From Bass Reporter’s Notebook — CLASSIC WOMAN: Only the second woman to qualify for a Bassmaster Classic, Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., was impressed with the kindness of a fellow competitor Sunday during the three-day practice period on Lay Lake for the Feb. 19-21 Classic.
“He did something that made me feel welcome,” she said. “The angler met Steven (Pam’s husband, Steven Wells) at the ramp as he was loading his boat on his trailer. He was telling Steven where he’d seen me, and then said he was going to wait with him to make sure I got in all right.
“I don’t know him – I know his name, but hadn’t met him,” added Martin-Wells, who qualified for the Classic through the 2009 Bassmaster Women’s Tour. “It was a nice gesture, and I appreciated it.”
It was a warm moment, but otherwise, she got as cold as any of the other 50 Classic anglers practicing this past weekend on Lay Lake. They had to contend with snow Friday, then air temperatures below freezing Saturday and Sunday mornings.
“It was another first for me – first Classic and first time I’ve been fishing in snow,” Martin-Wells said.
Despite the falling snow, she stayed on the water most of the day Friday. “I came in about 3,” she said, “and only because my sixth pair of gloves got wet, and I couldn’t keep my hands warm.”
On Saturday morning, she said, the rod lockers on her boat were frozen shut, and she had to pour hot water over her trailer hitch to free the lock and hook up her boat.
Martin-Wells said she’s looking forward to the slightly milder weather that is forecast for competition days.
“Some sun would be great to warm the water up a bit,” she said. “When I was out there, it (water temperature) was 42 to 44 degrees, except one place, where I saw it was 46 degrees.”
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
