Hi there! 
 I will be entering into my 6th year as a tournament angler.  I started out in a B.A.S.S. club, and added to my time on the water by stepping into a larger circuit last summer.   
  I admit... I was viewed with suspicion by many in the beginning, and even treated as somewhat of a novelty. (Why is she REALLY here? Is she going to be a complainer?  Can she actually fish?  What if she has to, you know...use the bathroom?  Is she going to cause problems?)
 
  Flash forward to present day....
 I love being the President of my B.A.S.S. club, and have served two terms so far.  I was unanimously voted "Member of the Year" twice by my peers (2005 and 2006).  I am proud to say that I also earned bragging rights as Angler of the Year in 2008.  I am the second co-angler in the history of our club to earn this title, and the first woman to do so.  (I wanted that so badly.  I focused on that from first tournament to last, and never let it go!)  I am not just a "girl/woman" anymore...I am a friend, a competitor and a fellow angler.
  I made the Classic in my first year on the CSFL circuit last summer, which I am really proud of. So...I am a woman who can fish.  Big deal, right?  What else do I bring with me besides tackle and rods?  The answer is simple.  I bring my time and my perspective.  I dedicate myself to youth and conservation, and I give back to the sport that I love whenever I have the opportunity.  I attend seminars, work trade shows and do what women sometimes do best...I organize.  I show other women that they can do it too,  Mothers and daughters both.

  I think it is awesome that Kim Bain has earned herself a place on stage at the Classic!!!  She has proven herself as an angler, and worked hard to be where she is now.  I am proud of her accomplishments and her courage.  She will be putting her skills against those of some truly incredible anglers. 
  This is a huge piece of history for all who are involved in competitive angling...she is blazing a trail for others to come, and we get to watch it unfold!!!
  .....Go Kim!!!!!!

Bass Wishes,
Laurie