Entry 86-2

Emily Shaffer: Professional Angler

How to Teach Safe Fishing

Editor's Note: Emily Shaffer from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, a member of the Strike King Pro Staff for 14 years, has hunted and fished all her life with her dad and her brother. She actually met her husband, Larry, at a bass-fishing tournament weigh-in on Percy Priest Lake in 1988. He asked her to go fishing at 5:00 a.m. the next morning, and the two have been together ever since. Shaffer fishes the WBFA Tournament Trail (Women's Bass Fishing Association), and she began her competitive fishing career with the Bassin' Gals Circuit many years ago. Starting in January, 2004, Shaffer will compete on the FLW Circuit, one of only three women fishing FLW. When Emily was asked how she felt about fishing in the male-dominated FLW, she smiled and answered, "I'm not competing against the men. I'm competing against the bass. When I throw my Strike King lures out toward targets that I believe hold bass, the fish don't know if a man or a woman is at the other end of the line." In 1995, Shaffer won the Women's Classic Championship and was Angler of The Year in 2002, besides winning two other national women's fishing titles.

Question: Emily, how do you teach a youngster safe fishing?

Shaffer: Youngsters always need to wear life jackets when they're around water, even if they already know how to swim. If a youngster falls in the water and pops right back to the surface, she may come up spitting and sputtering, but if she has a life vest on, she won't experience fear or panic from having fallen in. She's simply wet. I also think that all youngsters who are interested in fishing should be taught to swim.

I teach a program named "Single Mothers As Teachers" where I teach the single mothers how to fish so that they can take their children fishing with them. One of the most-rewarding experiences I can remember is I had a little girl come up to me and hug me for teaching her mom how to fish, because the mom went home and taught her daughter how to fish. Then they began having a great time fishing together. I believe that spending time with young people and teaching them how to fish is great quality family time. If we take our children fishing, we can eliminate the TV being a babysitter. Too, we learn more about our children, talk to our children more and help them solve their problems.

Question: What's another important aspect of fishing that parents need to know about when they take their youngsters with them?

Shaffer: Always have plenty of snacks and drinks on-hand. Snacks and drinks are extremely important on a family fishing trip. Children can keep their minds on their fishing much easier when they have full stomachs and plenty of something cold to drink. Besides, treats are a major incentive to get children to go outdoors with their parents. Many times, the youngsters will go just for the treats and be willing to learn how to fish for the treats before they learn how much fun fishing can be. So never minimize the importance of snacks, treats and cold drinks when you take children fishing.

Next: Single Connection

Contents:

• Part 1: Bass Fishing Isn't Just for the Guys
• Part 2: How to Teach Safe Fishing
• Part 3: Single Connection
• Part 4: What Being a Woman and a Tournament Bass Fisherman Is Like
• Part 5: How I Started Tournament Fishing