When New Wave Fishing Academy was started it was based around the mission of helping everyone become more successful anglers and especially those who do not have the family, friends, or easily accessible opportunities to push them into the sport. From our short time in operation trying to accomplish this mission there has been a very clear population that has a hard time breaking into the industry. From critics online challenging their skills as anglers to talking down or belittling their accomplishments there are a lot of unnecessary hurdles for women anglers and young girls who fish. While we know that these hurdles are not set up by those that represent the majority of the members in the industry they unfortunately are often the loudest voice. To combat this we started the "Women In Angling" blog series last year to highlight some of the best female fishing ambassadors and share their stories for those that just need a little push or some role models to look towards to get into this sport we all love!
This weeks feature is Faith Gravelle! A multi-species angler & pro staffer in Northern Ontario. Check out her story below:
"My name is Faith and I’m a multi species angler from North Bay, Ontario. I’ve fished with my dad for as long as I can remember. Spending days on the dock casting with a jig and worm, excited for that feeling you get in the moment of catching a fish. I will always cherish that my dad was able to share his passion with me and that I could turn it into my own. Since then it has only continued to grow with each catch and when I met my now partner who is a tournament angler. He’s helped me learn so much over the past 4 years. Fishing is something that takes up so much of my spare time and I am so lucky to have found someone who I can share my passion for the outdoors with. It is the kind of hobby that can both help you relax and take away stress but also be fast paced and get your adrenaline pumping. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The main lake that I fish is Lake Nipissing for bass and walleye, while occasionally trying out surrounding small lakes during ice fishing season for trout. "Nip" is a relatively shallow and stained water lake. During the spring and summer bass can be found in shallow areas containing rock/wood structure and often in grass or reeds; when you find a combination of the two you are in for a good day! We focus on moving baits like swimbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits to cover water and always have soft plastic follow up baits to convince more finicky fish to nibble. Another very productive area during the warmer months are sand flats, big smallmouth will cruise these areas and hunker down on isolated structure. In the fall we typically fish deeper water, often connected to the same areas we fished earlier in the year. We take advantage of sonar to locate fish on bottom or suspended. This is a great time to use one of my favourite techniques, Dropshotting! During the winter when the lake freezes over we shift to walleye and trout fishing. Targeting deep rock humps and saddles often makes for exciting days on the hard water.
I recently was approached by Great Lakes Finesse and given the opportunity to become pro staff for them. This has been an amazing opportunity for me because it introduced me to my now favourite and most used baits for both open water and the ice season. A stand out bait in their lineup is the 2.75” drop minnow that excels at finesse presentations like dropshotting. Another one of their products that I almost always have tied on is the mini pro tube head, it has a flat head design keeping the hook point up when the bait is on bottom and they come with sharp sturdy hooks that don't bend out as easily as other tube heads I have used.
Something I have come to learn is that it can be tough and intimidating to try and get into something when your knowledge isn’t as advanced as others. You will always meet people who will question your abilities and challenge you. Although it happens to everyone, in the fishing community it is more commonly directed towards women. Women just don’t get taken as seriously in a male dominated sport. However, I am so happy to see more women posting on social media and making their mark in the fishing industry. The main thing to remember is not to worry about what others think about you or where you are with your fishing abilities currently, because everyone started at square one once and in an evolving sport like fishing there will always more to learn!"
We would like to thank Faith for taking the time to share her passion & tips for our favorite activity with everyone. If you want to connect with Faith you can follow her page on instagram @faithgravelle!
For more female fishing, fisher woman, and lady angler role model be sure to check out the other Women in Angling features at the link below.
If you know somebody who is a great ambassador for Women In Angling (Or the outdoors) that deserves to be recognized and would be willing to create a post please reach out to us on any of our social media platforms so we can get in touch with them.
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New Wave Fishing Academy is here to teach you all we know and everything we continue to learn about fishing. Check out our fishing courses at the link below: https://www.newwavefishingacademy.com/learn-to-fish-ontario
If you or someone you know is looking to get into fishing or you just want to become a more successful angler be sure to check out our "Zero To Hero Fishing Masterclass" for courses on everything fishing! The masterclass is built to help you learn how to find and catch fish like the pro's by providing all the information you need and a clear development path! Don't miss out check it out now at www.newwavefishingacademy.com/zero-to-hero
Have you ever wondered why lures don't come with instructions and wanted to know how to fish them? Look no further than our "How To Fish" series where you will learn what each bait is, how to use it, when and where it excels over other baits, our preferred setup to use it on, and the common mistakes anglers make when using it. www.newwavefishingacademy.com/how-to-fish
Check out the results of our fishing students and teachers to see what you can accomplish with New Wave Fishing Academy: https://www.newwavefishingacademy.com/best-fishing-ontario