Meet The Team
Who We Are
Amanda Brannon
Founder & CEO
Amanda Brannon, an avid angler and devoted advocate for women in fishing, co-founded the Women's Fishing Federation alongside Mel Issacs and Kristine Fischer in 2019. Today, she serves as President and Executive Director of the organization. Amanda's upbringing in South Carolina fostered a deep love for nature through outdoor activities. Introduced to fishing by her mother at a young age, Amanda's passion for the sport was instilled early on and strengthened by her mother's influence.
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Married to an active-duty Coast Guard member, Amanda and her husband are currently stationed in California. They regularly travel cross-country for kayak fishing tournaments and events.
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Amanda's journey now symbolizes unwavering passion, resilience, and a commitment to empowering fellow female anglers, leaving a lasting impact on the fishing community.
Mel Isaacs
Founder & Tournament Director
Co-founder of Kayak Anglers of Missouri, and Anglers in Action for Christ, owner and artist at White River Replicas, and SheAngler Customs, and instructor for the Missouri chapter of Cross Trail Outfitters, a national youth organization whose mission is to guide the next generation of Christ through the outdoors.
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When not tournament directing, instructing, or creating award-winning replicas, you will find her on the water competing or spending time with her boys, and family, enjoying her passion for the outdoors.
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Mel has been a tournament director and tournament judge since 2017, and has fished competitively since 2016, making her way to 5 national championships.
Kristine Fischer
Founder
Born and raised in Weeping Water, NE, Kristine Fischer wasn’t one to adhere to societal norms. Growing up in a home unimpeded by the restraints of a television, she had a natural inclination towards the outdoors.
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For the past few years, she’s lived on the road competing in national kayak bass tournaments across the country.
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Her tournament records have proven that Kristine is a force to be reckoned with. She boasts numerous national level wins including winning the prestigious tournament of champions in 2020. One of these wins secured her a spot on the USA team, making her the first female in the world to ever qualify for this coveted event. Kristine has a goal to continue to compete at the highest level, with the BASSMASTER opens on the forefront of her mind.
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Aside from the competitive aspect, one of her biggest driving factors is redefining the boundaries and pushing her own perceived limitations. She is an advocate for living in the moment and trusting in your passions of life, and hopes to continue to inspire others to “get outdoors”. She is also a co founder of WWFF, a non profit dedicated to giving women the confidence and skills necessary to be able to fish on their own.
Susie Roloff
Education & Safety Coordinator
Susie is a seasoned kayak angler who has over 9 years of experience on the water and on the leaderboard. She not only competes, but plans, organizes and runs kayak fishing tournaments. From hosting podcasts and teaching seminars, Susie has a wide array of knowledge and skills that she loves to share with others. Her favorite place to fish is at Banner Marsh, IL. Her and her husband Adam live in Pekin IL.
Katie Backa
Website Administrator & Educator
Katie is an avid, competitive kayak angler who has been chasing tournament trails around the country for the last 6 years, while running a website dedicated to fishing education and entertainment; she also loves creating works of art of all kinds.
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She recently moved back to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and new baby to be closer to family while raising her own.
Carol Wells
Membership Coordinator
A Texas gal born and raised and happily married to my hubby Danny of 30+ years. Some call me mom but my 6 grandkids call me GG.
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I have been fishing all of my life and been privileged to share my love of the sport with my family whether it be kayak fishing or boating in both fresh and salt water and the joy of meeting and making new friends warms my heart.
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Moto: "Make things happen today, don’t wait for tomorrow and never never give up on your dreams. I don’t."
- C