Wheeler Lake in Alabama will host first Chick Fight.
Chick Fight is a catfish tournament for the ladies. As the sport of catfishing grows, so grows the number of women participating. This tournament will give women catfish anglers a platform to demonstrate their skills and enjoy the competition and camaraderie of tournament fishing. The excitement among lady anglers is growing as more plans for the tournament are revealed.
The new all ladies’ tournament is the creation of Melinda Folsom. It was developed through her associations, observations, and discussions with other cat women at tournaments and other catfish related events.
For three years Melinda has fished tournaments with her husband Bryan. They had noticed a flyer of a local tournament to be held on the Coosa River near their home. Their tournament fishing started there and later expanded to other states. Women anglers were few and far between in the tournaments. She was a pioneer of sorts.
“Up until a year and a half ago I was the only female angler participating in the tournament trail we follow,” reported Melinda. “Now there is usually three or four of us. It was odd being the only lady present. I can’t imagine how the women who have been tournament fishing for 10 years or more must have felt in those early years when they started. I am sure there were even fewer women than I experienced. But now we are not alone.”
“We attended our first Catfish Conference in 2017,” continued Melinda. “Most of the women there were following around behind their husbands. They looked like they didn’t want to be there. The 2018 conference was different. There was a huge difference in the female presence. Women were there in team jerseys and talking catfish. Women weren’t following their husbands around while he shopped, the husbands were following them while she shopped.”
Catfish Now Digital Magazine organized a cat women photo op on both days of the 2018 conference. Melinda was one of many women who showed up on one or both days for the scheduled all women photo.
“I had a conversation with Ron Presley and his wife Karen following the second-day ladies photo,” recalled Melinda. “That discussion played a large role in making my mind up to plan an all ladies’ tournament. The three of us discussed how the presence of lady anglers had grown over the past few years in the sport of catfishing. Recognizing that growth was a necessary ingredient for continued planning of the Chick Fight.”
Later in 2018, Melinda had a conversation with James and Lisa Arwood at the Santee Cooper Monster Cat Quest. This was where she first threw out the idea of an all ladies tournament.
“They both went for it instantly,” said Melinda. “Hooker Terminal Tackle has already come on board as a sponsor. James suggested I find a way on social media to pull lady anglers together and keep them informed of the event and the news related to it.”
Whisker Chix
In May of 2018, Melinda followed James’ suggestion and created a group on Facebook for lady anglers only. She named the group Whisker Chix. Now, some three months later, the group has grown to more than 300 women members. More than 300 women who love to catfish.
“Some may look at our group and think that’s not many,” offered Melinda. “Most groups have well over 1000, but 300 women who love to catfish makes this group special.”
The Whisker Chix group includes women who have fished for 10-plus years; it has women who most everyone in tournament catfishing has heard of; it has women who are learning, and it has women who didn’t know there was such a thing as catfish tournaments. The group even includes a few members who live in Europe and fish for those giant Wels catfish.
“The group is all about bringing fellow lady anglers together,” continued Melinda. “It gives them an opportunity to show their skills, ask questions, give feedback and share products just for us ladies.”
The Whisker Chix group has been the basis for Melinda’s efforts to put the Chick Fight together, but she has also created a page just for the tournament. The Chick Fight Facebook page is the place to go for registration, rules, and updates. It provides a common place to report on the progress of the tournament.
Joining in the Effort
An effort like this is not accomplished alone. Melinda has reached out to other catfish enthusiasts to help her with the project. And yes, even the men get to help and they are enthusiast about it.
“Bryan has been one of my go-to people,” revealed Melinda. “He gets to hear most of my ideas and gives me his opinion. I have also asked a few tournament directors questions about running a tournament. I also reached out to other lady anglers and sorta’ quizzed them about this tournament.”
“I didn’t know if anyone else would want to do a tournament like this,” continued Melinda. “It turns out I’m not alone. I have two other couples that I mainly turn to when I need my mind made up on an idea or I’m not sure about how to proceed. They are Ann and Eddie White and Julie and Scott Lovelace.”
“Ann has been the one who has taken my art doodles for Chick Fight and Whisker Chix and turned them into clean digital artwork,” revealed Melinda. “It has taken Ann, Julie and me to come up with colors for each logo. It took us, our husbands and the Whisker Chix group to decide the final color combination for Chick Fight.”
“Bryan, Scott, and Eddie have been the menfolk that I turn to,” continued Melinda. “Since I’m basically asking them to set aside and not fish this event with their normal partners I wanted to know how they felt about it. They are enthusiastic supporters.”
Why Wheeler
Choosing Wheeler Lake in Alabama as the location for the first Chick Fight just seemed to be the natural thing to do as planning developed.
“Every time I go to an out of town tournament I meet people from other states,” explained Melinda. “We get to talking about where we fish back at home. Once Bryan and I tell them that the trail we follow is based on Lake Wheeler they always say, ‘It’s on my fishing bucket list.’ It seems the three most popular bodies of water in the south to fish are Wheeler, Santee Cooper, and the James River.”
“Wheeler was selected because it’s a place where most people want to come fish.” continued Melinda. “Everyone wants to catch a fish of a lifetime. Wheeler is a place where that’s possible just by putting bait in the water. Fishing Wheeler is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna’ get! It might be a 5-pound channel or an 80-plus blue cat or flathead. It can happen just about all year long.”
The Third Person Rule
There is one option in the tournament rules that allows a man on the boat. Melinda had a lot of questions about this rule and wants to be sure people understand how it works. It is intended to give more women the opportunity to participate.
“The Third Person Rule allows for a man to be on the boat,” explained Melinda. “If there is a man on the boat his only purpose is to act like a chauffeur to the team. He cannot fish, touch tackle, help net, touch fish or offer guidance or advice.”
“For example, I know how to fish, how rig up tackle, net a fish and all that,” continued Melinda. “But I cannot load or drive the boat. Bryan does that. I back the truck and trailer down for him to launch and load. I know many other women who are just like me. I know women who can drive and load the boat but can’t back down the truck and trailer. I know women who can do it all.”
“I also know men who have said they wouldn’t feel right having their wives go out on the water without them. Even though their wives are capable anglers and boaters. The possibilities of what can go wrong weigh heavily on the husbands. I also know that Wheeler, in the right weather, can get sketchy. I don’t want to leave any lady angler out of the opportunity to participate in the Chick Fight for any of these reasons.”
“The option to have a man on board is intended to take care of any woman like me and any man who would be worried sick about their wives being out on the water. The third person rule also provides a driver through weigh in. This rule will benefit the tournament and it has given me the drive to expand my skills and to one day do it all myself.”
Long-Term Goals
Melinda and her cohorts are wading into uncharted waters. An all ladies’ tournament of this scope is unheard of. Observing how the sport of catfishing responds to it will help determine its future.
“I have heard that there is an all ladies trail out there somewhere, but I can’t find it. I know a few small trails do tournaments where the lady is the captain for fruit jar events. But I have not found anything like what I’m planning for the Chick Fight.”
“I hope an Event like this will bring out all the ladies to show this sport and related companies just how fast it’s growing,” concluded Melinda. “Catfishing is not just a sport for men anymore. I hope this event can reoccur every year and grow with each new year.”
Epilogue: Chick Fight is scheduled for Saturday, April 6, 2019. It will launch out of First Creek Boat Ramp, Joe Wheeler State Park, Lake Wheeler, Rogersville Alabama. Tournament time is 7 am until 3 pm. Stay up to date on the tournament by following Whisker Chix on Facebook and Instagram. See the rules and sign up forms by following and liking the Chick Fight Facebook page by clicking here.
