In the News

It's No Fish Tale: Baker Woman is a Pro at Angling

By Leslie Fike, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach

Mar. 22--BAKER -- A love for fishing runs deep in Sammie Jo Denyes' veins. During her childhood, growing up on a lake, catching bream in the Red River of Louisiana was a regular family outing for the 33-year-old Baker resident. These days, Denyes pursues her favorite pastime by competing professionally in the Women's Bassmaster Tour.

"My love for fishing goes way back," said Denyes, smiling as she recalls one of her first experiences.

"Bass fishing takes patience," she said, which was something she didn't have at age 10 when she hooked her first bass. At one point, Denyes was on her knees trying to reel the fish in before the line snapped. "It was backlash after backlash," she said, but it was all about practice. And it paid off after she joined the women's tour in 1998 and then won the Women's Bass Fishing Association Amateur Angler title in 2000. Her mother, JoNell Whitstine, laid claim to the WBFA Angler-of-the-Year title in the same tournament. "She's our mentor," said Denyes. "She teaches us and my dad (Buddy) taught her."

Although her father's dream of competing on the pro side was interrupted by a war injury, he still tours with his wife, Denyes and his other daughter, Carla, who also competes.

Denyes' husband, Jerry, also travels the tour with her.

"I call them our bass caddies," she said, because while the women are on the water, the men stay ashore stringing lines into other rods and performing other tasks. "They're very supportive of us," said Denyes. "I couldn't do this without my husband. We're a team." The couple is also competitive with each other on daily excursions to local waterholes here at home. After each trip, the fish have to be weighed to see who did better. Even the couple's daughters have tak- en up the family tradition. Unfortunately, the buck stopped at her son, who not only dislikes the sport, but can't even stand the smell of fish.

Denyes just laughs.

"What can you do?" she said.

While there's nothing else she loves more than fishing, Denyes is glad that the sport does have its rewards. All of her equipment, including clothing, is provided by her 12 sponsors, including Mustang Survival, Bass Pro Shops and Nitro Boats.

The only item she had to provide was her boat -- a Nitro 929 CDX -- which cost about $46,000.

"It's like buying a house," she said.

And techniques and patience aren't the only things a professional needs to have, she added.

"You can't get so focused on the fishing that you forget about yourself," she said.

Suffering a heat stroke isn't uncommon in the sport if participants don't hydrate constantly and take care of themselves while on the water.

But only one rule stands atop the rest -- have fun.

"If I'm not having fun, it's not worth it," she said. "The only reason I'm here is because I enjoy it."

In April, Denyes will begin touring again, and this year she will compete against her mother and sister.

"We support each other, but we're also very competitive," she said.

It would be phenomenal if all three of them placed in the top six on the tour, she added.

But the most rewarding part of her pro career is what happens away from the cameras. As often as she can, Denyes works with charity tournaments that give handicapped children their chance to catch the big one and win a trophy.

"There's so much giving involved," said Denyes, adding that the events touch close to home because her own son was born with cerebral palsy.

"Kids are my heart when it comes to fishing." Staff Writer Leslie Fike can be reached at 682-5608.

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