Fishing with Kenny | Fishing with Stephanie Hemphill-Pellerin

article by  KENNY COVINGTON

When I was told the March issue of BayouLife Magazine would center around a “Women’s Empowerment” theme, I immediately started thinking about who an interesting fisherperson would be to interview and write about in line with this month’s theme.  The first person I thought of was professional angler, Stephanie Hemphill-Pellerin. 

In a sport that has been male dominate since its inception, many women have pioneered a path that many others have not just followed but continue to broaden the possibilities for even more young women to follow.  The likes of the late Burma Thomas, local West Monroe LadyBass angler Pat Antley, the first woman to qualify for the Bass Masters Classic Pam Martin-Wells, Hall of Famer Chris Houston and the list goes on and on.  I believe Stephanie Hemphill-Pellerin will soon be added to that list.

When we spoke, Stephanie was at her home in Village Mills, Texas where she resides with her husband Steve and two sons.  Their home overlooks a small lake on the golf course, and she was talking about wanting to go fishing.  To say her life is a plate full would be an understatement.

What is something a lot of people don’t understand about tournament fishing and the business side of things?
“That’s a good question.  The business side of things is what really takes up most of your time.  It is eighty percent of what we do.  The fishing side of things is the other twenty percent.  When dealing with sponsors or trying to gain sponsors, I think a mistake some anglers make is they sell themselves short.  You must know your worth.”

How did you get started in tournament fishing and what are your goals for your future in the sport?
“My hero is my dad, and I have been fishing with him since I was a little girl.  He taught me everything I know about fishing.  I can remember when I was nine years old, telling my dad, this is what I want to do.  And this is my second crack at it, I returned to the sport in 2020 fishing some BFL’s and Lady Anglers tournaments and I won the LBAA Rookie of the Year award back in 2021. But when I decided to jump back in, I did it with both feet.  Now, I fish the NPFL events, the Bassmaster Opens, and the MFL Invitationals.  I am on the road a lot.

As far as my goals are concerned, I want to be competitive.  I heard Kristine Fischer say she hopes to be the first woman to qualify for the Elites, and that’s fine.  I just want to be competitive, cash some checks, learn as I go and let the chips fall where they may.  I am good with that.

But, having said all that, I like the direction I am going.  I want to try and make it easier for the next generations of young women who hope to follow me.  Hopefully, we are doing that.”

Let’s talk about the state of bass fishing in general, what does the future hold for this sport?
“Overall, I believe the sport itself is on a decline.  The main reason is due to the economy and the price of everything.  We have slowly become an elitist sport and some of these companies are going to price themselves out of business.  The anglers are getting younger and younger, and the tournaments are struggling to have full fields.  There are a lot of reasons for this, FFS (technology), the decision of many older anglers to retire and just the cost of tournament fishing alone is a big reason.  No matter what you are doing, to be successful, you can’t worry about what it costs to do it.”

How do you prepare for a tournament?
“Tournament fishing is based on one thing, on the water decisions.  You must prepare before you ever leave your house.  Use the older topographical maps if they are available.  Scout the tournament waters using the Internet.  If your lake is off limits, find a body of water that is similar and see what is happening there.  If Toledo Bend is off limits to me, then I can drive up the road and fish Sam Rayburn and can get a surprisingly good idea of what might be going on at Toledo. Do your homework!!!  However, one thing I have learned, it is possible to know a lake too well.”

What are your fishing strengths?
“I am a multi-tasker.  I will throw whatever lure or use whatever technique needed to put fish in my livewell.  If I were only allowed to do one thing, it would be to flip/pitch and skip jigs and soft plastics.  I love doing that and it works everywhere.  (I asked her what something is she always has tied on) I love throwing a shakey head, a jerk shad, and a chatterbait, those are always on the deck.  Really, it comes down to confidence.  Do you have total confidence in the lure you are using and your technique of choice?”

Forward Facing Sonar and the other technological advancements:
“Technology will continue to evolve.  I don’t necessarily think it is a bad thing, but it should be limited in tournament competition.  I can see the relevance of using it as well as the reason to have it, just as I can see why some people don’t like it.  I can see both sides of the argument but it’s not going anywhere.”

When our hour-long conversation concluded Stephanie took the time to list her sponsors and send a special thanks to them for supporting her.  Her impressive sponsorship list includes Joe From Texas.com, Phoenix Boats, Mercury Marine, FXR, Quality Mat, Rayburn Resorts and Marina, Dakota Lithium Batteries, Z-Man, Bass Boat Wired, Humminbird/MinnKota, Jordan Marine, Team Ark, Bait Works, and Sunline.

Well, it looks like we have run out of time and space for another month.  I hope you enjoyed the conversation, and I want to thank Stephanie for sharing her thoughts and wisdom about this great sport!  See you next month, take care and make sure you catch one for me!