FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Ashley Messingschlager was a perfect choice for The Women Anglers of Florida Sportsman 2013 calendar.
The Fort Lauderdale native grew up fishing offshore and in the Bahamas on the family’s Hatteras.
“We’ve gone on that boat my whole life,” said Messingschlager, who fished primarily for grouper and dolphin. “Most of what I learned was with my dad, Mark. I’ve grown up fishing with him and my brother and sister.”
The Florida Sportsman calendar is unlike just about every other calendar featuring women in bathing suits holding fish. Instead of models who are handed fish and told to look like they know what they’re doing, Florida Sportsman photographed real women anglers who actually go fishing.
According to Messingschlager, who is Miss November, the women who took part in the calendar photo shoot had to catch their own fish.
In the petite brunette’s case, that was a 40-pound red snapper that she hooked 60 miles into the Gulf of Mexico out of Clearwater.
“I think catching it was the easy part,” said Messingschlager, who was then photographed with the fish again and again and again. The only break she got was when the fish was placed in the water and revived.
“I did an hour straight of different poses,” she said. “The fish was so heavy that my arms started shaking.”
Messingschlager did such a good job that the editors of Florida Sportsman magazine put a photo of her holding the red snapper on the cover of the June issue.
When she was told that she was going to be a cover girl, her response was, “No way!”
That also was the response of one of her cousins.
“My cousin told me he’s been sending in pictures forever to try to get on the cover,” Messingschlager said.
The cover and calendar have been a big hit at home.
“My dad was so excited,” she said. “My little brother is the biggest fisherman ever. He’s only 12 years old and he knows more about boats than I ever will, so he was really happy for me.
“For Christmas, my grandmother ordered a bunch of calendars [for family members] without telling me.”
A mutual friend told Messingschlager that Florida Sportsman art director Drew Wickstrom was looking for women anglers for the calendar and asked if she’d be interested.
Things worked out so well that Messingschlager said she’d welcome additional modelling opportunities, but her biggest concern right now is applying to graduate schools.
Messingschlager is studying speech pathology at Florida State University and will graduate in May, then she wants to pursue her master’s degree and eventually open her own practice.
Although school keeps her busy, she still makes time for fishing. Her boyfriend recently introduced her to inshore fishing for tarpon and redfish along the Gulf coast.
“The biggest one I caught was probably 150 pounds. It took like two hours.”
