Think you could make a living fishing bass tournaments???

[Jigger]

Don't be humble. Be honest. Do you? Why do you think you could or could not. Ever seriously consider it? What's holding you back??????

[MIbasser]

No way for me. Would I think about it? Maybe dream about it. If I had no child/child support and college loans then I would try it without a question. But for every person that does make it, I would bet there is 100 that don't. My 2 cents....

[lunker-lander]

I don't really understand your question. Are you asking if you think we could hold our own in a tourney, or if we could organize a tourney?

-Lunk-

[bamabassman]

i tried to years ago. the competition is to much for me. and for me it takes away the fun too. too much pressure to produce. i like to fish for food and fun. if it was a job, i would quit, lol. i don't even want to fish a club tourny really. maybe if it was just for fun. not for money. or at least very little money.lmao, poor man here.

[MIbasser]

Lunk,

I think he's asking if you would quit school, and go pro on one/all of the tours. Try to compete with the KVD's of the world... Oh, and live on your own out of your car and so on....

[Rebbasser]

I don't really want to. Could I? Maybe. But, like Bama I fish for fun. It is my therapy. If I catch something, great. If I don't I still was on the water. I once heard an old fisherman say, "You don't fish for fish. You fish for fishin'" and I knew exactly what he meant.

I just don't want to be a road warrior, and that is what the pros are. Away from home for a long stretch isn't my idea of a good time. Been there and done that.

[Jigger]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

I just don't want to be a road warrior, and that is what the pros are. Away from home for a long stretch isn't my idea of a good time. Been there and done that.

That's the problem I have with it. I think I've got the skills and the stamina but I don't have the heart to stay on the road. The road would wear me down. I like to sleep in my own bed with my darlin' at night. I couldn't handle being away from home that much.

[lizardsrule]

When I hit the lottery "MAYBE". What holds most everyone back is money. It's takes a lot of money to compete in todays circuit. Just gas alone is outrageous. Just think of all the gas/hotels/meals/entry fees. Not to mention all the prefishing you need to do, it's really exspensive. If I had plenty of money, then I would have plenty of time to fish, so yes I could do it, but doubt the money problem will ever go away for me to be able to do it. I don't mind all the traveling to different lakes for fishing, but I would hate all the media day/fan day stuff I wopuld have to do for all the sponsors. I just want to fish.

Lizards

[bamabassman]

lizards, if you win would you ...like... give me some? i might try it again if i didn,t have to worry about the bills and all. uuuhhhh hhhmmmm? lol, kidding man. i just want the money, hahaha.

[lunker-lander]

I personally like to fish for the sport of it, but if I had the chance? Hell yeah! I'm an opportunist and when I get the chance-of-a-lifetime, I try it out!

-Lunk-

[Jackl]

JIGGER,
It will cost you approximately 75 to 100 thousnad dollars a year to compete on the pro B.A.S.S. ro F.L.W. circuit to pay your entry fees, boat payments, tow vehicle payments, gas, lures & equipment, etc. not including your meals and lodging expenses. You could lower your meals and lodging if your tow vehicle was a RV, but then your gas expenses would go up. You might be able to make it if you had a job or some type of employment where you could be gone for extended periods of time, and then return to work when you were not fishing tournaments, like owning your own business or working for a relative that would go along with this hap-hazzard work schedule. Most of the pro's have some type of business that thier wives run while the pro's are on circuit, such as selling lures, clothing, etc. Pull up KVD's website or Woo Daves web and you will find that thier wives run a mail order business out of the home. I am sure that many of the others have webs also.

JackL

[Cranebird]

Not likely for me.My friend Chris is getting his feet wet with the idea.He won a Tourny fishing the Bassmaster weekend series but it didn't pay sh!t for the tournament.The neat deal is you get your name in the Bass Times paper which helped him out more than the Tournament pay off .He has since then gained alot of big sponsors who are going to help him try to reach his dream.He is good enough, he just lacked the help financially to make it on his own. Maybe I'll be watching him on Television in the future saying "I know that guy he gave me a DD22 Nutter shad crankbait when I fished with him ". Ivan

[Bob Smith]

It would be a very hard path to take, expensive, and no guarantees. The pros who have made it to the elite levels of the sport having giving up a lot along the way. Families most definitely suffer the most, so my recommendations would be to get started while you are young and single. Hopefully, you will have some good financial backing to start with and a knack for catching fish almost anywhere you go. You must be willing to learn and be strong enough to take your losses with dignity and courage. I have fished several lower level circuits and trails and learned from that experience that I could never give up the comforts I have (family, job/income, insurance) to compete at a higher level. Even though it seemed more like a job at times, I managed to keep my love for bassfishing in perspective. A lot of people lose that perspective so when they don't make it they give up bassfishing completely. The thought of that scares me, because I would never want to give it up.

So could I compete at that level? I would have good days like everyone else, but certainly do not feel that my skills are good enough to do it everytime out. Would I even consider it? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! LOL

[Whup]

I completely agree with Reb!

[Lilmoosecountry]

I fished the Redman series for 3 yrs. It's very hard. I do feel that i could then & now hold my own against anybody. But here is the reality. It takes lot's of cash even with sponsors. Staying the night in a hotel is a luxury. I slept most nights in my truck. I lived off a lot of Taco Bell & McDonalds. Every penny you make goes back to tackle & entry Fee's first. Look kid it looks glamerous on TV. But That's far from the truth. After 3 years i was plumm tired. I go to sportshows. I get treated like a recreational angler. Well i enjoy that. For me it was about money. That's why i left. The reality is you have buy your way to championship. The Truck,boat,fuel,tackle,Rods,reels,food,entry fee's & Hotel exspenses. These thing cost to get you to a tournament. With out the money you don't even get a chance.

[jasonfish320]

If you want to go pro there's a lot of sacrifices you have to make and unless you're wealthy you risk losing what you love about the sport. I had a friend who has fished a few tourneys in the circuit and is one of the most knowledgeable fisherman I have encountered. With that said he told me that he would rather fish the smaller tourneys and have fun. One day he pulled up at the dock and thought to himself "if I don't come in the money today I don't know how I will eat or how I will put gas in the truck to even get home"....he came in second that day, but said that fishing was no longer fun and on that day decided to call it quits. I'm young & single and probably could try fishing for a living, but I LOVE to fish and want to keep that way!

[BigBassin144]

I'd love ot be able to do that. But honestly I doubt I could make any money in a tourney unless I was fishing against people who weren't allowed to use hooks.

BB

[Raul]

I make a lot more money doing what I do than I can make competing at pro level and I love doing what I do as much I love fishing.

So why should I bother in trying to make a living competing at pro level ?

[Texas_Justice85]

I can

everyone else in this forum-not a chance


jk

[barkelypup]

I would love to be able to but the grim or dim realism of it is I can't afford it. I fish a small tourney trail and I referbish boats in order to do it on top of my farming and real job that I have. I Love the competition of the tourneys and some times I win a few bucks and some times I don't. I guess if I could fish 3-4 days a week I could get better but who am I kidding. So the answer for me would be NO

[CarpMan]

there are four men on this forurm that i woukd like to see fish in a three day tournament. I believe anyone of the four could hold their own fishing as a pro. They are ugly as chit, but put one of them purty fishing shirts on and they would do just fine. I don't want to short change others on here cause I'm sure there are alot of good fisherman on here. And the names are: Mr. C Bird Crane Mr. Spook Zooker Mr. Jack Black (jb)

[CarpMan]

there are four men on this forurm that i woukd like to see fish in a three day tournament. I believe anyone of the four could hold their own fishing as a pro. They are ugly as chit, but put one of them purty fishing shirts on and they would do just fine. I don't want to short change others on here cause I'm sure there are alot of good fisherman on heret hat would compete just as well..... And the names are:
Mr. C Bird Crane
Mr. Spooker Zooker
Mr. Jack Black jb
MR. Rebel Reb
It would be unfair to you if I were to put my name (carpman) in. Yep, I sure would like to see you four fight it out on a lake of your choice..... Just a thought.. Carpy

[fishing man]

that is actually what i want to do for a living and i am working very hard and im good at fishing so i think i can do tournaments for a living

[brushhog]

Uhmm..... Well.... Not a chance for me!

[BassAddict]

I will stick to Fishers of Men tournaments and another local series. I can afford these right now and have a lot of fun fishing those tournaments. Do I think I can compete on the pro level... I'd like to say yes but there's no way I'm willing to give up my life now to take a chance on trying to survive at the pro level.
The way the economy is right now the sponsorships are tough to get. I thought I had a couple good sponsors lined up for this season but I'm getting the maybe next year responses. They like my proposals but are not ready to get off the money right now. It's tough enough to line up the sponsors and then have to focus on the fishing side of it too. I'm not willing to deal with that stress anymore!

BTW... I want in on the forum tourney!