Millionaire Bass Angler 2024

JoeLo_Bassfishing reply :

Hello to All,

I am new to this forum and I just wanted to start out by asking what it really takes to become a bass professional. It has been my dream to become one and I know for sure I won't rest until I get there. I would love to work in the industry but all I really want to do is fish every day I possibly can. I am going to NY for the summer and my plans are going to be dormant until I move back to Florida, specifically South Florida. I know in order to start, I have to co-angle the main tournaments and then work up the chain. I know the process is extensive and long, which I am looking forward to. What do you do at the age of 21 in order to be financially satisfied and also fish as much as possible? I know that fishing isn't necessarily going to make me extremely rich but I also have aspirations to have a wrapped boat and truck, specifically by Bass Pro Shops. If anyone can give me advice for securing a job or gaining sponsorship with them please let me know. I think promoting companies by either writing/freelancing about different baits and tackle is an avenue that might work. Does anyone have any experience with this and give me advice within this spectrum. Using YouTube, Medium, or other major sites I feel I can gain me the success I need.

If anyone can give me the essential advice I need it would be greatly appreciated.

Darren. reply :

Welcome aboard!

Can't help with your ambitions, I just fish for
the love of the sport, not tourneys or $$

A-Jay reply :

Hello Joe and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

I have no information or advice for you but Good Luck.

A-Jay

JoeLo_Bassfishing reply :

Just to clarify, I do fish for the love of the sport. It is firstly, my passion and love. I just know that in this world, you can't fish or live without money. I just want the best of both worlds. Thank you for your replies, Darren and A-Jay

Fish the Mitt reply :

Millionaire Bass Angler.

There's an article/thread specifically for this I've seen here before - but can't seem to locate it. Perhaps a search will wield the answers you're looking for. My advice, don't worry about it, just do you. If it's truly a passion, the action(s) in which you take will lead you down the path you're striving for. Ulterior motives, however, will not.

Doing what you love, is freedom. Loving what you do, is happiness.

T-Rick reply :

On 5/17/2016 at 9:12 AM, JoeLo said:

Hello to All,

I am new to this forum and I just wanted to start out by asking what it really takes to become a bass professional. It has been my dream to become one and I know for sure I won't rest until I get there. I would love to work in the industry but all I really want to do is fish every day I possibly can. I am going to NY for the summer and my plans are going to be dormant until I move back to Florida, specifically South Florida. I know in order to start, I have to co-angle the main tournaments and then work up the chain. I know the process is extensive and long, which I am looking forward to. What do you do at the age of 21 in order to be financially satisfied and also fish as much as possible? I know that fishing isn't necessarily going to make me extremely rich but I also have aspirations to have a wrapped boat and truck, specifically by Bass Pro Shops. If anyone can give me advice for securing a job or gaining sponsorship with them please let me know. I think promoting companies by either writing/freelancing about different baits and tackle is an avenue that might work. Does anyone have any experience with this and give me advice within this spectrum. Using YouTube, Medium, or other major sites I feel I can gain me the success I need.

If anyone can give me the essential advice I need it would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry, when I saw your title, "Millionaire Bass Angler." I thought you were a millionaire and bass angler who wanted some advice on how to spend your money.

Welcome to Bass Resource!

bigbassin' reply :

I can't give much advice, however I can tell you that far more people probably started fishing as millionaires than finished as one. Considering KVD is the all time money leader with only 6 million, and Greg Hackney is no slouch, but has less than 2 million in winnings, even becoming a top pro won't make you completely rich. Combined with the fact I've always heard 1 year in the elites will run you around $100,000 after expenses, I'm imagining most those guys aren't all that financially set from tournament fishing alone. With that being said, if you have the money/sponsorships to afford to compete at that level with the assumption you won't win anything from tournaments, I know I would love to give it a go.

From a sponsorship standpoint, I'm imagining investing in a decent camera and film editing software, mixed with maximizing your exposure on social media with professional photos and videos will go a long way. And you've got to consistently finish well in tournaments.

Catt reply :

Joe, how y'all are!

Here a little tip!

First ya gotta be good at catching bass!

If ya ain't nobody gonna listen to what ya got offer!

Brew City Bass reply :

This is my first summer doing tournaments. I have yet to do a single tournament, but now that I just bought a boat, I am saying **** it and jumping in head first. My buddy is my co-angler and we're just gonna see where this season takes us. If we are good enough to place in the money, or close, we'll continue. If we come up short, we gave it our best shot and will return when we think we have the skills.

You can prepare all you want, but if you don't just do it, you'll never know.

S. Sass reply :

On 5/17/2016 at 9:18 AM, Darren. said:

Welcome aboard!

Can't help with your ambitions, I just fish for
the love of the sport, not tourneys or $$

^^^ same sentiment

On 5/17/2016 at 10:26 AM, Catt said:

First ya gotta be good at catching bass!

If ya ain't nobody gonna listen to what ya got offer!

A little tip that means everything. ^^^

blckshirt98 reply :

It's not cheap to buy/maintain a boat and pay for gas/expenses/entry fees to tournaments to make a name for yourself. If you didn't fish for a high school or college team, and you don't have someone with deep pockets to pay for your expenses, you might be better off finding the best job you can and save up as much as you can so when you get to the age where you can afford to retire from your job you have the means to enter as many tournaments as you can. I believe anyone can enter the local/regional BASS and FLW tournaments, it's just a matter of paying the fees. If you're expecting a sponsor to pick you up and pay for your expenses, that will not happen.

Not to be an jerk but realistically a very very small percentage of people who love to fish have what it takes to fish in BASS or FLW and do well enough to make a living. Don't confuse your passion for fishing with a career - there's a lot of people who spend hundreds of hours playing video games because they love video games, but only a tiny percentage can make it as a professional.

Bluebasser86 reply :

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/tournament_fisherman.html

The saying goes that fishing can make you a millionaire, as long as you start out a billionaire.

Chase your dreams man, but do a lot of research so you know when to pull the plug if it's not happening. Lots and lots of guys bury themselves in debt chasing the dream that so few will ever attain.

If you really want to fish for a living and spend as much time as possible on the water, I'd look into becoming a guide.

frogflogger reply :

There are many really good to great anglers out there who are not tournament competitors - becoming a successful pro is more than being a great "stick" - it takes a certain mental toughness and dedication to swim in the pool with the greats.

JoeLo_Bassfishing reply :

On 5/17/2016 at 10:11 AM, T-Rick said:

Sorry, when I saw your title, "Millionaire Bass Angler." I thought you were a millionaire and bass angler who wanted some advice on how to spend your money.

Welcome to Bass Resource!

Yeah I am definitely not a millionaire, sorry to mislead you

On 5/17/2016 at 10:19 AM, bigbassin' said:

I can't give much advice, however I can tell you that far more people probably started fishing as millionaires than finished as one. Considering KVD is the all time money leader with only 6 million, and Greg Hackney is no slouch, but has less than 2 million in winnings, even becoming a top pro won't make you completely rich. Combined with the fact I've always heard 1 year in the elites will run you around $100,000 after expenses, I'm imagining most those guys aren't all that financially set from tournament fishing alone. With that being said, if you have the money/sponsorships to afford to compete at that level with the assumption you won't win anything from tournaments, I know I would love to give it a go.

From a sponsorship standpoint, I'm imagining investing in a decent camera and film editing software, mixed with maximizing your exposure on social media with professional photos and videos will go a long way. And you've got to consistently finish well in tournaments.

Thank you for helping me realize further that becoming a millionaire through the sport is incredibly difficult. The last piece of advice is most crucial. I do believe that capturing great footage is the way to go in order to gain traction in this field. I am banking my personable skills and work ethic to get me to the level I want to achieve within this sport. I don't necessarily know for sure what is going to happen but I am open to see where it takes me/.

On 5/17/2016 at 11:30 AM, Brew City Bass said:

This is my first summer doing tournaments. I have yet to do a single tournament, but now that I just bought a boat, I am saying **** it and jumping in head first. My buddy is my co-angler and we're just gonna see where this season takes us. If we are good enough to place in the money, or close, we'll continue. If we come up short, we gave it our best shot and will return when we think we have the skills.

You can prepare all you want, but if you don't just do it, you'll never know.

Yeah but preparation is the key to further success. Having a defined route to get there will help keep you focused but I completely understand that I just have to get myself out there first and see where it goes. I am probably going to co-angle first and then see how I do because if like Catt said, if I can't catch them, it doesn't matter either way. My small, yet nice track record so far, has led me to believe I have a slight edge to take myself somewhere.

JoeLo_Bassfishing reply :

On 5/17/2016 at 1:52 PM, blckshirt98 said:

It's not cheap to buy/maintain a boat and pay for gas/expenses/entry fees to tournaments to make a name for yourself. If you didn't fish for a high school or college team, and you don't have someone with deep pockets to pay for your expenses, you might be better off finding the best job you can and save up as much as you can so when you get to the age where you can afford to retire from your job you have the means to enter as many tournaments as you can. I believe anyone can enter the local/regional BASS and FLW tournaments, it's just a matter of paying the fees. If you're expecting a sponsor to pick you up and pay for your expenses, that will not happen.

Not to be an jerk but realistically a very very small percentage of people who love to fish have what it takes to fish in BASS or FLW and do well enough to make a living. Don't confuse your passion for fishing with a career - there's a lot of people who spend hundreds of hours playing video games because they love video games, but only a tiny percentage can make it as a professional.

I completely agree. Today, you have to be creative in how you go about everything. I understand the price and work I have to put into the sport in order to get out what I want. There is a reason why millions love to fish and only 150+ boats get to fish the major tournaments. And being realistic is never being a jerk, its just reality. Sometimes you have to shoot straight in order to help a person out. Thanks.

On 5/17/2016 at 1:56 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/tournament_fisherman.html

The saying goes that fishing can make you a millionaire, as long as you start out a billionaire.

Chase your dreams man, but do a lot of research so you know when to pull the plug if it's not happening. Lots and lots of guys bury themselves in debt chasing the dream that so few will ever attain.

If you really want to fish for a living and spend as much time as possible on the water, I'd look into becoming a guide.

Becoming a guide is one of the steps and part of the process I am going to venture out with. I am not in a position at the moment to do that. I am going to read that article. Research is the only thing that provides clarity to any question or inquiry you have as a person. And I love that saying, I clearly haven't experienced it but I can d**n sure understand how true it could be.

Ratherbfishing reply :

I'm going to be labeled the old grouch for saying this but if your goal is to become a millionaire, you're going into the wrong business-even IF you could manage to accrue that much $. And placing that in the title suggests to me that your priorities are, if not wrong, at least misguided. We ALL have to pay the bills somehow and it's fine (even necessary) to have goals (which can include compensation) but in my opinion, money should be one of the outcomes and not the singular objective. Otherwise, you might as well go into banking or real estate. But you are young and every young person thinks they are going to be rich by the time they are 25 (30 at the very latest).

There is an awful lot of work that goes into professional fishing and an awful lot of "paying your dues." The long drives and the long hot and/or cold days on the lake. The boat and trailer, and truck aren't going to clean, vacuum, and repair themselves. And the days when your fees and expenses are waaay more than your earnings. It has to be a labor of love (and patience) because anything else will burn you out in a hurry. I am not trying to discourage you from going for it. Just get that "millionaire" word out of your vocabulary and replace it with "look, listen, learn, patience, and determination."

lakeannaangler reply :

Welcome to Bassresource!

I don't think that bass fishing is going to make you very much money. Living your life will consume most of your profits anyway

JoeLo_Bassfishing reply :

On 5/18/2016 at 12:45 AM, Ratherbfishing said:

I'm going to be labeled the old grouch for saying this but if you're goal is to become a millionaire, you're going into the wrong business-even IF you could manage to accrue that much $. And placing that in the title suggests to me that your priorities are, if not wrong, at least misguided. We ALL have to pay the bills somehow and it's fine (even necessary) to have goals (which can include compensation) but in my opinion, money should be one of the outcomes and not the singular objective. Otherwise, you might as well go into banking or real estate. But you are young and every young person thinks they are going to be rich by the time they are 25 (30 at the very latest).

There is an awful lot of work that goes into professional fishing and an awful lot of "paying your dues." The long drives and the long hot and/or cold days on the lake. The boat and trailer, and truck aren't going to clean, vacuum, and repair themselves. And the days when your fees and expenses are waaay more than your earnings. It has to be a labor of love (and patience) because anything else will burn you out in a hurry. I am not trying to discourage you from going for it. Just get that "millionaire" word out of your vocabulary and replace it with "look, listen, learn, patience, and determination."

Thank you for putting things into further perspective. Yeah I guess you are right, I will have to eliminate that vocabulary. I am just ambitious, and plan on getting to the millionaire status outside of fishing, I just thought it would be an interesting title. I know that most of my money is going to be put right back into the sport and I know for sure I have a long road of paying my dues. Anything is possible and the sport may change and earnings may increase, so you never know what is around the corner but don't get me wrong, I AM NOT PLANNING ON IT. Thanks for the advice.

Turkey sandwich reply :

So, my intention isn't intended to sound dismissive, but hang with me...

I work in sales, and by most accounts do ok. I've also worked in sales management. My company is one of the best to sell for in the country, and I'm regularly around quite a few folks that have done extremely, extremely well for themselves. I've also seen a lot of folks come in with a lot of energy and get thrown to the wayside because initial enthusiasm and energy does not necessarily yield long term success. Success is hard, and really what it comes down to in any lucrative position is putting in the work.

Everyone wants to make a ton of money, but most folks have no real desire to put in the work to do it.

Do you have a degree? What is it in? What's your work experience?

Evan K reply :

This is speaking purely for me, and I will say too that I admire your responses to the hard truths the other guys have been giving@JoeLo_Bassfishing, but for me anything I have to do in order to live loses a lot of appeal; i.e., I like my hobbies because I'm not constrained to any of them.

Therefore I know tournament fishing is not for me (plus I'm not that great and have a lot to learn!) But best wishes with whatever path you take.

RichF reply :

It sounds like you already know what you need to do. The things you're saying are the things any pro would tell you, you need to do. Sponsorship is VERY limited these days in the bass fishing world. Big sponsorship, more specifically. And the guys that get that, are the guys that have been in the game for a lllooonnnggg time. And they'll continue to be in it for llloonngg time, meaning very little sponsorship dollars for newcomers. You're going to have to pony up the cash on you're own if you wanna play. That's just how it is. Good news for you though...you're young. It's much easier to make the large financial risk at 21 than at 31.

You'll definitely want to fish as a co in the Bassmaster Opens just to get a taste of how a big tournament is run. That was my biggest take away from fishing them for 2 yrs. You may even draw an Elite series guy as your boater which is pretty cool. Once you think you're ready to make the move to the front of the boat, go for it. Just be ready to get your butt kicked. That's not a knock on your fishing skills (I have no idea how well you fish). You're going to be fishing large bodies of water that you'll have had little or no time on and you'll be competing against a lot of local knowledge. And that's not just the local anglers competing but all the other non-local guys that got information from the locals. But, if you can win or do consistently well in events like these, you should get noticed by potential sponsors.

Guys talk about it this all the time and it's something I really believe in and think is uber important in tournament fishing....mental fortitude. You have to accept the fact that rarely does the best fisherman win the tournament. You have to accept the financial strain, the strain of driving thousands of miles across the country, the strain of being away from home for long periods of time, and on top of all that important life stuff...the strain of fishing in high stakes tournaments. If you can accept that these things are a part of the touring pro life and stay focused and ambitious, you may do well. But just know...you can do all those things and still might not. Hopefully you don't take this as me trying to crush your dreams, heck, I have the same one! I wish you the best brother.

I'll leave you with some quotes from Elite series anglers I've met over the last couple years. They made me realize that there isn't an actual answer to the question of "how do I become a pro" (even though I made an attempt, sort of, in the paragraphs above). You might get a kick out of them. I know I did.

Timmy Horton's response to me asking how to get to the level he's at - "fish local tournaments and work your way up"

Randall Tharp's response to a very similar question - "you can do it man"

Ish Monroe's most important piece of advice with regards to sponsorship - "don't take on a sponsor if they don't pay you cash"

Not much substance right? lol

Sam reply :

Joe, here are a few tips if you want to go pro in bass fishing.

1. Get a college degree.

2. Know how to read, write and speak proper English.

3. Know how to dress properly and your "color code" so your outfits will enhance how you look. "Color Codes" are which colors agree with your flesh tone to make your clothes look better. My wife is a blond so she is a spring. I look good in pastels and blues and am a winter. You need to dress professionally and not have a bright green or red that does not enhance your image. Sounds dumb but it is the little things you need to be aware when you are being interviewed or considered by a sponsor.

4. Enter some "Opens" and see how you do with the big boys.

5. Join a local bass club and compete with friends while you work yourself up the ladder into the state federation tournaments and then the BASS and FLW larger tournaments.

6. Marry a rich girl who can support you while you are trying to get into the money. Take her along with you so she can tell you that you are a great guy and a wonderful person that night in bed after you skunk for the day.

7. And catch those bass. Make your name known in Florida as an excellent bass fisherman. Fish the Fishers of Men and other tournaments to get known.

8. Watch your burn out. We all love to do things but we don't want to over do them so we lose interest in doing them. Pace yourself.

9. Confidence. You have to have confidence in your tackle, techniques, finding the fish, electronics, baits and yourself. Once you have the confidence you can go out and do anything. But confidence is easier said than done. It takes practice, concentration, homework, and knowledge of the opponent. Even if you get skunked you will still know that the fish were there but they just were not biting. Happens to us all sooner or later.

10. Talk to your competitors at the tournaments. Some of the guys will be jerks but others will be helpful and share their stories with you. Meet the tournament directors and the movers and shakers in the Florida bass fishing industry. Be known. Work for your club or state federation. Do things for bass fishing that do not include fishing for bass.

Now re-read all of the posts above this one; make notes; speak proper English; look and dress professionally on and off the water; and catch some fish; and do well in the tournaments so you qualify for your state team and maybe the BASS Classic.

Good luck.

RichF reply :

I like number 6 on that list

WIGuide reply :

On 5/17/2016 at 9:12 AM, JoeLo_Bassfishing said:

I would love to work in the industry but all I really want to do is fish every day I possibly can.

Fishing in the Elites or FLW probably is not the way to achieve this. Many people overlook the fact that pro's have to do so many things other than fishing. Pretty much all of their sponsorship deals include x number of days that the company pretty much owns them that you have to do public appearances for them. Take someone like Jimmy Houston for example, I know in the late 90's early 2000's he was on the road around 280 days a year. Yes he was fishing some, but a lot of those days were spent at speaking engagements, personal appearances, seminars, etc., etc. I know there were many tournaments he didn't even have an opportunity to prefish for because he was booked right up until tournament day.

You would get to spend more time on the water if you were a guide. Not saying this to spoil your dream as I totally understand the goal of getting there. I too have the same goal, but I just wanted to make sure you're aware of what it entails.

GetJigginWithIt reply :

Just to get you started

mheichelbech reply :

I know quite a few millionaires...and while financially secure, none of them seem to be happy. My observation has been that many people whose obsession is on wealth or money, are never satisfied once they get it. In fact they are often more unhappy because it exposes other underlying issues that had previously been covered up by their quest to be rich.

The people that I have met that are the happiest with a lot of money, are those that were fortunate enough to make it as a byproduct of doing something they love to do. Usually they have been able to make a business out of something they were already doing and liked to do. The financial success came from running the business well and managing their resources appropriately.

fishballer06 reply :

For those that are wondering what it costs to fish "pro", to enter the professional division of FLW requires a $7k deposit prior to the season, and then it's a $4900 entry fee per event. So you're looking at nearly $40k per year just for entry fee's. Add on top of that fuel to travel to/from all 8 tournaments, hotels for each practice/tournament, food, maintenance on truck/boat/trailer, and I'm sure there's other assorted costs along the way. So I'm sure it's easily $75k+ to fish one season on the FLW Tour, and that's not even considered the "premier" series right now.

RichF reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 12:02 AM, fishballer06 said:

For those that are wondering what it costs to fish "pro", to enter the professional division of FLW requires a $7k deposit prior to the season, and then it's a $4900 entry fee per event. So you're looking at nearly $40k per year just for entry fee's. Add on top of that fuel to travel to/from all 8 tournaments, hotels for each practice/tournament, food, maintenance on truck/boat/trailer, and I'm sure there's other assorted costs along the way. So I'm sure it's easily $75k+ to fish one season on the FLW Tour, and that's not even considered the "premier" series right now.

Don't forget $35k for the truck to pull the $60k boat;)

J Francho reply :

Rich, you haven't been out pricing trucks lately, lol. Add $10K for a decently equipped work truck with a suitable drive train upgrade and towing package.

RichF reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 4:04 AM, J Francho said:

Rich, you haven't been out pricing trucks lately, lol. Add $10K for a decently equipped work truck with a suitable drive train upgrade and towing package.

HA! you're absolutely right. I was thinking along the lines of a 2011 or 2012. BTW, that boat estimate is for used also;)

J Francho reply :

You can generally drop into a decent boat for around $60K. I think at the point that you are getting entry to national opens, and so forth, I would assume you are at least getting a pro deal (usually 30-60% off retail) on accessories like trolling motors, electronics, shallow water anchors, etc. I'd also assume you'd have a relationship with a marine dealer/installer. Developing those relationships early on is going to be really important. But yeah, price out a 2017 [insert major bass boat brand here] and you could be well out over $80k, fully optioned.

Hez reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 4:04 AM, J Francho said:

Rich, you haven't been out pricing trucks lately, lol. Add $10K for a decently equipped work truck with a suitable drive train upgrade and towing package.

Especially the "battle wagons" the Pros all have now. Those are probably closer to $100k than $35k....and the price tag on the Ranger at the FLW weigh in....$108k...all decked out

J Francho reply :

I know if it were me, I'd prefer to be towing with a 3/4 ton heavy duty. My Bullet, while almost 22' long weighs much less than a similar Ranger.

RichF reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 10:52 PM, Hez said:

Especially the "battle wagons" the Pros all have now. Those are probably closer to $100k than $35k....and the price tag on the Ranger at the FLW weigh in....$108k...all decked out

Like Skeet's F-550 lol. That thing is absolutely ridiculous. $108k for a bass boat...that just turns my stomach. Hopefully it flies...literally.

Hez reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 11:30 PM, RichF said:

Like Skeet's F-550 lol. That thing is absolutely ridiculous. $108k for a bass boat...that just turns my stomach. Hopefully it flies...literally.

I just found the pic I took of the price tag...my memory did not serve me right...it was actually $104k. Sorry about that.

But...I don't think it flies...but I bet it goes really fast.

J Francho reply :

It's a 70 mph boat, if it's lucky. You can save $40K, and buy a hand made Bullet.

RichF reply :

On 4/13/2017 at 12:16 AM, Hez said:

I just found the pic I took of the price tag...my memory did not serve me right...it was actually $104k. Sorry about that.

But...I don't think it flies...but I bet it goes really fast.

And I wasn't talking about speed...I meant it better fly...like fly fly. hahaha

Esoxfreak reply :

On 5/17/2016 at 9:12 AM, JoeLo_Bassfishing said:

Hello to All,

I am new to this forum and I just wanted to start out by asking what it really takes to become a bass professional. It has been my dream to become one and I know for sure I won't rest until I get there. I would love to work in the industry but all I really want to do is fish every day I possibly can. I am going to NY for the summer and my plans are going to be dormant until I move back to Florida, specifically South Florida. I know in order to start, I have to co-angle the main tournaments and then work up the chain. I know the process is extensive and long, which I am looking forward to. What do you do at the age of 21 in order to be financially satisfied and also fish as much as possible? I know that fishing isn't necessarily going to make me extremely rich but I also have aspirations to have a wrapped boat and truck, specifically by Bass Pro Shops. If anyone can give me advice for securing a job or gaining sponsorship with them please let me know. I think promoting companies by either writing/freelancing about different baits and tackle is an avenue that might work. Does anyone have any experience with this and give me advice within this spectrum. Using YouTube, Medium, or other major sites I feel I can gain me the success I need.

If anyone can give me the essential advice I need it would be greatly appreciated.

In my definition of "professional" it means that you can make a livable wage from fishing ONLY. Totally doable! But I read something recently how chances are greater of becoming a rockstar than a pro tournament angler. There are other ways to make money fishing, but they don't involve slinging overpriced baits on tv (helicopter lure anyone, you big sellout)and those tournament anglers grind it out. In southern fl you have a huge tourist market and a lot of those guys go there strictly to fish, I know I would. You got access to both salt and freshwater. You should start a guide service. Bear with me...especially if you are good with other humans.it's a great way to generate a bit of income but your chances are higher getting sponsors because they want to see that you are serious about their products, and use them( there is a well known cooler co. That straight up gives you their products,even the really good stuff just because they know you got potential customers on your boat everyday). You can also fill out pro forms at local tAckle shops...or after 2 years guiding you could buy your own shop(you would need more guides though lol). By guiding and owning a shop everybody that you want to know who you are will know you. Then you wrap your boat with YOUR NAME! Being known will help you become a pro too. And ditto everyone else about getting into the circuit.

there are a lot of people who do make money off YouTube by signing up for Adsense but you need to be getting tens of thousands of views per video to make any money. Just video fishing trips, and all of it, even your failures we wanna see that too,if you do videos you have to keep our attentions too.dont be ashamed to promote yourself, too many people are afraid to put themselves out there for criticism sake but we all do things different. Do it how you do it and be proud of what you do. Watching a story of a guy who goes from just a guy to the cover of a fishing magazine would be kinda cool. I'd subscribe just to see if you could do it,even if it took years.

good luck man

On 5/17/2016 at 9:12 AM, JoeLo_Bassfishing said:

Hello to All,

I am new to this forum and I just wanted to start out by asking what it really takes to become a bass professional. It has been my dream to become one and I know for sure I won't rest until I get there. I would love to work in the industry but all I really want to do is fish every day I possibly can. I am going to NY for the summer and my plans are going to be dormant until I move back to Florida, specifically South Florida. I know in order to start, I have to co-angle the main tournaments and then work up the chain. I know the process is extensive and long, which I am looking forward to. What do you do at the age of 21 in order to be financially satisfied and also fish as much as possible? I know that fishing isn't necessarily going to make me extremely rich but I also have aspirations to have a wrapped boat and truck, specifically by Bass Pro Shops. If anyone can give me advice for securing a job or gaining sponsorship with them please let me know. I think promoting companies by either writing/freelancing about different baits and tackle is an avenue that might work. Does anyone have any experience with this and give me advice within this spectrum. Using YouTube, Medium, or other major sites I feel I can gain me the success I need.

If anyone can give me the essential advice I need it would be greatly appreciated.

good luck man

flyfisher reply :

i wonder how the OP is doing....my first question after reading his initial post was why because you are in nY would your plans have to be dormant? I guess his plans only involve southern states and their tournaments.

J Francho reply :

There's one NY guy doing well in the Elites. Jamie Hartman.

Todd_Clark reply :

wanna know how to make a SMALL fortune fishing for a living? Start out with a LARGE fortune.

12poundbass reply :

On 4/13/2017 at 12:16 AM, Hez said:

I just found the pic I took of the price tag...my memory did not serve me right...it was actually $104k. Sorry about that.

But...I don't think it flies...but I bet it goes really fast.

Since everyone has lost hope I'll lift your spirits....I'm a glass half full kinda guy just wait 15-20 years and you'll be able to pick it up used for around 80k! I can't believe nobody thought of that! ???

Update: just looked at my glass and it's now half empty when I realized the electronics would be extremely outdated after 20 years and with the cost of new now plus inflation you're looking at another 10k to update the electronics! ???

NVD20 reply :

On 4/13/2017 at 7:56 AM, Todd_Clark said:

wanna know how to make a SMALL fortune fishing for a living? Start out with a LARGE fortune.

Hello, your statement is completely false most anglers that fish the elite series, either started out with nothing and used a primary job too support them while they figured out if fishing was right for them. Swindle and my dad, KVD, are a good example.

BassNJake reply :

Good article by Kevin short former Elite Series Pro on yearly costs

http://bassblaster.rocks/bidness-expenses

BassNJake reply :

You can get a cheaper start fishing as a co angler in the BFL series run by FLW. $125 per tourney

You can also fish BFL's on the Pro side for $250 per tourney

The nice thing about these as they are regionally based so for me the 5 tourneys on the Volunteer trail are all within 2 hours or so from my house.

There are probably local clubs and tourneys on your home lake as well.

Start doing well locally and maybe you can get some type of local sponsorships ... marina, boat/car dealer, tackle store and then add sponsors as you move up the ladder. This will also appeal to the bigger sponsors as it shows experience in promoting products.

12poundbass reply :

On 10/20/2017 at 1:42 AM, NVD20 said:

my dad, KVD, are a good example.

Awe man you told everyone our secret. Lol ? j/k

NVD20 reply :

On 10/20/2017 at 5:05 AM, 12poundbass said:

Awe man you told everyone our secret. Lol ? j/k

Had to be figured out at some point!

blongfishing reply :

Save every dime you can. Just remember, every time you go on vacation, drink on the weekends, or party, that money could be spent on fishing. If you go to YouTube and search ‘becoming a professional fishermen Brian Latimer’ you will find a video of how FLW Tour Brian Latimer did it with a job paying $30,000 a year. You just gotta have the drive and spend your time on fishing alone.

Lures'n'Liberty reply :

How to be a millionaire bass angler? I'm posting just to follow the thread, maybe someone will come in here with an idea I can take to the bank. In the meantime, I'll give you the same advice they give you in AA. Take it one day at a time, each day brings new challenges and you've got to work through every one to stay on top. If you want to win a million fishing, you're going to do it one tournament at a time. You might get lucky, but I wouldn't count on it. I've got a friend that won an $85,000 Ranger from Cabela's after the number on a tagged fish he caught in a tournament was pulled. It didn't make him a better fisherman, if anything it just meant he had to buy a bigger truck. If you want to be a millionaire, that's awesome, but you're probably going to have to get good at being a hundredaire first. With any luck, you can be a thousandaire in your early twenties. To be fair, however, at age 18 and with a 6% interest rate, if you put away $170 and some change every month until you're 65, you can retire with $1,000,000 in the bank and live pretty well off of the interest. My "guy" told me that's the sure fire way to become a millionaire, and he's made a lot of people really happy. I'd get a "guy" too, if I were you. As far as being a bass angler, well, I'm still trying to figure that one out myself, so I wish you the best of luck.

Pro Logcatcher reply :

Only way to make a million dollars bass fishing is to start with ten million! $$$

DubyaDee reply :

On 6/8/2016 at 6:34 PM, GetJigginWithIt said:

Just to get you started

These are the video's that I was looking for to show our OP. I love fishing as much as most folks on this forum. The pro's are either fishing/pre fishing/traveling/talking most days out of the year. The stress from needing to make the cut to be in the money would ruin the love of the sport for me. I fish to relieve stress, not bring more on. A lot of my motivation at work is to be able to fish 30 days a year and love every minute of it. I couldn't imagine being away from my family for that long either.

I'll never discourage someone from following their dreams, as long as you know what you're getting into.

iaYakker reply :

First and foremost, Fish to Fish.

Tournament angling (unless you do it occasionally to satisfy the need for competition and to be out there with your buddies) is a money pit.

Glenn reply :

OP posted this in 2016, came back the next day to read responses, and never returned.

And scene....

2004

Millionaire Bass Angler 2024

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