Angling Sisters "Get It Done" at Lake Norman
Women's Bassmaster Tour co-anglers, Linda Berry of Madison, NC and Denese Freeman of Lawton, Oklahoma made history Saturday on Lake Norman in Huntersville, NC by being the first sister duo to make the Top 6 cut for Day 3 of Tour Stop # 3.
Berry was in 2nd place and Freeman was in 3rd place in the co-angler division after Day 2 of the competition that included 94 pro-anglers and 94 co-anglers from the U. S., Canada, Japan and South Africa. Day 3 of the competition was tough but the sisters managed to finish in 3rd and 5th place overall. Berry has been tournament fishing since 1990. This was Freeman's fifth tournament ever to compete in. The sisters use the Women's Bassmaster Tour as a chance to see each other during the year because of the distance that separates them as family.
Both Berry and Freeman are members of Team Bassinator, a team of ten women anglers formed after the preview tournament on Lake Lewisville, Texas in October 2005. Team member Judy Antle of Lebanon Junction, Kentucky finished the event in 12th place in the Pro Division. Other team members who competed were co-angler Mary Croft of Bedford, VA, co-angler Renee Brisendine of Eden, NC and pro-angler Kitsy Cunningham of Eufaula, OK.
The third place finish for Berry moved her from 26th place up to 6th place in the co-angler point's race. Her goal is to fish the Women's Bassmaster Classic in February 2007 on Lake Mitchell in Birmingham, Alabama. The top 12 Pros and the top 12 co-anglers in points after the 5 events will qualify to fish the Classic. Bassinator team member and co-angler Mary Croft is currently in 2nd place in points after 3 events.
The next stop on the WBT tour is Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas August 24 – 26. Team Bassinator members will be available at the FisHHer booth set up at the Majors Expo in the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, August 26th and Sunday August 27th to talk to fans and promote FisHHer's new line of fishing gear designed specifically for the female angler.
Team Bassinator is sponsored by FisHHer, Pathway Logistics, digginupbones.com and ebassfish.com. All sponsors are women-owned businesses who support and promote women anglers and their right to compete on the same level as the male anglers.
