This women's fishing club is big on catches and bigger on empowerment
Arianna Castagna, of Port Jefferson, catches a black bass at Long Island Babes and Bucks fishing trip in Huntington Bay. Credit: Morgan Campbell
To get ready for one of her favorite pastimes, Jacqueline Molina dresses in a cute outfit, gets her makeup just right, and fusses with her hair. Then she reaches for her fishing pole — it’s pearlized pink.
Molina, 33, of East Setauket, is president and a co-founder of Long Island Babes and Bucks — an all-female fishing and hunting club of nearly 300 Facebook members — with about 50 actively involved in the group’s Long Island events held every few weeks, often to benefit local charitable organizations.
A GROUP IS BORN
Molina started the group along with Julia Romanchuk, 47, of Shelter Island and Marissa Estatio, 33, of Smithtown, after Molina met Romanchuk while they were shooting bows at Smith Point Archery.
"We were both watching each other because you usually don’t see other women there," Molina says. "We exchanged information and started chatting." The two then decided to form the group along with Estatio, who also hunts, and since they also enjoy fishing, they incorporated anglers into the membership.
The group is also about empowering females, showing they can do anything they want and can still "be girlie" if they choose while doing things like fishing and hunting.
"Marissa and myself both embrace our girlie and feminine side," Molina says. To go fishing, "We could be in full makeup with our eyelashes and our nails done. It shouldn’t matter if you’re wearing a cute tank top and blown-out hair and makeup, it doesn’t impact our abilities at all."
Estatio, who works in real estate and is a surgical coordinator at a plastic surgeon's office, says she always strives to be authentically herself no matter what she's doing. "I always do a full face of makeup (for fishing and hunting) — that’s just who I am," says Estatio.
“Learning something new can be intimidating, especially when more men do it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn and try it yourself.”
Kate Goulding, 24.
Another club member, Jenna Lombardo, 23, of Ridge, agrees. She is a deck hand on The Hampton Lady that operates out of Hampton Bays and she does YouTube videos on fishing.
"I’ve been fishing since I was in a car seat with my parents and started working on partyboats at 17 — tying up rigs, helping customers use the equipment, making sure everyone has a good time and then showing them how to cut and fillet a fish," Lombardo says. "I grew up fishing in Long Island Sound and Hampton Bays and learned it from my dad then I started venturing out on my own."
Lombardo’s biggest catches so far have been a more than 200-pound tuna and a 230-pound thresher shark.
"I like to get dirty and then dress up for margaritas," she says.
FINDING A COMMUNITY
Like Lombardo, many of the members have been involved in fishing and hunting for years, even as children, but when they’d look around, they wouldn’t see others like themselves.
Member Kate Goulding, 24, of Shirley, who owns AJ Sunflower Boutique in Center Moriches, says her father and brother taught her both sports while she was growing up and while there were no other girls there, she came to love the sports because of the beautiful sunsets she’d be see by getting up and out very early in the morning, and later the sun going down when it was time to head home.
"In the warmer weather, we used to go fishing and watch the sunrise and sunset and do fishing trips on my uncle’s 60-foot Viking," Goulding recalls. "The highlight of my life was reeling in a 50-pound bass at 4 years old. I’ve been hooked ever since."
Goulding adds that doing something commonly associated with males doesn’t mean they’re the only ones that can do it.
"Learning something new can be intimidating, especially when more men do it but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn and try it yourself," Goulding says.
Molina says she was exposed to fishing about eight years ago when she went fishing with an ex-boyfriend but she didn’t really participate.
"I would kind of just sit there, then after ending the relationship I decided to pursue it on my own — that’s just something I do after a breakup — I’ll learn something new to take my mind off of it," Molina explains.
To start teaching herself about fishing Molina says she asked questions on Facebook and then about four years ago a male best friend who’s been fishing and hunting since he was a teenager taught her how to do both.
"I love being in the woods and on the water, being at one with nature," Molina says. With both sports she says, "You’re constantly learning and growing."
Molina says she does a lot of her fishing in Seaford, near Jones Beach, usually 20 to 80 miles off shore and goes for tuna, shark and black sea bass. Among her biggest catches was a 183-pound thresher shark.
Long Island Babes and Bucks president and co-founder Jacqueline Molina, 33, with one of her biggest catches, a 183-pound thresher shark. Credit: Scott Ostarch
SUPPORTING OTHERS
Now that she’s started Long Island Babes and Bucks, Molina says she’s found there are lots of women who’d love to fish but they don’t know how to get started.
"We get so many girls messaging who don’t know anyone who fishes but we’re showing that you don’t need a boyfriend. Come fish with us," Molina says.
Long Island Babes and Bucks averages about two events a month and the charitable component is important, Molina says.
"It’s good to give back because so many people have supported us since Day One," Molina says.
Long Island Babes and Bucks co-founders Julia Romanchuk, 47, of Shelter Island, Marissa Estatio, 33, of Smithtown, and club president Jacqueline Molina, 33, of East Setauket. Credit: Long Island Babes and Buck
On April 20, the group gave a fashion and home décor shopping party at the AJ Sunflower Boutique, owned by Goulding, to benefit the New York Marine Rescue in Riverhead. Other events have included wine and paint nights, partyboat fishing trips, an all-women’s archery shoot at Smith Point Archery Lanes Inc. in Patchogue, a build-your-own tackle box class at Smith Point Bait Beach & Tackle in Shirley; and a July 17 five-hour fishing trip on The James Joseph out of Huntington. A "The Men Against the Ladies" fishing tournament for adults is scheduled for Aug. 7 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. aboard The Hampton Lady.
Money raised during events has gone to such organizations and efforts as the East Hampton-based All Against Abuse, which fights domestic violence, and the Island Harvest food bank.
"We’re interested in anything related to the outdoors and empowering and supporting women," Molina says. "We want to support and empower women who want to hunt and fish and have a safe place to do it. It’s a really great community."
