catfish, and I was committed to catfishing. When Riley left home to enter military service, I proudly became part of Team PoleKat.”
It was a natural extension of her life. She and Benji, now married, share their passion for catfishing, entering tournaments to not simply have fun, which they do, but to win.
“We won our first big tournament early in 2024 at Lake Wateree in South Carolina,” she said. “The Southeastern Catfish Club hosts tournaments on several lakes, and we had finished third the previous season in the overall points race. That was encouraging.”
On this tournament, Team PoleKat had more to overcome than catch three big catfish. Weather conditions were nasty, with driving rain, high winds and cold temperatures making the weather challenging.
“Many of the entries didn’t show up to fish,” Lindsey said. “It was a miserable day to fish, but we persevered, and it was wonderful, because we caught our big fish and won.”
Benji Brown said Lindsey is the perfect partner for his fishing adventures.
“Whether fishing a tournament or just catfishing for fun, we enjoy the process,” he said. “She’s diligent about catfishing and enjoys competitive fishing. She’s all in, whether it’s tournament fishing or just for fun. When I’m thinking about going, I’ll start to ask, and before I get to the question, she already smiling and saying, “Yes, when?”
Lindsey’s work full-time in the Medical Equipment Industry ensures a busy schedule, but she’ll help catch bait and prefish with Benji when time allows.
“I love the fishing and catching, but preparation, getting bait and taking trips are all part of the process,” Lindsey said. “One of first things I do in January is plan vacation time around the tournaments we’re fishing. That includes tournament trails, as well as the Big Cat Brawl at Santee Cooper in March and the annual SeaArk tournament.”
They also take extended vacations to catfish for fun. They live in Spartanburg, South Carolina but keep a camper at Hills Landing on Santee Cooper, and recently restored a 30-foot pontoon boat that’s now a catfish-catching machine, stationed at the landing.
“It’s home away from home,” she said.
Lindsey Brown’s catfishing passion is fueled by more than fishing tournaments or catching big fish.
“The camaraderie of the catfish community is amazing, and in recent years, I’ve developed close friendships with folks I’ve met catfishing,” she said. “Some of my best friends now are catfishermen and wives of catfishermen.”
Like an extended family, the catfishing community understands the passion of catfishing, and they’re closely connected.
“Collectively, they’re a great family of folks,” she said. “We’ll take non-fishing trips with friends that we originally connected with through catfishing.”
They also plan a big fishing trip around Thanksgiving every year.
“We’ll meet with family and friends for the big Turkey-Day dinner, then we’re off on a catfishing excursion,” she said.
One extended Thanksgiving fishing trip, in November 2022, was to the Tennessee River on Wilson Lake where Lindsey Brown hooked and landed her second 80-pound-plus catfish. Perhaps Lindsey and Benji are ready to upgrade their personal best to the rarified plateau of triple-digit territory.
Such pursuit would not without precedent. Benji’s son, Riley, did it in November 2021, when he caught a 101-pound blue catfish from Wheeler Lake fishing from Team PoleKat’s SeaArk boat.
But giant catfish or not, for Lindsey and Benji Brown, it’s not about the end result. It’s about the process and enjoying the journey together while sharing the adventure with others.
Lindsey said she’s proud to be a PoleKat.
(Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C. has been an outdoor communicator for nearly 50 years. He holds a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager. He’s passionate about sharing outdoor adventures with others.)
