Oklahoma Girls Make History On Junior Division Fishing Trail

Two Green Country girls are making history on the water as the first-ever girls to win Anglers of the Year in the Oklahoma Bass Nation Junior Division.

That win qualified Rhiauna Switzer and Abigail Panak for the Bassmaster Junior National Championship in Tennessee, which is happening Friday and Saturday.

Rhiauna and Abigail are freshmen at Berryhill and together they are “Team Pretty Water” – a fishing team that’s proving if someone says ‘you fish like a girl,’ it's a compliment.

“They want to be here, they definitely do. It's not just something for show, they have a love for the sport and a respect for it,” said Rhiauna’s dad and Pretty Water Coach, Jason Switzer.

This past season the girls beat out all the boys and won Anglers of the Year in the Oklahoma Bass Nation Junior Division. They were in the lead most of the season, but the state championship sealed the deal.

“We ended up coming in with about 13 1/2 14 pound Bag and blew everybody out of the water,” Rhiauna said.

The girls said being the first-ever girl's team to take the top honor was a big achievement, which unfortunately comes with.

“Sometimes the boys are like, ‘I bet your dad fishes most of the time and catches them.’ We're like, nope, we catch all the fish.

”Their coach said the girls do it all on their own and all their success comes from hard work.

“You're out there for 8 to 9 hours and it's hot. You gotta dig deep,” said Jason. “They have definitely grabbed ahold of it and not backed down at all.”

The girls teamed up three years ago, but their love for fishing goes way back.

“I've been fishing my whole life practically,” said Abigail. “Time on the boat with my family is just so much fun and spending time with friends and family on the boat, it's just a bonding thing that’s a lot of fun.”

“I have been fishing since I was able to stand,” Rhiauna said. “Catching my first fish, the way it made me feel, I was just like, ‘oh my gosh I need to keep doing this. This is just awesome.’”

Now they're fishing for a national title in Tennessee, casting a message that the sport of fishing isn't just for boys.

“Really anybody can do it just as long as you have determination and patience and be willing to put in the work to get where you need to be,” said Rhiauna. “It's just willing to work hard for it.”

Saturday is the final day of the Bassmaster Junior National Championship, so Team Pretty Water will be back on Carroll County Lake first thing in the morning, then they’ll head back to Oklahoma, hopefully, as National Champions.