March, 2001 Angler Profile: Joan Holmes

Joan with Fish Fishburne

Joan Holmes says she likes to blend in.

That may be hard to do at times because of the demands of her new position. Region 5 recently made state history by electing Holmes the first female regional director in the Virginia B.A.S.S Federation.

Outgoing Region 5 director Charlie Beale wrote in Tight Lines that Holmes "has a lot of experience and with the clubs' support will do a very good job for Region 5."

State Federation President Roger Fitchett says that "with most of the Region members knowing her, I think she will get along with them just fine."

As for her new responsibilities, Holmes says, "I don't really think I'm that special. It's no different than if a guy did it." She says, "I've been around so long I've been accepted as one of the guys. I freeze with them. I get soaked with them." She says the breakthrough election "is no big deal for me. It opens the door for other people and hopefully other people will walk through it."

Holmes ran her first region meeting on January 11. On the day after the meeting she said it "went okay," but she also said she "screwed up" in a couple of spots, and added that she's working on doing much better next time. She said she likes things to go smoothly, and that meeting "had a few lumps in it."

One thing that pleased her was the "tremendous" attendance at the meeting, with representatives on hand from every club in the region.

Holmes grew up along the Connecticut/Rhode Island border and has been fishing all her life. Her high school classmates were all fishermen.

After a thorough New England introduction to salt water, she took up bass fishing in 1980. That's when a job transfer moved her to Brunswick County, where there's a notable lack of salt water. Within a short time she was fishing the now defunct Bass'N Gal tour and soon became the second woman ever to fish Operation Bass Red Man events. She has also successfully fished team tournaments with her husband.

Holmes is a co-owner of L & B Props, Inc., one of the state's premier spots for prop repair. She's on the pro staff of Greene Boat and Motor, a relationship that dates back 18 years.

If you would like to contact Joan Holmes, feel free to email her at jholmes@sitestar.net