Women Who Fish

Fishing is big business.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 785 million days were spent fishing and $99.4 billion in fishing-related expenses were expended.

Just who are those anglers?

In 2022, 39.9 million U.S. residents 16 years old and older fished, with women accounting for 12.5 million—31 percent—of those anglers. Looking closer to home, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) reports that women purchased 20 percent of the Illinois fishing licenses sold in 2024, a 1 percent increase over the 2023 sales.

Wanting to know more about the population of women anglers, and barriers preventing more women from fishing, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), a nationally recognized nonprofit at the forefront of advancing recreational boating and fishing for more than 25 years, undertook a study of women anglers. Results of the study are available in What’s Underneath the Wave of Women Fishing.

Meet Six Illinois Women Anglers

Five anglers from Illinois were recently interviewed and their responses compared with the results of the What’s Underneath the Wave of Women Fishing report.

A mother of six, Takouhie Jensen served as an IDNR Conservation Education Representative for the Urban and Community fishing program in 2024 and currently is attending graduate school, working on a degree on marriage and family counseling.

Stacey Greene’s family purchased a bait shop at Montrose Harbor in 1958, which she currently runs with her husband and son. With a lifetime of fishing under her belt, any day she is in the bait shop she’s helping others learn to fish and listening to anglers recount stories of fishing Lake Michigan.

Since 1993, Eileen Rice has taught her first grade students about fish, fishing and the environment, culminating the unit with a fishing field trip. In 2022 she was inducted into the Illinois Conservation Hall of Fame for her work on introducing thousands of Illinois students to the sport of fishing and the love of the outdoors.

Kellie Smith has fond memories of fishing with her family since she was big enough to pick up a fishing pole. Today she works as a paralegal in northern Illinois and continues to fish whenever she gets a chance.

As a Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Kady Burtle’s career allows her to help others learn to fish, something her parents introduced her to at 5 years of age.

Interview Responses Aligning to Findings of the Underneath the Wave of Women Fishing Report

Finding: 63 percent of girls participated in fishing with their mothers compared to 45 percent participated with their father.

Takouhie Jensen grew up in Orange County in southern California, learning to fish when her mother would take her, and her nine siblings, to fish at a local fish farm. Mom booked only 30 minutes to fish, and only one rod was provided. As the second youngest children, Jensen’s turn came with only 3 minutes remaining on the clock. She notes fondly that she’s caught a lot of fish since her first experience as a 5-year-old.

With parents who owned a bait shop at Montrose Harbor Stacey Greene feels she essentially was born fishing. Learning first-hand from her father, she also attributes her fishing knowledge to the guys who hung around the bait shop.

Each of Kellie Smith’s parents lays claim to being the first to take her fishing. Being too young to recall that outing, and erring on the safe side, today she credits both her parents with that first fishing trip and for providing her with happy childhood memories of fishing with them, her siblings and grandparents.

Kady Burtle’s parents both grew up fishing and it was only natural that they started her early. She fondly recalls receiving her first pink-and-black fishing pole for her fifth birthday, and she was ready for action having spent the previous year practicing casts with a toy rod. She fondly recalls the excitement of seeing her dad pull his old fishing boat out of the barn and announcing they were heading to the pond.

On occasion, though, it’s a family friend who accompanies a novice angler on those first outings.

Eileen Rice did not learn to fish until she was a sophomore in high school when Jim, a friend of her mothers, “hooked” her on fishing during a trip to Rhinelander, Wisconsin when she caught a small bluegill. From that point forward she claims she was a constant tag-along with Jim and her brother, Tim. When dating her now husband, she enthusiastically shared her love for fishing and reintroduced him, and his parents, to fishing.

Finding: 1 in 5 active female anglers say fishing makes them feel like they can do anything they set their mind to.

For Kellie Smith, setting her mind to it was a spontaneous opportunity as a 12-year-old to help a stranger haul in a monster muskie.

“The man was set up for pan fishing and was absolutely unprepared when he hooked into a massive muskie,” she recalled. “My dad and I waded into the water off the rocks and sandwiched our medium-sized net with the man’s pan fishing net to help him safely land the fish. It felt like at least 20 minutes but was probably all of five.”

Standing chest deep in water and next to her dad after landing the muskie, she helped hold the fish while it recovered from the fight.

“I’ll remember that feeling of spontaneous camaraderie and achievement for as long as I live,” she said.

For first-grade educator Eileen Rice, she’s passing the ‘I can do anything I set my mind to’ mentality along to her students.

“I truly enjoy when the students and parents learn that there is a place nearby where they can observe nature and have family fun without a screen or electronics,” she explained. “This is why I chose the Skokie Lagoons to expose them to all the outdoors that is just “around the corner” from where they live—to demonstrate there is a nearby location they can enjoy all summer long and throughout the year.”

Finding: 31 percent of active female anglers say it was intimidating to be a woman and fish with men.

Kellie Smith fishes with her family often, but she fishes the most with her mother.

“Often we are the only women fishing in an area, and we’ve had our fair share of ‘looks’ over the years from a few men who clearly thought we didn’t know what we’re doing,” she said. “This is not a regular occurrence anymore, thankfully. Fishing is a sport for everybody, regardless of age, gender or ability. My biggest tip is to get out there and claim your space, then to stay there and enjoy a day of fishing.”

Finding: Patience was the top mental gain from fishing as ranking by both active and lapsed anglers.

Kellie Smith, explained that when mentoring new anglers she preaches patience, a willingness to learn and the flexibility to know you need to adjust to the circumstances. She also advises anglers to trust their gear to do its job.

“I’ve seen a 50-inch inch muskie pulled out of the water on 2-pound test line with a light fishing pole, and the only thing that made such a feat possible was a perfectly placed hook and perfectly set drag,” she explained. “In other words, and to quote my dad, ‘Don’t horse it in!’ Be patient, enjoy the fight of the fish on its way in. Respect the sport itself and the environment that makes it possible.”

Seeing the look on someone’s face when the line tugs and they reel in their first fish is something that will never get old to Kady Burtle. It’s also one of the most rewarding parts of her job.

In helping youngsters learn to fish, she advises mentors to stay patient and to expect tangles and missed bites.

“Keep your tone positive and encouraging as fishing should be a low-pressure experience for them,” she advised. “Use the opportunity to teach them about animals or plants you come across, to pick up after themselves and to always respect nature.”

And as a parting tip, she reminds youth mentors to not forget to take a few steps back while new anglers practice their cast.

Finding: Active female anglers were significantly more likely than lapsed anglers to believe fishing brings them peace, calms anxiety and helps them de-stress. And Finding: Half of female anglers surveyed said fishing relaxes them and clears their minds.

Fishing with her dad was a peaceful way to spend a summer morning according to Kady Burtle, a day full of good conversations and a lot of laughs. As an adult, she continues to appreciate the feelings experienced while fishing.

“When I’m out on the water waiting for a bite, I soak in the peace and stillness around me,” she explained. “Sometimes I’ll turn on the radio, but most days I’d rather just listen to the birds. Nature has a way of grounding us and bringing us back to our roots. There’s so much to learn from simply watching wildlife. I love seeing cardinals and bald eagles or watching a family of ducks swim past my fishing kayak. Life gets busy and overwhelming, so it’s important to find time to slow down and reconnect. Honestly, I’ve never had a bad day fishing…even if I didn’t get a single nibble on my line.”

As a busy mother of six and a graduate school student, Takouhie Jensen appreciates the opportunities she has to spend time fishing the pond behind her home.

“Fishing is an amazing mix of sport, nature appreciation and the opportunity to decompress,” she explained. “There’s just something about it: Mystery, skill, peace, nature, surprise; those are all parts of fishing.”

Likewise, Stacey Greene enjoys the peacefulness of fishing and the opportunity to observe nature.

“Fishing provides me with the chance to relax in the peaceful setting that nature provides,” Greene explained. “There is always something going on around you. In the spring I can sit and watch goslings and ducklings jumping in and swimming around my fishing spot, and I know to expect changing views with each season. Observing the sights and sounds around me reminds me how amazing nature is.”