06/05/2026
One of our rockstars, Joan McDonald Vernon!!!
LEADERS OF THE IWFA: THE WOMEN WHO HELPED SHAPE MODERN SPORT FISHING
Long before women were routinely welcomed into major sportfishing tournaments, a group of determined anglers decided to create opportunities of their own.
In 1955, during discussions among women attending the ILTTA Tournament in Palm Beach, Florida, the International Women's Fishing Association (IWFA) was born. What began as a desire to participate more fully in the sport evolved into one of the most influential organizations in recreational fishing, promoting conservation, ethical angling, education, and competitive fishing for women around the world.
Among the most accomplished leaders in IWFA history is Joan Vernon. Joining the IWFA in 1983, Joan would go on to serve on its Board of Directors for most of her membership, become a two-term president, and lead the IWFA Scholarship Trust. But her influence extended far beyond the organization itself.
For more than three decades, Joan played a major role in the growth of women’s sportfishing in South Florida, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 1991, when women were first invited to compete in the prestigious ILTTA Tournament in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Joan Vernon, Ailene Molle, and Nora Scofield surprised many veteran competitors by finishing second overall.
In 1996, Joan founded Sporting Traditions and launched the Presidential Challenge of Central America, a series of tournaments designed not only to promote sportfishing tourism but also to advance conservation throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, El Salvador, and the Caribbean. Working alongside governments, scientists, anglers, and conservation organizations, the program demonstrated that competitive fishing and responsible stewardship could go hand in hand.
Joan’s leadership helped create one of the most important conservation advances in modern sportfishing. In 1999, the Presidential Challenge became the first tournament series in the world to require the use of circle hooks, dramatically reducing injury and mortality to released billfish. Despite resistance from many anglers, she stood firm. The movement gained support from The Billfish Foundation and eventually spread throughout the sport. By 2002, the Miami Billfish Tournament became the first major U.S. tournament to require circle hooks, and the practice later influenced conservation regulations throughout Central America.
Joan's accomplishments include serving as Chairman of The Billfish Foundation, President of the IWFA, induction into the IWFA Hall of Fame, induction into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame, and receiving The Billfish Foundation's Winthrop P. Rockefeller Lifetime Achievement Award. Yet perhaps her greatest legacy is helping prove that women could not only compete in the sport’s highest levels, but also lead its future.
The history of sportfishing is filled with remarkable women. The women of the IWFA helped open doors for generations of anglers, and few have left a larger mark than Joan Vernon — angler, conservationist, tournament pioneer, and one of the most influential leaders the sport has ever known.
In the center of the picture are L-R Alene Molle, Nora Scofield, and Joan Vernon flanked by officials of the 1965 Red Cross Tournament in which this lady’s team took first place.
