Teri Cindric - A New Face on the WBT Tour
May 5, 2009
I recently had the pleasure to meet and fish with Teri Cindric, a first year WBT co-angler. She’s a great representative of the sport of women’s bass fishing is a bright personality. For the last five years, I’ve made a pilgrimage to Lake St. Clair (MI) in late May for some
hot and heavy smallmouth bass action. A group of us rent a house on an island and spend five days fishing from dawn to dusk in the sometimes brutal conditions Lake St. Clair is known for.
Last May Teri joined us for what we call “toadapalooza”. Let me tell you, Teri held her own with a bunch of us crusty smallmouth addicts; she toughed it out with a cold that would have kept most men in bed whimpering. Not Teri, she was up at the crack of dawn, rigged and ready to go. She endured the jibs and jabs that we put her through and even let me give her a little help on the art of Senko fishing. She was right there with the rest of the gang when I broke out my supply of Yamamoto plastics and we round tabled tips and techniques for what I feel are the best baits in the industry.
I decided to ask Teri 10 questions to help Inside Line readers get to know her and her thoughts about bass fishing.
Scott: Teri, give us a little personal background.
Teri: I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. I received my BS degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Indiana University. I have worked in the Information Technology field my entire professional career. I moved to Nashville, TN four years ago after taking a job with my current employer. I work full time as an SAP Business Warehouse application developer. I spend most of my free time enjoying outdoor activities with friends and family.
Scott: What tournament experience did you have before entering the WBT?
Teri: I had very little tournament experience prior to my first WBT tournament. I fished three weekend BASS tournaments with a friend of mine years ago when I lived in Indiana. I finished second in my first tournament, first in my second tournament and my trolling motor broke during my third tournament. My partner stopped fishing tournaments after the third tournament so I never went back.
Scott: What prompted you to enter the WBT as a Co-angler?
Teri: I was a little down on my luck and a friend of mine tried to cheer me up. She handed me the Bassmaster magazine opened to an ad for the WBT and said, “Why don’t you enter this? It would give you something to look forward to.” I did not take it serious at first but that weekend I read about it on the internet and decided I would give it a try. I am really glad I did.
Scott: What did you expect from the tournament? Did it meet your expectations?
Teri: I honestly had no idea what to expect. That’s one of the reasons I entered as a co-angler. I thought it would be better to learn the ropes without the stress of being a pro. My first WBT tournament was a great experience. I was paired with three very knowledgeable women who were great to fish with. I didn’t really think I would make the top 20 cut in my first tournament so I was very excited to be 7th going into the final day. Day 3 was tough for me because I fished a shaky head all day, which is not a technique I was well versed in. I finished in the top 10 overall (9th) so it was a great tournament for me.
Scott: What is your favorite fishing technique and why?
Teri: The crankbait is definitely my favorite bait to fish when covering a lot of water. However, I find floating a Yamamoto Senko weightless into structure on a calm day very exciting. The anticipation of feeling that “tap, tap, tap” before the hook set really gets my heart beating!
Scott: What did you like the most about the tournament? What did you dislike?
Teri: I enjoyed the competition. Knowing I was fishing with a purpose added excitement to every fish I caught. I have to admit it was very difficult not being in control over where I was fishing or what style of fishing I could do.
Scott: Do you plan on continuing the WBT trail?
Teri: Yes, I have registered as a co-angler for all the WBT tournaments for 2009. With such a great finish in my first tournament and tournament four being on one of my home lakes, I have to admit I have a great desire to qualify for the WBT Classic. High hopes for my first year, huh!
Scott: Do you want to turn pro?
Teri: I would like to turn pro but I’m not sure it will happen next year for a few reasons. I am fortunate enough to still have my job during this rough economy. I hope I can continue to keep it so I can afford to enter future tournaments and cover expenses. Working full time does not provide the time I would need to devote to being a pro. I would also need to trade my Ranger Reata for a bass boat and I don’t feel I can afford to do that at the moment.
Scott: How do you feel about Kim Bain Moore qualifying for and fishing the Classic?
Teri: The reality is women do not have the same opportunities for sponsorship and as men in the sport of bass fishing. Kim took advantage of the berth granted by BASS for the champion of the WBT. I thought she did a great job representing herself as a professional and an angler of the WBT. I could not imagine all the pressure she must have felt with all the press and opinions about her fishing in the Classic. I felt Kim handled herself about as well as someone could, given the circumstances.
Scott: What encouragement/advise would you give other women who want to enter tournament fishing? What would you warn them about?
Teri: I would encourage any woman thinking about fishing the WBT to go for it. Like anything in life, it is hard to get the nerve to try something new but sometimes the courage it takes is worth the reward. A bit of advice if you are thinking about starting as a co-angler -- register early!
Let me finish by saying how proud those of us who know Teri are that she is going to continue in the WBT. She endured and conquered her tournament jitters and even had to deal with her boat being vandalized during her pre-fish. I can’t wait to see her on TV and laugh at her style of hook set that we kid her about on the lake. She has a tendency to go “on-point” right before she sets the hook. I look forward to fishing with her on Lake St. Clair again this year and give her a heartfelt, “You Go Girl”!