West Marine Partners with Take Me Fishing To Host Women Angler Series to Support the Growth of Women in Boating and Fishing

America's largest boating and fishing retailer to sponsor in-person and live-streamed events to promote accessibility and educate about the benefits of recreational boating and fishing

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- West Marine, America's leading retailer of supplies for the sailing, boating and fishing communities, today announced the inaugural Women Making Waves event series in partnership with Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation's (RBFF) consumer-facing brand, Take Me Fishing. The free, four-part interactive class series takes place each Wednesday in April and is designed to support increased female participation in fishing and boating. The events are open to the public and RSVPs are encouraged as space is limited.

"Interest in fishing and boating increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as families wanted to spend more time in outdoor, open-air environments," said Eric Kufel, West Marine CEO. "Time spent on and around the water provides a number of important mental health benefits, so our goal with the Women Making Waves class series is to ensure these new fans stay engaged for the long term — and for them to encourage their female friends to hop on board, too."

Women Making Waves is not just about increasing female participation in recreational boating and fishing; it also helps create awareness of how conservation efforts are impacted by everyone who purchases a fishing license or registers a boat. All funds collected for fishing license sales go directly back into water conservation projects from coast to coast.

"West Marine has been so supportive of Take Me Fishing's Women Making Waves initiative, encouraging the continued growth of women in fishing and boating," said Rachel Auslander, RBFF Director of Partnerships & Development. "These events provide a fantastic opportunity for our female presenters to share their fishing skills and knowledge of the local waterways with the public, both in person and online. It is our hope that their presence inspires other women and girls to get out on the water."

The industry's leading social media influencers, also known as Wave Makers, will host the Women Making Waves fishing demo events every Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. local time in the following West Marine marine centers:

• April 6: Nicole Jacobs in Minnetonka, Minn.
• Jacobs is a professional angler from St. Paul, Minn. who empowers others to follow their passions through faith and fishing. She's an avid bass angler and has competed in tournaments across the country since 2013.
• April 13: Annie Nagel in Sausalito, Calif.
• Nagel, a Sonoma County native, is a professional kayak angler who takes her fishing skills up the coast from Monterey Bay to Humboldt in Northern California. Although she's happy to catch any edible saltwater fish, her favorite targets are king salmon, rockfish and lingcod.
• April 20: Tiffany Risch (aka Snookie) in Virginia Beach, Va.
• Born and raised in Virginia, Risch (known to many as @SnookieFishing) dedicates her life to fishing. She's worked as a deckhand alongside some of the best anglers in the business, honing her knowledge of the sport in freshwater and saltwater fishing.
• April 27: The Gale Force Twins in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
• During their time at University of Miami, Amanda and Emily Gale spent every summer break and long weekend on a busy fishing charter boat in Key West. It was there that they honed their fishing skills and earned their U.S. Coast Guard 50 Ton Captains licenses. Today, the duo runs Gale Force Twins, LLC where they build fishing communities and provide resources for saltwater fishing and boating.

Register for the Women Making Waves class series here. Visit West Marine to learn more, become a fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Visit Take Me Fishing to learn and equip yourself for a day on the water, become a fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for more tips & tricks for all things fishing and boating.

Founded in 1968, West Marine is the leading integrated, omni-channel provider of aftermarket products and services to the boating, fishing, sailing, and watersports markets in the U.S. With 236 physical locations across 38 states and Puerto Rico and two eCommerce platforms reaching consumers and professional customers, West Marine is recognized as the leading resource for cruisers, sailors, anglers, and watersports enthusiasts. West Marine uses its scale, product breadth, and expert field associates to service all the needs of consumers seeking an exceptional on-water experience.

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase recreational angling and boating participation, thereby protecting and restoring the nation's aquatic natural resources. RBFF's 60 in 60 effort strives to attract 60 million anglers to the sport by the end of 2021. To help recruit, retain and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to build awareness of boating, fishing, and conservation and educate people about the benefits of participation. The campaign websites feature how-to-videos and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots, helping boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan, and equip for a successful day on the water. RBFF also offers its industry stakeholders many tools, including a Fishing License & Boat Registration Plugin to connect their customers with the information they need in just one click. The embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map helps customers discover places to fish and boat near them.

SOURCE West Marine