• by Tanya Gazdik , August 25, 2024

Toyota Motor North America is adding its first female anglers to Team Toyota, aiming to empower women in competitive fishing.

The automaker and its longtime partner, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, recently launched BassmastHER, a new initiative that brings together a passionate community of female anglers.

The program will support the growth and advancement of women in fishing, aligning with Toyota’s commitment to representation and excellence in sports, whether on land or water.

The team includes Kristine Fischer from Weeping Water, Nebraska, a full-time pro angler and the first woman to win a national tournament and qualify for the Hobie Worlds.

Joining Fischer are Anastasia Patterson from Sumter, South Carolina and Maggie Jo Carsello from Madison, Wisconsin, both of whom aim to inspire women to claim their space on the water. Carsello believes it should be normal to see women anglers competing at the highest levels, saying, “The fish on the other end of my line doesn’t know I am a woman.”

Fischer, Patterson, and Carsello are ready to take on Bassmaster Opens, Nation, and Kayak Series from 2024 to 2026, competing as part of Team Toyota. 

Beyond the competitions, Toyota also is creating a network of support for women within the fishing community by providing opportunities at the tournament level, skill-sharpening workshops to learn about bass fishing tournaments and careers in the fishing industry, and showcasing female anglers on the professional circuit on B.A.S.S. channels.

Toyota has long been associated with fishing. In 2020, the automaker announced a formal sponsorship of Major League Fishing, professional bass fishing’s newest premier tournament organization, and home to Team Toyota professional anglers Mike Iaconelli, Terry Scroggins, Kevin VanDam and Jacob Wheeler. The partnership includes Fishing League Worldwide, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, as title sponsor of the Toyota Series.