With a quick flip of her wrist, Marlee Churchman deftly tossed the white spinner bait between two cypress trees nestled together on the west side of Shreveport\u2019s Cross Lake.<\/p>\n
The water temperature below 50 degrees, Churchman slowly retrieved the bait, repeating the effort multiple times before opting to change to a soft plastic for a few throws. Over the next couple of hours, the Captain Shreve senior methodically changed rods and baits several times with little success.<\/p>\n
The Monday evening fishing excursion wasn\u2019t really about loading bass into her father\u2019s Tracker bass boat, however. It was more about getting the kinks out of her system after taking the ACT for the fourth time Saturday morning. Churchman reeled in a big one Friday when she became the first woman\u00a0to sign with the LSU Shreveport fishing team, ranked in the Top 25 of the Association of Collegiate Anglers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to join the LSUS team and I\u2019m excited for what the future holds for me,\u201d Churchman said. \u201cI think it\u2019ll be a good experience and I can\u2019t wait to do my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just the fact that Churchman is able to compete is a joy to her parents. Leanne and Jeff Churchman struggled with pregnancy issues before their only child was born.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a blessing,\u201d Jeff Churchman said.<\/p>\n
Marlee made it official with LSUS coach Charles Thompson in attendance \u00a0at the signing event at Shreve.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d been wanting to add a female angler to our team for a while, but I knew it had to be the right one,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI believe we have found the right one in Marlee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Churchman didn\u2019t take up competitive fishing until last year because the family didn\u2019t have a boat. The only child pestered her father into purchasing one, and the Churchman\u2019s hit the Shreveport-area lakes and rivers. But the success was slow in coming.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went out several times and I couldn\u2019t catch a fish, so I wanted to quit before I hardly got started,\u201d Churchman said. \u201cThen, I caught a three-pounder and a four-pounder on Toledo Bend. Now, I\u2019m always asking him to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
In high school bass fishing, a boat captain (usually a parent) drives the competitors on the water. The captain is only allowed to run the big motor on the boat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really boring day,\u201d her father admitted. \u201cI bring plenty of food and a charged cell phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Figuring out how to coax bass into hitting her offerings on February days in Louisiana is one of Marlee\u2019s toughest challenges. She\u00a0has already cleared one obstacle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard a bunch of guys say, \u2018girls can\u2019t fish,\u2019 but here I am. I can fish,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s fun fishing against guys and it\u2019s fun fishing against some girls who are out there. My teammates support me, and I think all my upcoming teammates will support me.\u201d<\/p>\n