Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing is about more than fishing.

While over 10,000 people have learned the sport through the group’s hands-on training, immersive seminars and guided trips, participants like Robin Krueger say the experience goes far deeper.

In February 2018, her Parkland community was struggling in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Hoping to help her daughter and a friend cope with the tragedy that personally affected high school students everywhere, Krueger decided a change of environment might help.

“My family believes strongly that getting out in nature helps with perseverance, resilience, and strength,” Krueger said.

That belief led her to a Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing Foundation (LLGF) weekend that delivered exactly what they needed. The girls enjoyed themselves and went fishing for the first time.

“Once on the water, whether it’s inshore, offshore, or back country, your cares and worries melt away,” Krueger said.

Since then, they’ve attended numerous events and have learned to fillet and cook their catch.

“We always come home with knowledge, an adventure to share, camaraderie, and a smile,” Krueger said.

Stories like Krueger’s are one reason why Betty Bauman founded the nonprofit organization in 1997.

“We are surrounded by water and people want to see what’s under it,” Bauman said. “A lot of people move to Florida, but have no clue where to start, or what’s what.”

Nicknamed the “No-Yelling School of Fishing,” the organization offers a range of events tailored to different locations, skill levels and interests. Its mission is to promote conservation and responsible angling, especially among women and families.

Bauman’s team of instructors and captains understand the transformative power of fishing, including Capt. Lee Lavery who has been fishing for more than 60 years and owned 14 boats.

She finds joy in watching newcomers fall in love with the sport.

“So many women didn’t know anything and now are obsessed,” Lavery said.

She launched the Fort Lauderdale chapter 25 years ago to help women learn skills she had to figure out the hard way. The group meets monthly and even takes trips on the Jungle Queen and Water Taxi to ensure participants can get out on the water.

Whatever challenges arise, the group finds solutions.

“A couple have seasickness, but we persevere,” said Lavery, who experiences it herself.

For one participant, the answer was surf fishing from the beach, where she caught a snook.

“That was the bite she needed to keep her going,” Lavery said.

The organization helps each person find their path, whether fishing from a beach, pier, boat or even a Jet Ski. Lavery recalls one woman who didn’t even like eating fish until Lavery shared recipes from her own cookbook. Now, that woman prepares her own catch.

“It’s a sense of completeness, we don’t need to depend on the boys, we can catch and fillet,” she said.

That spirit of self-sufficiency stays with instructor Capt. Jeanne Towne who said that one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is watching students put their knowledge into action. She recalled a woman who excelled in class and later recognized those same skills at work while fishing with others.

“Everything you taught us, they did on the boat!” the student told Towne.

Towne is also struck by her participants’ enthusiasm.

“I was surprised how excited they are and how much they want to learn,” she said.

Towne acknowledged some of the challenges women face getting on the water.

“Sometimes their husbands tell them, ‘We don’t want you on the boat,’ and they think they’re limited, but they’re not,” she said.

“The husbands do want them to learn; they just don’t always have the patience.”

Towne’s encouraged as sometimes husbands and teenagers attend with the women.

Susan Anthony, of Fort Myers, used to fish with a group of guys until her focus shifted on kids. When she got back into it, she wanted to fish on her own.

“Now I do big game fishing, this gave me confidence that I could show up in that world,” Anthony said of LLGF.

When she posts her fishing adventures, like in Iceland, on social media, she often hears from others curious about following a similar path. She finds joy in helping others discover the sport and building connections and community.

“I see ladies that truly get to experience something they never thought they could do,” Anthony said. “Watching them catch their first fish is exhilarating. I would rather watch that than me catch another one. When they win a tournament and a prize for their fish, you know you have hooked them for life,” she said.

For her, fishing is more than a hobby.

“It’s spiritual, it’s my church, it’s my time to talk to God, something magical,” she said.

Beyond the practical skills, Anthony said fishing offers a deeper understanding of the natural world.

“You don’t just learn fishing, it’s winds, knots, currents, water, you connect with nature and learn how it works,” she said.

With a laugh she added, “Skills make you very valuable if there is a zombie apocalypse.”

You can find more upcoming events online at www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.