How possible is it to make a living just fishing? 2024
Mikeydoes reply :
I'm sure it is everyone at this forums dream, but assuming you are a good fisherman and you devote yourself to fishing and fishing alone. How possible is it to not have a job and just travel the US fishing?
Raul reply :
QuoteI'm sure it is everyone at this forums dream
minus Raul.
RoLo reply :
Minus RoLo
I admire those who can, but I'm afraid once it became a living it would cramp my style and rob my pleasure of the sport.
My fear is that bass and pike would begin to look like dollar bills, instead of the beautiful creatures they are.
To each his own 
Roger
Mikeydoes reply :
I can kind of see what you are saying about it making fishing not as enjoyable.
Fishing with my brother is a bass tournament every time, so competetive. And if I was to start taking fishing very serious he would most likely be my partner, and I always have the most fun with him.
WRB reply :
About 1 in 10,000 odds of making a decent living fishing.
WRB
Dixon reply :
Its called sponsors. Get a ton of sponsors all paying anywhere from 100 to 1000 a month. Maybe more. Plus all the bonuses from winning a tournament.
bigtimfish reply :
I agree with Rolo. That seems like it would take the fun out of it. It would be more business than pleasure. :'( I'm sure it's possible to travel and fish but unless your on a tour (elite-flw) I would think you would need to be a guide. And i don't know of any guides who guide on lakes cross country.
farmpond1 reply :
QuoteI'm sure it is everyone at this forums dream, but assuming you are a good fisherman and you devote yourself to fishing and fishing alone. How possible is it to not have a job and just travel the US fishing?
I would say this same thing to anyone who wanted to play any professional sport such as basketball, golf, etc. If your heart yearns and burns for it, go for it. But don't preclude other possibilities or neglect other responsibilities. Don't become an idiot without any options. Look at the odds. There must be at least 50 million kids out there who want to be pro athletes. Best case scenario, you succeed. Worst case scenerio, you adjust and get on with life-and fish for fun.
Mikeydoes reply :
Good answer.
I'm looking for all the ways to make money. Whether it is sponsors or winning tournaments.
I was also wondering how much the how much people get for having their own fishing TV shows, that is something I want to work hard to do. You don't necessarily have to be the best fisherman to have a TV show, and sponsors would pay you a lot more. Not saying it would be easy, but just thinking of other possibilities.
bass wrangler569 reply :
QuoteGood answer.I'm looking for all the ways to make money. Whether it is sponsors or winning tournaments.
I was also wondering how much the how much people get for having their own fishing TV shows, that is something I want to work hard to do. You don't necessarily have to be the best fisherman to have a TV show, and sponsors would pay you a lot more. Not saying it would be easy, but just thinking of other possibilities.
Dude, you have to make a name for yourself with fishing before you just get your own TV show. It's more than just working hard, you have to be very very good and charismatic. Think about it this way, if you're not catching fish, nobody is going to want to watch your show, so you really do have to be one of the best. If you just want a way to make money, there are far easier, and more profitable careers out there.
DINK WHISPERER reply :
QuoteMinus RoLo
I admire those who can, but I'm afraid once it became a living it would cramp my style and rob my pleasure of the sport.
My fear is that bass and pike would begin to look like dollar bills, instead of the beautiful creatures they are.
To each his own
Roger
I could not have said it better myself RoLo! I have been invited to many clubs and tournaments but decline for this reason! The only tornaments i like are between me and my big mouth brother!!!! ;D
Fishing Rhino reply :
Long Mike reply :
Unless your skills place you in the top 5% of all professional bass fishermen, you will make a lot more money by getting a college degree.
SammyLee reply :
I asked he best local bass catcher I know if he ever thought about going pro. His answer, "Nope, I'm not in good enough shape and besides that, there are better fisherman than me out there."
Now this dude appears to be great shape. He is a former marathon runner, never smoked and is thin. But after one full day of "real" fishing with this guy, my butt was a dragging. Imagine, practice day or days, then the tournament with daily prep before launch, the days of hard no bs fishing, clean the boat, prep for the next day and whew... You've just got yourself a job.
Edit to add, He is in the running to win the local championship for the local tournaments. He is real successful when he fishes, usually.
That's why my avatar says, "fish for fun!"
Fishing Doug reply :
No way I would want to be a professional fisherman. That would take out a lot of the things I enjoy about fishing-relaxing, taking my time, going when the weather is nice, etc.
Mattlures reply :
I dont think there is a single guy making a living just bass fishing. I may be wrong but I dont think there is. The fishing part is just that PART of thier job. They are all salesmen. They all do apearances and seminars and product endorsements. You dont have to be the best fisherman to make the most money. You have to be the most marketable. I bet my friend Byron Velvick makes more then most of the touring pros but he hasent been a top 10 guy. He is good and is a top 50 guy but he is more marketable. Very friendly, well spoken and good looking plus he can fish. My point is, If you become good at the marketing aspect you wont have to be in the top 10 to make a good living.
mattm reply :
I always thought it would be cool to do anything fishing for a living. However, I know a very busy guide on Fork that I consider a friend and he put it in perspective one day for me when he said "when I started guiding i gained a job and lost a hobby." He still loves what he does but its not the same as just fishing and doing what you want.
SirSnookalot reply :
I'm keeping my job at the car wash, head drier at the end of line, I get the tips.
ZeNoob reply :
got laid off April 1st, bass fished everyday for about 2months.(with some cat fishing thrown in)
Now i sit on the back porch with my neighbor drinking beer BSing and bobber fishing for what ever will eat a worm ;D and watching all my other neighbors bass fish.
cart7t reply :
QuoteI'm sure it is everyone at this forums dream, but assuming you are a good fisherman and you devote yourself to fishing and fishing alone. How possible is it to not have a job and just travel the US fishing?
Just fishing? How would you earn a living just fishing?
Are you going to put a hat on the dock and suggest people would toss money into it for the pleasure of watching you fish?
Fishing Rhino reply :
Making a living solely from tournament purses?
Impossible, I'd say.
Kevin Van Dam wouldn't be able to make a living from purses without sponsorships.
Without sponsorships there would not be enough participants to have tournaments, hence KVD and others who have won "millions" over their careers would not have won those millions.
Only a handful of the pros make enough to cover their expenses from purse money, let alone make a living from it.
Just like auto racing, it is sponsor money that makes it all possible.
Grey Wolf reply :
'To dream the impossible dream."
CODbasser reply :
like stated above..fishing is just part of the buisiness..those guys do alot of work for their sponsors, they help develop new products, promote products, test products. Well known bass fisherman, especially someone like kvd are marketing machines...his name on a product will sell it to some, just because his name is on it...when they fish, they dont just fish, they have to deal with the public and keep a good image so they keep a good name for their sponsors...if im fun fishing it is usually practicing for a tournament...i love the competition, but tournament purses mainley go towards funding my hobby..if my fishing pays for itself then i feel like i have done a good job...
Fishing Rhino reply :
Quotelike stated above..fishing is just part of the buisiness..those guys do alot of work for their sponsors, they help develop new products, promote products, test products. Well known bass fisherman, especially someone like kvd are marketing machines...his name on a product will sell it to some, just because his name is on it...when they fish, they dont just fish, they have to deal with the public and keep a good image so they keep a good name for their sponsors...if im fun fishing it is usually practicing for a tournament...i love the competition, but tournament purses mainley go towards funding my hobby..if my fishing pays for itself then i feel like i have done a good job...
I'd say if your fishing pays for itself you've done a great job.
Fishing Rhino reply :
QuoteI'm keeping my job at the car wash, head drier at the end of line, I get the tips.
I'm more of a plastic or paper man, myself. Though a WalMart greeter is also a viable option.
fishfordollars reply :
Certainly not on my list of things to do.
I have to get away from it at times. Don't even want to think about it.
The Outdoorsman reply :
I think it can be done but alot of sacrifices have to be made and alot of work has to be put into it. I see alot of people putting out there that it would take the fun out of fishing if you did it for money. Well my theory is, its something you love to do anyways, and now it would be your job. How many people in this country can say they love doing thier job? Not many. My dads been a police officer for 26 years and he tells me that he loves it and doesnt even view it as a job, its an adventure to him. He doesnt love it because he gets paid well or a good pension coming his way, its because he feels good about making the streets safer for his family and friends. Its fun to him. Just my .02 cents.
grimlin reply :
There's only one person's job i wouldn't mind.
Larry Dahlberg's job.
His seems more like an adventure than a job.
Mikeydoes reply :
QuoteMaking a living solely from tournament purses?Impossible, I'd say.
Kevin Van Dam wouldn't be able to make a living from purses without sponsorships.
Without sponsorships there would not be enough participants to have tournaments, hence KVD and others who have won "millions" over their careers would not have won those millions.
Only a handful of the pros make enough to cover their expenses from purse money, let alone make a living from it.
Just like auto racing, it is sponsor money that makes it all possible.
Thats what I meant when I made the post making money off of sponsors. I have been thinking of ideas on getting my name out there in order to win over sponsors. Having our friends video tape us while we fish is one of the many. I understand it is a business and I know that there is more money in sponsors than in golf and tennis, and tiger woods makes millions.
The second I set foot out on my boat in the water I have all intentions of working hard to getting sponsors and working for them, marketing myself with new fresh ideas.
reo reply :
Why do poeple who fish for money call it "fun fishing" when they are not fishing for money????
Raul reply :
QuoteWell my theory is, its something you love to do anyways, and now it would be your job. How many people in this country can say they love doing thier job?
Long hours waiting for clients to show up on slow days ( which you spend surfing around the net ), pet owners not following your instructions, dogs that bite, c-sections at the middle of the night because you told the pet owner the pet wasn 't going to be able to deliver the puppies but they know more about pets than you do :, medicating hospitalized pets at 12, 3 and 6 AM for 5-6-7 days, having to cancel fishing trips cuz when you where about to close on Saturday a pet arrives and you gotta hospitalize it right away or it will die without your care, having to measure urine and feces ( which saying it smells like s*t is a huge understatement ) plus perform tests on them in order to determine the fluid ammount the pet requires, having to re catheterize a pet for the 10th time cuz it pulled away the catheter you put barely 15 min ago ...... you think I do all that just for money ?
I don 't think of my job to be a job, to me practicing veterinary medicine is a thing of passion, I wouldn 't trade fishing for it.
Sam reply :
Leave me out, too.
Fishing is fun and relaxing plus a great challenge.
When you are a pro it becomes work.
It's bad enough that college coaches base their career futures on 18 to 23 year olds as compared to basing your future on a dumb fish.
Hey, college athletes and dumb fish. Same thing. 
CWB reply :
Pretty easy if you marry a chick with money!!
Bassnajr reply :
The guys on "Deadliest Catch" seem to do OK!!!! :
Fish Chris reply :
No way would I want to make a living, fishing ! Not in a MILLION years !
I "wouldn't" fish tournies, if somebody paid every single expense + $200 a day. That's not even fishing to me. I'd hate it.
I wouldn't guide if I profited $200 a day, after all expenses. That's not fishing to me either.
For me, fishing is getting away from everything, and everybody. Doing what I want, how I want. Clearing my mind. Becoming one with nature.
Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with other anglers at the dock, here on the forum, or during work... when I can get away with it ;-) But when I'm on the water, I'd prefer to be completely by myself, doing what I love to do, on my own clock.
Peace,
Fish
basspimple reply :
QuoteFor me, fishing is getting away from everything, and everybody. Doing what I want, how I want. Clearing my mind. Becoming one with nature.Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with other anglers at the dock, here on the forum, or during work... when I can get away with it ;-) But when I'm on the water, I'd prefer to be completely by myself, doing what I love to do, on my own clock.
Peace,
Fish
im exactly the same way. i love ifishing, but its a hobby, i dont want to make it a chore.
dmac14 reply :
If you fish for a living, then what the heck are you gonna do for a day off?
Now that being said, I will enjoy fishing small club tournaments make a little extra money (maybe) if not its just a fun weekend out fishing
George Welcome reply :
QuoteIf you fish for a living, then what the heck are you gonna do for a day off?
Time off: I go fishing. However when my vacation comes, I go fishing. Unless it's too hot or too cold: then I go fishing.
bigfish88 reply :
QuoteThe guys on "Deadliest Catch" seem to do OK!!!! :
Haha ;D
bigfish88 reply :
QuoteQuoteIf you fish for a living, then what the heck are you gonna do for a day off?Time off: I go fishing. However when my vacation comes, I go fishing. Unless it's too hot or too cold: then I go fishing.
HAHA ;D This thread is great. Very amused.
bassmedic46 reply :
I fish as much as I can, If I did it for a living it would become a job and I fish to relax.
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