SO you want to be a pro fisherman?
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This is part of an article I found today!
To the outsider, the world of professional bass fishing may seem like a life of glitz and glamour. Those in the know, however, realize exactly what these fishermen go through. Enduring long, grueling days on the water trying to grind out a living is tough during the best of times. Today, however, even the best bass fishermen are struggling to make ends meet. The reasons are many but here are just a few of the main points:
1.) Rising costs
a. The cost of fishing alone is driving many competitor’s out of professional bass fishing. Just to be able to compete a pro needs a $50,000 boat, a $50,000 truck, and countless thousands of dollars worth of tackle. Add entry fees and the ever fluctuating costs of fuel, food and shelter and a pro can be staring down a huge sum of money in the $200,000 range. Before we’ve even started many pro’s are $200,000 in the hole.
2.) Lower payouts
a. In the face of the current economy, many pro fishing trails have cut back their pay scales to compensate for lost income, B.A.S.S. most notably. During the 2009 season it is now possible for a pro to cash a check in every event and NOT BREAK EVEN. That is a fundamental flaw in the system. A pro should at least have the opportunity to break even on their investment.
3.) Sponsor Pullouts
a. To add to the monetary woes of the angler’s, many major sponsors have either scaled back their compensation to pro angler’s or eliminated pro staff positions altogether. While many pro angler’s may not have monetary deals with a company, the product they receive in exchange for the marketing opportunities for a company often helped offset many of a pro angler’s costs. This recent cutback has caused many pro angler’s to either rethink their profession or abandon it completely.
Charles…DO NOT EVER SAY NEVER;
all things are possible if you set your mind to your goal and practice, practice, practice & Keep your dream in star steps. Meaning set a reasonable goal reach it and set another one higher.
How far are you from Bowling Green, KY.
Thinking of selling my little Tracker 165 CHEAP. But keep my Triton thank you.
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i already am pro fishman when i was a kid in my neighborhood everyday i would walk to the pond to fish and i saw some snapping turtles sticking their heads out of the water with an eyeball on me i also saw snakes swimming through the water one time where the water was about 3 feet deep i saw a beetlejuice doll standing on the dirt under the water somebody had thrown it in the water would anybody be brave enough to swim through a pond with goggles on try watching the movie the quest with henry thomas
Well, that kinda makes me feel a bit better AND sad at the same time.
Why better??
I wanted to get back into tourney fishing last year, (on a smaller scale), and was disappointed when I found I was unable due to financial reasons. What if I HAD spent all that money only to find the above to be totally true?
To be honest, I’m not sure if a pro needs a $50,000 boat or a $50,000 truck to compete.
With the economy in the tubes, you can pick up a quality, used, tournament boat for anywhere between $20-$25 G’s.
And you can def get a good truck to pull your boat cheaper than 50 grand!
Heck, some of the car dealerships in the US will give you their first born if you buy a new vehicle from them!!!! (lol)
It’s sad to hear about sponsor pullouts. Sponsors are the ones who keep Pro fishing moving forward. Sponsors are also the people who keep my favorite fishing shows airing! I can’t live without my fishing shows, (esp during the MN long winter. I mean ice fishing is fun and all, but it don’t hold a candle to trolling a shoreline casting & flipping a lure for Bass! ).
As for B.A.S.S. scaling back their purse’s – Good! In my opinion, B.A.S.S. has made a real @ss of themselves in the last 4-5 years. (It was actually YOU GF who schooled me on how horrible B.A.S.S. have been, and to check into F.O.M. tourneys.)
Anyway, cool article GF. Thanks for the good read.
Very interesting!
Dude, i wish i were a pro. I’m going to try to start getting into ameature contests sometime in the next few years. At the local lake, they host some bassin’ tournaments. I know the lake better than any of those guys fishin’ out in that lake by a long shot. I was practically born on it. I need a boat, bad. A friend let’s me loan a boat that can hardly stay a float. It’s a John Boat, and don’t even ask the brand! That’s a great article Golden Father, and there’s no way a $50,000 bass boat is ever going to get in my hands! I wouldn’t know what to do if i won something like that. Oh, the good life.
Ooops got caught up in that story, didn’t i?!! Haha.
Hope i helped ya out.
EDIT : Wow, thanks for the help. I live in Littcarr, Ky which is still in Ky. If i have any interest in buying it, I’ll give you a message. I’ll remember never to say never (oops already said it, damn!) but, it’s just unthinkable to me to see myself owning a $50,000 bass boat.
Thanks.