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 and young girls to get into fishing. 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 ambassadors for the sport of fishing, fishing ladies, or female anglers 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 week’s feature is Lisa Goodier! Not only is Lisa a fishing enthusiast but this female angler has found a way to make it her career all while chasing the most prestigious freshwater fish that swims in Ontario waters; musky! We are very excited to have her participate in the Women In Angling series. But enough from us here she is:
"My name is Lisa Goodier and I am a full-time Musky guide at the Ottawa River Musky Factory. Currently, I am the only full-time female musky guide in Canada but I hope that changes one day! Now going into my 6th season, I'm a proud to work with Shimano and be a pro staffer for Musky Factory Baits and Suick Lure Company. I've delivered seminars at various fishing events including The Muskies Canada Odyssey,The Ottawa Boat show, and have been featured in print and online publications of "Just Fishing" and "Ontario Out of Doors". I have also appeared in the tv show "Setting the Hook" with Brent Bochek.
The path to where I am now was far from a straight shot. Guiding was a major career change for me as I worked in retail management for most of my life. I moved around Canada a lot with that job and ended up in Ottawa which has been home for the past 12 years. My passion for fishing really took off when I moved to Ottawa as I quickly learned I had a world class fishery right on my doorstep. I had heard about the elusive muskellunge, the fish of 10,000 casts, and really wanted to catch one. As a surprise my girlfriend bought me a guided fishing trip with John Anderson (owner of the Ottawa River Musky Factory) and that day changed my life forever! It was an unreal experience that I don't have enough time for here BUT you can hear all about the craziness that went down if you watch this "Setting the Hook with Brent Bochek" episode I appeared in:
Immediately after that trip with John I went and bought a boat and was on the river every chance I had.
After the day on the river with John, I started volunteering for Blue Fish Canada (www.bluefishcanada.ca) which is a charity dedicated to the future of recreational fishing in Canada. One of the main goals of Blue Fish is to inspire the next generation of conservation minded anglers. It was founded by Lawrence Gunther who is North America's only professional blind angler. I learned so much from fishing and working with him AND it's actually through this volunteer work that I ended up reconnecting with John at a fishing show. Lawrence said to him "Lisa should guide for you!” and John approached me after and said he would be thrilled to mentor me. I decided to jump at the opportunity to be mentored by one of the top musky guides in Canada. It was scary to leave a steady job but it was one of the best decisions of my life!
Guiding can be a really tough gig at times but it’s incredibly rewarding to help someone catch their very first fish, their personal best musky, or to get positive feedback about how much they’ve learned fishing with me. With muskies being the "fish of 10,000 casts" it's never easy but it's also the reason catching one is so special. Every fish counts!"
Her advice for women looking to get into the industry or just to further your passion is to “Join as many fishing clubs as you can” and volunteer in the industry. She is a proud member of Muskies Canada and points out that for a small annual fee (that supports research projects) you have access to exclusive seminars, opportunities to be involved directly in research projects, fun outings, online forums and release logs, and most importantly meetings and events with awesome like minded people who are always willing to share knowledge and to help someone learn.
She says "The future of our fishery in Canada depends on good catch and release practices". Muskies Canada teaches the importance of targeting these elusive fish with the proper gear, release tools and net. To learn more visit www.muskiescanada.ca
We would like to thank Lisa for sharing her passion for fishing with us all. Hopefully her story is the push needed to get the 2nd, 3rd, and 100th female to become a musky guide! Be sure to connect with her on social media (on facebook @lisagoodierORMF or on instagram @lisagoodier_muskyguide) and book a charter at www.ottawarivermuskyfactory.com !
For more Women in Angling features be sure to click 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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To experience a day of fishing on the water with us be sure to check out our YouTube channel at the link below:
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