Mercury Marine is fielding the world's first female ProTeam with professional anglers Gea de Ruijter and German YouTube star Babs Kijewski. The team competed at the World Predator Classic (WPC) in Hellevoetsluis in the Netherlands at the end of June 2022. The manufacturer has launched the ProXS series especially for professional angling and its competitions to get athletes to the best fishing spots quickly and safely.
On the water, the pair are travelling on Babs' Lund Rebel XL, which is powered by a Mercury FourStroke 80 hp engine. These are aluminium boats designed for ambitious anglers, with stability, speed and functionality intended to appeal specifically to this target group. The Mercury 80 hp outboard engine is so powerful that it accelerates the fully packed, fully fuelled boat with two people to around 65 km/h with the Mercury SpitFire 4 Blade.
Barbara Kijewski, also known as Babs, is a professional angler, fishing influencer, travel blogger and presenter. She is passionate about fishing for both freshwater and saltwater fish. Fishing has been her great passion for 25 years. The former Berliner now lives in France, where she tells her fans and followers on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram her exciting stories about the many species of fish, her travels and much more. Kijewski proudly notes that the proportion of women in the rather male-dominated fishing world has increased noticeably since she started.
Gea started fishing with her family as a child. Her first pike was a key moment in her life and she has been hooked on pike ever since. She also spends every spare minute on the water, travelling to the most beautiful fishing spots around the world.
"I love everything about fishing: the peaceful tranquillity as well as the exciting thrill. Just being outside enjoying the beautiful nature, the different landscapes and of course the weather," Gea comments on her passion.
"It will be a challenge to compete against the best anglers in Europe. We are both excited and eager to see how we will do against them and will be training in the waters around Hellevoetsluis the week before the tournament starts," adds Babs.
Matthias Müller, Area Manager Germany/ Switzerland/ Benelux, is very proud of the all-female Pro Team, which increases diversity in the sport of fishing.
In the end, the result was clear: the two women finished in 34th place out of 80 participants. Congratulations on this achievement.
Jan-Ole Puls
Editor Test & Technology
