B.A.S.S and ESPN may be scrambling for an interpreter this October at the premier tournament of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour when Tami Kashiwabara of Nagano, Japan walks on to the weigh-in stage. Tami, a computer system engineer, is making her fourth trip to the United States to compete in a bass tournament. She has already won the hearts of former WBFA anglers who had the privilege to fish with her in Kentucky, Florida and Alabama this past year. Her English is poor but her spirit is amazing and her determination to master bass fishing in America is unstoppable.

Tami started fishing seven years ago with her boyfriend Shinya who has also been her teacher and biggest fan. Her home lake is Lake Nojiri, a dammed lake formed by debris ejected from the volcano Mt. Kuroshime located to the west of the lake. It is the main water source for Nagano and is a very popular recreation and tourist spot. It is also used for harvesting fish native to Japan.

Tami does not belong to a bass club in Japan, but does belong to a trout club. Black bass and smallmouth bass are prevalent on Lake Nojiri and other lakes all over Japan, but are considered to be intruders. They were first stocked in Japanese waters in 1925. Although bass fishing has a major economic impact in Japan, the Japanese Ministry of Environment has proposed that the country eliminate all black bass. If the proposal passes, anglers in Japan will no longer be able to enjoy the sport of bass fishing as we do here in the States.

Tami has her own boat, a Skeeter SS90 and has only fished one bass tournament in Japan where she finished third. She has been very fortunate to be able to pre-fish the previous WBFA tournaments here in the United States with several different women anglers. They say that a day on the water with Tami is a “hoot”. She loves to joke and laugh but is a very serious student when it comes to learning how to adjust her fishing style to this country’s rivers and lakes. Her biggest adjustment has been to learn to cast with heavier line. In Japan, she uses 3 lb test because the waters are crystal clear.

Tami is sponsored by Megabass, a Japanese manufacturer of quality fishing tackle.

Denise Sesco from Hernando, Florida
with Shinya of Japan

Photos contributed by Tami