In the Lowcountry of Sumter, South Carolina, where the marsh grass dances in the salt breeze and the tidal creeks shimmer like veins of silver under the setting sun, Anastasia Patterson is living a dream woven into her soul since childhood.
A Team Toyota pro at just 26, her low-country drawl—warm as a Charleston summer—carries a passion for bass fishing that’s as deep as her faith. She’s not out here guiding trips or chasing paychecks; she’s chasing the love of a sport that’s shaped her heart, her character and her life.
With every cast, Patterson is winning over anglers across the country, not just with her skill but with a gratitude so profound it feels like a prayer, a testament to the spirit of the outdoors and the divine calling that keeps her hooked.
A childhood hooked on fishing
Down in the Lowcountry fishing is more than a pastime—it’s a sacred rite. For Anastasia Patterson, it’s been her heartbeat since she was barely old enough to toddle.
“I grew up hunting and fishing before I could walk,” she says, her voice rolling with the slow, syrupy cadence of Charleston. “My mom—she’s not the biggest fishing person by any means, but my dad would take me all the time. I’ve loved it since I was 4 years old. I was getting newspaper articles written about my love of fishing back when I was that age, believe it or not. It’s always been an integral part of my life.”
Picture a little girl, pigtails swinging, standing on a weathered dock with a rod taller than her, her dad’s steady hand guiding her as she reeled in her first bass from a pond. The water lapped at the pilings; the air hummed with cicadas and young Anastasia was smitten.
“The Lord kept calling me back to fishing, no matter what I did,” she says, her words heavy with the weight of destiny. “When I went to college, we didn’t have a college fishing team, but we convinced them to make one. And that was a huge catalyst.”
That team, born from her and others’ sheer love for the sport, was the spark that lit her path to the professional circuit, where she’s now a rising star apart of the BassmastHER movement.
A sport that shapes the soul
For Patterson, fishing isn’t about the fish—it’s about the lessons, the moments, the quiet revelations that come with every cast.
“I can think of a million ways this sport has shaped me,” she says. “Kristine Fischer and I are actually staying at an Amish farm in Maryland right now getting ready for a Bassmaster Open. We talk all the time about patience, kindness to yourself and other people on the water. I’ve also learned passion from the pursuit of wanting to do this for a living and in tournament fishing, I’ve learned everything from character to integrity. Each time I go fishing, I feel like the Lord reveals something new to me.”
Back at Anastasia’s roots, where the herons glide over the marsh and the sky burns pink at dusk, Patterson finds a classroom on the water. She’s learned to silence the inner critic that whispers after a bad tournament day, drawing strength from 2 Corinthians 10:12.
“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
“Often times, it’s easy to compare yourself to what everyone else is doing,” she says. “Even though we’re fishing tournaments, you’re your own worst enemy. But I’ve learned that if I have a poor attitude going into day two after a bad day one, I’m already setting myself up for failure. No matter how long you fish, you’ll never know everything. I’ve had to learn to be kind to myself and give myself some grace.”
That grace extends outward, too.
“In being kind to myself, I’ve had to learn respect; you inherently give people an olive branch, and they may not give it back to you. And that’s okay,” she says.
In the competitive world of bass fishing, where rivalries can sting like a marsh mosquito, Patterson’s approach—rooted in faith and hospitality—sets her apart. She’s the angler who’ll offer a smile to a competitor, share a kind word with a fan or pause to pray over the water, all because she believes in living the love she feels from above.
A woman’s path in a man’s world
In a sport where women are still fighting for their place, Patterson’s journey has had its share of challenges.
“When it comes to being a woman, there are some tough times in this business,” she admits, her voice steady but candid. “When it comes to business, it definitely was a lot harder at one point to get taken seriously because some may think you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But Patterson doesn’t let the skeptics dim her fire.
“The Lord himself has haters, so if someone is displeased with what I’ve done out of good faith and character, I’ve just kind of learned to ignore any mean or nasty comments,” she says.
Her mantra, “Head up, hammer down,” is her rallying cry.
“No matter what happens in life, you have to keep your head up, whether it’s in the classroom or on the lake,” she explains. “You have to keep your head up for what the Lord has in store for you. And you have to hammer down, because you have to go all out.”
It’s a creed that carries her through the grind of tournaments or travel, the sting of a tough weigh-in and the weight of being a trailblazer in a male-dominated sport. With every cast, she’s proving that a South Carolina girl can hold her own—and then some.
