“We weren’t very good, but we got lucky,” she says. “We’d catch a big rockfish, but we’d have a bird’s nest of monofilament. There were times that we’d catch a huge fish and let it sit in the sun, where they’d get smaller and lighter by the minute, because I was making the moms lie next to the fish so I could take photos. But people have compassion for you when you’re learning.” In time, Madigan’s reputation grew, as both a charter captain and as a sport fisherwoman. They wore pink shirts and identified their team with names that spoke to their hair color: Blonde Ambition, Legally Blonde, Dirty Blonde. “I’ve always been about inspiring women to love the sea, and be boaters,” she says. “[Women are] the fastest-growing demographic in fishing tournaments. And it’s still every bit as exciting as when I was younger.” Madigan is a single mom and knows that her personal life will affect her fishing life. “Some years are better than others,” she says. “If I have a kid graduating in May, I won’t do as well at a tournament.”
Photo courtesy of Kimberly Madigan
Balancing parenthood, as well as a busy job and a high profile side gig, isn’t easy, but it’s certainly worth it. “You have women in their 50s, screaming, hooting, and hollering. They get to see what it’s like to live this life, even just for a moment in time. And even if there was a bird’s nest of monofilament, we were proud because it was just us girls.” Even with her renown as an athlete, Madigan’s true passion is bringing others to the water. “We’re trying to give the girls today what our grandfathers and fathers gave us,” she says. “I’m in the boat business because of the fishing rod my dad put in my hand one day.”
Photo courtesy of Kimberly Madigan
Photo courtesy of Shannon Lyons
18 | THE MOTHERLODE
Powered by FlippingBook