BassmastHER began in 2022 as a simple idea: create space to better showcase and highlight the women who are part of the sport of fishing. One of the very first articles published on the BassmastHER page was an Opens profile detailing Kristine Fischer’s success on the Bassmaster Opens stage. What started as a single story quickly revealed a larger need.
As interest grew, BassmastHER evolved into a central hub for connection, education and encouragement, bringing women together through storytelling, hands-on learning and shared experiences on the water. Today, it stands as a community built by and for women and girls who fish.
The 2026 BassmastHER ambassador team includes four anglers who represent the full spectrum of passion within the sport. Two are competing in the Bassmaster Opens while pursuing the dream of becoming full-time professional anglers. Two represent a lifestyle-focused approach, using fishing as a way to build confidence, community and long-term involvement in the outdoors.
Together, these ambassadors will help lead workshops, create content and serve as mentors within the program. Through hands-on education and a welcoming environment, BassmastHER continues its mission to grow female representation on the water and show the next generation of anglers there is a place for them in this sport.
We are so excited that in 2026 we will have such a power house of a team of ambassadors for you to learn from and follow along with.
Kristine Fischer
Hometown: Weeping Water, Nebraska
Birthdate: December 2, 1987
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinefischerfishing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwestfishergal/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwestfishergal?lang=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristinefischer2289
Accomplishments:
Kristine Fischer is one of the most accomplished and trailblazing anglers in kayak bass fishing history. Known for her consistency at the national level, Fischer has repeatedly broken barriers for women in competitive fishing while setting performance standards across multiple major tournament platforms.
She is the first female angler to qualify for the Hobie Worlds, qualify for the Tournament of Champions, win the Tournament of Champions, win a Hobie Bass Open and win a Bassmaster Kayak Series event. Across her career, Fischer has compiled an extensive record of national-level success, earning 13 national tournament wins and more than 70 Top 10 finishes.
Career highlights and accomplishments:
First female to qualify for the Hobie Worlds
First female to qualify for and win the Tournament of Champions
First female to win a Hobie Bass Open
First female to win a Bassmaster Kayak Series event
13 national tournament victories
More than 70 Top 10 finishes
2023 Sportsman of the Year
Multiple Angler of the Year finishes, including 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th
Sponsors and partners:
Fenwick
Abu Garcia
Berkley
YETI
Bass Pro Shops
Ranger Boats
Hobie Fishing
Garmin
AFTCO
Toyota
Bluestorm PFD
Pro Guide Batteries
Hobie Eyewear
Anastasia Patterson
Hometown: Sumter, South Carolina
Birthdate: March 19, 1996
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/analizpat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiapatterson_fishing/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@analizpat?lang=en
Accomplishments:
Founding member of the Presbyterian College Bass Fishing Team
Competitor in national and regional bass fishing circuits
Featured on Emmy Award-winning outdoor television programming
Former Miss South Carolina State Fair, Debutante Miss Sumter and holder of more than 150 pageant titles
Serves in leadership and advisory roles within conservation organizations
About:
Anastasia Patterson brings a diverse background in athletics, leadership and outdoor advocacy to the BassmastHER program. She is a founding member of the Presbyterian College Bass Fishing Team and competes across multiple tournament circuits, including the Bassmaster Opens Pro Division, Major League Fishing Toyotas and BFLs, and the Carolina Bass Challenge.
Beyond competition, Anastasia is deeply involved in conservation, youth outreach and community leadership. She serves on the South Carolina Wildlife Federation Board and has been highlighted on the Emmy Award-winning television series A Fishing Story with Ronnie Green.
Current tournament circuits:
Bassmaster Opens Pro Division 1 and 2
Major League Fishing Toyotas and BFLs
Carolina Bass Challenge
Professional and community roles:
Wedding and event planner
Known locally as the “Diamond Diva” at a Sumter-area jeweler
“Coach Annie”
Board member, South Carolina Wildlife Federation
Sponsors and partners:
Santee Cooper Outdoors
Santee Cooper Country
Liberty Hill Sportsman’s Club
Stasia LLC
BOLD Pilates (Sumter, South Carolina)
Toyota
Strike King
Lew’s
Bass Pro Shops
Nitro Boats
NuThreads
Buck N Bass
Watson Barkley Construction
Mossback Fish Habitat
Maggie Jo Carsello
Hometown: Stoughton, Wisconsin
Birthdate: July 28, 1995
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaggieJoOutdoors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiejo_outdoors/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiejo_outdoors?lang=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maggiejo_outdoors
Accomplishments:
2025 Angler of the Year in a local weeknight tournament series
Top 10 finish as a co-angler at the 2024 Bassmaster Opens on Leech Lake
Competitive experience as a co-angler, boater, team angler and kayak angler
About:
Maggie Jo Carsello was born and raised in Wisconsin in an outdoor-loving family and still resides there today. Her passion for fishing developed naturally and has grown into a competitive drive that spans multiple tournament formats and fisheries across the state and beyond.
Maggie fishes a variety of local bass tournaments, including WABTA, Anglers Choice and BASS Nation. She has competed as a co-angler, boater, team tournament angler and kayak angler, gaining experience across nearly every competitive platform available. In 2025, she earned Angler of the Year honors in one of her weeknight tournament series.
Her proudest tournament accomplishment to date is a Top 10 finish as a co-angler at the Bassmaster Opens on Leech Lake in 2024. Maggie recently took another major step forward by purchasing her first bass boat, allowing her to expand her knowledge, compete more frequently as a boater, travel the country and continue pursuing Bassmaster-level competition.
When she is not on the water, Maggie can often be found hunting whitetail deer, chasing pheasants with her two red labs, Huck and Finn, or ice fishing in pursuit of a classic Wisconsin fish fry.
Maggie values the sense of community that fishing provides and believes sharing the outdoors with others makes the experience even more meaningful. Through BassmastHER, she enjoys connecting with other outdoorswomen and helping encourage participation and confidence on the water. She credits Bassmaster and Toyota for making the program possible and for creating opportunities that continue to bring women together in the sport.
Current tournament circuits:
WABTA
Anglers Choice
BASS Nation
Bassmaster Opens (co-angler experience)
Sponsors and partners:
Bass Cat Boats
Rapala
CrushCity
VMC Hooks
Sufix Lines
Strikemaster
St. Croix Rods
Costa Sunglasses
Pro-Guide Batteries
Turtlebox
Kylee Short (newest member)
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Birthdate: July 17,1996
Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kylee.rae.short
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baitbarbiefishing/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baitbarbiefishing?lang=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BaitBarbieFishing
Accomplishments:
First-place winner and Big Bass winner in a local weeknight tournament
Cashed a check in her first BFL event as a co-angler on Lake Tohopekaliga
Top 10 finish in the Florida Bass Nation Kayak Series
Built a fishing platform from the ground up that promotes participation and education
Introduced many new anglers to the sport
Regular multi-trail competitor at both the state and national level
About:
Kylee Short is a self-taught angler who learned to fish as an adult and has since built a platform centered on making fishing approachable and inclusive. Her mission focuses on encouraging women and first-time anglers to get started by breaking down barriers and growing the sport at the grassroots level.
Balancing motherhood, work and fishing, Kylee is an active advocate for women in sport and regularly hosts fishing seminars aimed at education and confidence-building. She also volunteers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at Fish4Fun events, working with kids and senior citizens to introduce them to fishing.
Current tournament circuits:
Florida Kayak Bass Trail
Florida Bass Nation Kayak Series
Bassmaster Kayak Series
Sponsors:
Native Watercraft
Z-Man
Lithium Battery Power
Evolv Fishing
Onyx Outdoors
Hobie Eyewear
