Women’s Fishing Clubs hold 6th Annual Border Battle
Category: article
Sep 5th, 2021 by Keith Worrall
Modified Sep 6th, 2021 at 1:57 PM
Women’s Fishing Clubs hold 6th Annual Border Battle
Fall is in the air, and when many are turning their thoughts to the gridiron battles, many female anglers have their focus on the border battle. The two largest Women’s fishing clubs in the upper Midwest, WI Women Fish ( WWF) and the Women Anglers of MN (WAM ), face off on their border waters, the mighty Mississippi. This 6th annual gathering will be held Saturday, September 11th.
The battle will be held on The Best Dam Fishing Float, a historic fishing float below Dresbach lock and dam #7 near Lacrosse, Wisconsin. The barge has T shaped docks that provide over 400 feet of fishable rail and are handicapped and children friendly. Multiple species are caught every day, and food, tackle and bait are available for purchase.
Although the title implies a “battle” it is more a celebration and an opportunity to gather with old friends and meet some new fishing buddies. Oftentimes, you will see women sharing tips and techniques with each other, and both teams cheer the other’s success. With that being said, Wisconsin does hold the title of “5 time, undefeated Border Battle Champions”
Kristen Merwin, former President of the Women Anglers of Minnesota said, “The annual border battle event is so important to the Women Anglers of Minnesota. It is a time that we can gather with other like-minded women from WI Women Fish to expand our relationships with other women anglers, learn new techniques and most importantly shine a light on a long-term friendship centered in bringing more women into the sport of angling. This annual event is a perfect representation of both clubs’ view of our partnership that we are Better Together!” The two clubs have a combined membership of over 1400 members and both clubs are seeing high growth rates. Women Anglers of MN is the longest running Women’s Club in the US and was recently inducted into the MN Fishing Hall of Fame. WI Women Fish is in its 15th year of existence and has members from 20 States and 2 Canadian Provinces.
Takemefishing.org stated that 45% of new fishing participants are female. The growth of Women Anglers is skyrocketing and involvement in fishing organizations such as WAM and WWF help to retain license holders and give ongoing support to women engaged in the sport.