Fishin' Chix reel in mainstream media

It can be tough to find time to go fishing while posing for photographers, but you won't hear Fishin' Chix founder and president Claudia Espensheid complaining. The former financial auditor turned fishing fashionista is enjoying amicable media attention from a broad range of news outlets including NBC's "The Today Show," More Magazine, Southern Living, Gulf Atlantic Florida Fishing Magazine and the Associated Press (AP).

On Aug. 29 More Magazine, a publication whose editors claim has a circulation of more than 1,000,000 readers, sent a photography crew to Gulf Breeze to feature Espensheid and her girly gang of anglers. Editors for the periodical, which targets upper-income women over 40, said Fishin' Chix should appear in their coveted December issue, the publication's most popular edition.

Since first being featured in an AP article that was printed in newspapers across the United States, the allfemale fishing club's founders appeared on "The Today Show" June 26 and have entertained offers from a diverse mix of mainstream media since. Espensheid says some of the offers were more appealing than others.

Henry Bradshaw/Special to Splash! Espensheid struts her stuff for the More Magazine camera crew. She is scheduled to appear in the December issue. "After 'The Today Show' we got calls from everyone. ABC called me about 'Wife Swap' - I turned them down," the wife and mother of two commented. "My goal is to be on Oprah. You have to think big to be big."

Espensheid also said she hosted an exclusive fishing excursion for a writer and photographer from Southern Living magazine in September.

"As much as we'd love to, we just [couldn't] take everyone along," Espensheid said of her ever-growing 150- person membership, which includes women from as far away as Alaska.

The entrepreneur attributes much of their recent boom in membership and merchandise sales to their appearance on the national morning news broadcast. Espensheid said her membership has doubled and her online sales are pushing $10,000 a month.

"We're shooting for 500 [members] by the end of the year, and 2,500 members by end of 2007," Espensheid said.

The club's website features an ornate spread of Fishin' Chix gear, including bejeweled T-shirts, pink drink koozies and pink trimmed "gut rags."

Espensheid The organization is continuously planning for the future, and its leaders hope to compete at professional tournaments around the country. Team Fishin' Chix coordinator Sondra Jack is quick to point out their recent successes including their "Pink Rubber Boots" Ladies Fishing Rodeo, which raised $5,200 for Covenant Hospice, and their first place dolphin catch at the Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club's 28th Annual Pensacola Lady Anglers Tournament.

"As they've seen and as we've proven - it's not about being the best lady angler, it's about introducing women to fishing. We're finally getting a lot of respect," Jack said.

Espensheid agreed that the philosophy behind the group is to expand its members' horizons.

"The most exciting part for me is when I look around and see the expression on a woman's face who's never caught a fish before. It's a completely new experience. It's about women reinventing themselves and experiencing a new perspective. That pure, unadulterated joy, that's the best part for me."

For more information about Fishin' Chix and their upcoming events, visit them online at www.fishinchix. com.