Gateway Bass N’ Gals

The Gateway Bass N’ Gals club is a bass fishing club for women only, founded in 1988. The club is headquartered out of St. Charles, Missouri.

We have members of all skill levels in our club, from the beginning angler to pros who fish competitively in the Ladies Bass Anglers Association (LBAA). Gateway Bass N’ Gals tournaments feature draw-style partner format, where you fish with someone different in each tournament. Our club fosters an environment where a beginning angler can learn and improve her fishing skills, while an experienced angler can compete and pass down her knowledge to beginning anglers. This is why we change partners every tournament and why you never fish with the same angler in the same year. It also encourages fellowship, friendship and the learning of a variety of techniques, ideas and strategies from many different anglers. Our club strives to abolish the myth that women do not fish, and that bass fishing on a competitive level is strictly a man’s sport. 

To be a member of the Gateway Bass N’ Gals club you don’t have to own a boat. All you need is a desire to fish and have fun. However we are currently looking for boaters.

We are always looking for new individuals to come and enjoy fishing with us. If you are interested, you can fish one tournament without joining the club or come to one of our monthly meetings.

At the meetings we talk about the previous tournament results, including baits and techniques that were used. We draw partners for the next tournament and usually have a guest speaker. We fish approximately one tournament per month, always on a weekend, beginning in March and ending in October. Our tournaments are on several different lakes each year which typically include Table Rock, Truman Lake, Pomme de Terre, Kentucky Lake, and of course Lake of the Ozarks.

Our club always practices catch and release and is committed to conservation and helping the community. We participate in fundraising programs, volunteer efforts and work with different conservation activities. We are a family-oriented club and families are welcome to join us on the tournament weekends.

I have been a Gateway Bass N’ Gals member since February 2014 and have loved every second of my time with these ladies. When I was younger I often fished with my mom and dad using only a bobber and a worm. As I grew up I stopped fishing as other things always seemed to take priority. I forgot about how much I loved to fish and all the fun times I had with my dad.

My husband bought a bass boat in 2013 and started taking me fishing again. I started looking for different people to go fishing with other than my husband. This is when I found the Gateway Bass N’ Gals club using a search engine. I talked to my husband about joining the club and he said I should give it a try. I was a little intimidated at first and reached out to one of the ladies, Lisa, so I’d know what to expect. She was extremely nice and reassured me that even though I knew little about bass fishing that I would be welcomed into the club and that my husband could tag along at the meeting if I wanted (which I did because I’m nervous about meeting new people).

At my first meeting I was introduced to all the club members and they gladly shared their stories of how they joined the club. Everyone was extremely nice and made me feel comfortable. I figured I would give it a try, so I signed up for my first tournament.

The first tournament was in March and I was ready. I grabbed my tackle box filled mostly with lures I didn’t know how to use, a few of my husband’s fishing poles, a life jacket and headed to Lake of the Ozarks. We all stayed together in the same cabin at Alhonna Resort and we had a big potluck on Saturday evening after a long fun day of fishing.

 I heard stories of previous trips they had done together and got suggestions of what to fish with for the next day. I felt like I was part of one big family. I am happy I joined the Gateway Bass N’ Gals as I have had some great times and made some amazing friends. I hope that some of you reading this article decide to join our club and fish a tournament with us. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I do. We all look forward to meeting you. 

 If you would like information on the Gateway Bass N’ Gals club you can either:

Visit the Bass N/ Gals website –  www.Gatewaybass-n-gals.com
Email gatewaybng@gmail.com<br /> Email author Kristen Harper at kristenharper81@gmail.com

Gateway Bass N’ Gals meet monthly on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Rookies Bar & Grill, 3721 New Town Blvd, St. Charles, MO 63301.