What Makes Pro Fishermen Good? 2024
Brian6428 reply :
Hey guys, I was watching KVD's spinnerbait video when a question popped into my head- What makes professional fishermen as good as they are? I mean aside from equipment, what separates them from the "local legends" who kill local tournaments but couldn't cut it pro. Is it possible that the pros are naturally good fishermen and can work baits good naturally? Is it because they keep detailed log books? Or is it something else? Thanks in advance!
MIbassin reply :
I think its the fact that the pros can adapt to pretty much ANY conditions on ANY lake..whereas local tournament fisherman might only succeed on one lake using a few techniques
joetomlee reply :
Mlbassin has a great point and I think that is largely the issue, versatility. You watch someone like KVD or Ike and they have such a solid base of knowledge that they can apply it throughout any setting. It's hard to leave a location you've been productive in the past at. However, the pro's have to do this all of the time.
ChrisAW reply :
On 5/10/2013 at 7:38 AM, Brian6428 said:Hey guys, I was watching KVD's spinnerbait video when a question popped into my head- What makes professional fishermen as good as they are? I mean aside from equipment, what separates them from the "local legends" who kill local tournaments but couldn't cut it pro. Is it possible that the pros are naturally good fishermen and can work baits good naturally? Is it because they keep detailed log books? Or is it something else? Thanks in advance!
Its hardly the equipment. A lot of them these days are fishing with the same $100-200 gear that many of us here use. There are guys here that probably have more money into their equipment than some Pros and may have never even fished a tournament. Yes, the boat is a huge piece of expensive equipment that makes it easier for them to fish, but they could jump in any little tin boat and probably fish just as well.
The reason they are better is because they have better critical thinking skills. They can take all the information they learned about where the bass might be in different seasons, what type of cover is going to hold the most fish, what type of structure is in the lake and how the bass might be using that to feed, how they react to weather, your line, lure, presentation... They take all that and put together a pattern, which will lead them to be able to find more fish. Then it all changes in the flip of a switch and they start over.
A lot of times you may be able to beat them on your home waters. But if you level the field, same tackle, same boat, same unknown waters... Most any of them will still hammer them.
Marty reply :
Knowledge. Knowing what bass do in the various seasons and how they react to various weather conditions and knowing how to entice strikes under these various conditions. Also the ability to adapt when the fish aren't behaving in accordance with conventional wisdom. Obviously, other skills come into play, such as precision casting, lure selection and presentation, etc., but I think the knowledge part supersedes all these things.
MarkH024 reply :
This. They do everything local lengends do except better. Which is why they can make a living off it.On 5/10/2013 at 8:17 AM, Marty said:Knowledge. Knowing what bass do in the various seasons and how they react to various weather conditions and knowing how to entice strikes under these various conditions. Also the ability to adapt when the fish aren't behaving in accordance with conventional wisdom. Obviously, other skills come into play, such as precision casting, lure selection and presentation, etc., but I think the knowledge part supersedes all these things.
fl_bass reply :
On the water 320+ days probably. Knowing how to adapt to changing conditions, and probably most important researching bass and the waters they are going to fish. I mean if I was going for the big bucks they get, I'd be hiring some guides for the lakes
derekxec reply :
On 5/10/2013 at 8:36 AM, fl_bass said:On the water 320+ days probably. Knowing how to adapt to changing conditions, and probably most important researching bass and the waters they are going to fish. I mean if I was going for the big bucks they get, I'd be hiring some guides for the lakes
just like they do lol
ColdSVT reply :
adaptability is thier key...
BassAssassin726 reply :
What everyone said. Knowledge of the fish they're chasing and adaptability to changing conditions is everything.
eyedabassman reply :
I have fished with some of the pro's and will add, that they pick up the little things that most other fisherman would miss.They are pin point with there baits and they pick up patterns very fast and can adjust to any weather or lake! But one of the big things I did pick up on is, they NEVER give up,there confidence is so high it is unreal.and being on the water over 300 days does not hurt them.You can't compare the pro's to local pro's it is not evan close!
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
Practice, practice, practice. You have to remember that pros eat drink and sleep fishing 8+ months a year. It's not something they do as a hobby after work. Every lake must be their local lake and they spend countless hours mulling over topo maps, weather forecast and who knows what else. Never would I even think about making a living trying to outsmart a brainless creature only to lose time after time
Under the Radar reply :
Indomitable
Cognizant
Analytical
Adaptive
Intuitive
Memory
Studious
K_Mac reply :
On 5/10/2013 at 8:04 AM, ChrisAW said:Its hardly the equipment. A lot of them these days are fishing with the same $100-200 gear that many of us here use. There are guys here that probably have more money into their equipment than some Pros and may have never even fished a tournament. Yes, the boat is a huge piece of expensive equipment that makes it easier for them to fish, but they could jump in any little tin boat and probably fish just as well.
The reason they are better is because they have better critical thinking skills. They can take all the information they learned about where the bass might be in different seasons, what type of cover is going to hold the most fish, what type of structure is in the lake and how the bass might be using that to feed, how they react to weather, your line, lure, presentation... They take all that and put together a pattern, which will lead them to be able to find more fish. Then it all changes in the flip of a switch and they start over.
A lot of times you may be able to beat them on your home waters. But if you level the field, same tackle, same boat, same unknown waters... Most any of them will still hammer them.
Excellent post Chris. I agree that it is critical thinking that separates the pros from the rest. Yes, knowledge and experience are major elements, but the way they process the information they get from their single-minded focus is the fundamental strength that make them great IMO.
Many of us are good fishermen and have said if we had the opportunity to fish as much as these guys, with the equipment they have we could be great. While that may be true for some of us, talk is cheap and the guys that make the leader-board on a regular basis have the ability to evaluate and perform week after week without being overwhelmed by the distractions of life.
Brian Needham reply :
the catching end of it is the easy part of the equation......yes bold statement, let me explain.
Pros, take one bite and build the entire day around it and refine it through the 3-4 days of the tournament.
Pros have to "manage" their fish, while we get lucky to catch 15-20#s on a saturday afternnoon. All fine and dandy but can you do it thurs-sun?
we can all catch fish, as it is the easy part.......finding the active fish in 50k+acre impoundments that will hold up over 4 days, thats the hard part.
Running down the bank catching 12#s aint gonna cut it when the pros are pulling 20#+ off a small little cut 200 yards offshore.
Those guys that fish for a living are nutso good.... they are so intune with the lake and notice stuff that the normal guy never even thinks about, much less notices.
and thats just the art of "being at one" with the fish, and doesnt even begin to cover casting to "teacups" no matter how thick the cover......
JMO
Paul Roberts reply :
I vote for research, critical thinking skills, positive outlook, resolve, and time on the water. Also, having grown up fishing where there are diverse opportunities would help a lot too in terms of the learning curve.
AND... after reading the posts below... you have to want to, be willing to, make a business out of your fishing.
Edited by Paul Robertsjhoffman reply :
I was once pro, not in bass but in fly fishing. I can tell you what did it for me was focus and time on the water. I fished so much I had tennis elbow. I knew that when I approached a pool that I was going to have to stop my rod high or lay it out based on the depth. If I couldnt get the nymphs to the fish at the head of the pool who were on the bottom I didnt catch fish.
As I fished that often I developed what I refer to as a sixth sense. I cant even begin to explain it. I was so in tune with that rod from fishing so much that I could detect strikes on slack line without seeing the line move. It was ODD. As word got out total strangers knew who I was on the creeks and would aproach me, that told me that not only was I good at it but other people respected what I figured out about it.
It wasnt just the fish, I learned about every insect that hatched from the middle of winter till the following winter, what its characteristics were, what it looked like. I would know that as a hatch was winding down and the next one was picking up that the fish were keying on those nymphs and not the ones everyone was fishing.
I dedicated myself too it, but it wasnt because I wanted fame, in fact once I became a pro in that world I walked away it did nothing for me but make me not like it. I didnt like the guiding, showing, telling, tying leaders and flies every night. I just wanted to catch those fish.
Now, had I grown up with a lake out the front door and not a stream my story might be different today. When youre 14 years old, its summer, you cant drive and a stream is 15ft away, youll learn what makes them tick.
Nick49 reply :
I have a theory that I have applied to amateur and professional athletics and I think it explains at least a little of the difference between the pro anglers and the rest of us. When a gifted athlete moves from the amateur ranks to the professional ranks it truly does become a full-time job. They were talented enough to make the jump to the pros but they usually won't stay there very long unless they continue to grow in their abilities. Meanwhile the amateur who didn't quite make it to the pros still may devote considerable time to the sport they love but not nearly to the extent that the full-time pro does - thus, the separation between the amateur and the pro continues to grow. You have to be exceptional to get there, but you better get even better if you want to stay there!
BassWhole! reply :
It matters not the sport or activity, it boils down to one thing, your desire to win must be surpassed only by your hatred of loosing...
Brian6428 reply :
Thanks guys, there are some great posts on here. Tons of things I didn't even think of that make sense. Thanks!
On 5/11/2013 at 1:47 AM, jhoffman said:I was once pro, not in bass but in fly fishing. I can tell you what did it for me was focus and time on the water. I fished so much I had tennis elbow. I knew that when I approached a pool that I was going to have to stop my rod high or lay it out based on the depth. If I couldnt get the nymphs to the fish at the head of the pool who were on the bottom I didnt catch fish.
As I fished that often I developed what I refer to as a sixth sense. I cant even begin to explain it. I was so in tune with that rod from fishing so much that I could detect strikes on slack line without seeing the line move. It was ODD. As word got out total strangers knew who I was on the creeks and would aproach me, that told me that not only was I good at it but other people respected what I figured out about it.
It wasnt just the fish, I learned about every insect that hatched from the middle of winter till the following winter, what its characteristics were, what it looked like. I would know that as a hatch was winding down and the next one was picking up that the fish were keying on those nymphs and not the ones everyone was fishing.
I dedicated myself too it, but it wasnt because I wanted fame, in fact once I became a pro in that world I walked away it did nothing for me but make me not like it. I didnt like the guiding, showing, telling, tying leaders and flies every night. I just wanted to catch those fish.
Now, had I grown up with a lake out the front door and not a stream my story might be different today. When youre 14 years old, its summer, you cant drive and a stream is 15ft away, youll learn what makes them tick.
Funny you should mention that. I went on a guided fishing trip with a former pro who fished professional tournaments for a few years. He said the exact same thing. He said that he had promised himself that when fishing was no longer fun, he would quit, and that is exactly what he did. Obviously he only quit the tournament part of it, but same idea.
Sam reply :
Mainly because it is their career and we do not fish as often nor study bass fishing as the pros do.
It is a hard and grinding life which 99% of us would not enjoy.
All professionals work hard at their chosen career, both in sports, fishing and life.
prjavelin reply :
not a single one of you said one very important part of fishing... EXPERIENCE. Lets face it, most of those guys have fished those lakes a bunch of times. The lakes used on major tournaments are a lot of times the same lakes. The pros have their navigation points, past experience, local reports, experience in that situations and many other qualities that weekend anglers fish for years to gain. In my case Ive been fishing with a boat for a very short period of time. Theres a lot of things that we know because we have done it before.
MLF have shown us that pros get skunked just like us. that they make stupid decisions, that some of them without their previous practice, previous study and the variables in their favor they cant perform just as well. On the other hand, It has also shown us how good guys like KVD, brent ehler are. they almost always perform. they have an innate and extremely special ability to figure out bass.
With all that said and my 3 months of fishing I wish and I hope that someday I can become one of them.
JEC reply :
practice, drive ,keen observation, passion, attention to detail, experience, versatility, and an absolute love for what they do just to name a few just my .02
WRB reply :
Thinking the top 200 bass pros that make up the Elites and FLW tours are head and shoulders above your local winning tournament anglers simply isn't true. There is a lot more to becoming a successfu full time bass pro then catching bass, although that is a big factor.
Marketability is one big factor that separates pro anglers. How many of the 200 pro names can you recall without looking them up? The names your can recall have marketing skills. Everyone of the 200 were local tournament anglers at some point in their careers and each one made the decision to bass fish for a living, a high risk adventure for most.
The successful tournament angler at every level most know how to catch bass during the time allowed and under whatever weather or water conditions that prevails during the tournament. Only a lot of time on the water under various conditions like heavy weekend boat traffic etc., then making the decision where to fish and when to change locations and presentations is the key to getting a pay check.
You can't live on tournament winning alone!
Tom
Sam reply :
I want to expand on my previous post about the bass pros.
Each bass pro has a number of sponsors. These sponsors do the research and study the biats, rods, reels and line under many conditons. Even some pros, like VanDam, Ike, Clunn, Crews, Duckett, Reese, Rombanus, Parker, Brauer, Monroe and others have a say in the production of a specific bait.
The baits the pros use are not always the same as the ones that are marketed to us with the support of the pro. The pros modify their baits in ways we do not know. I was told of two ways VanDam alters his baits and I was asked not to share it with anyone and I will abide by that agreement. Each pro will modify their "off the shelf" baits either using their own gut feeling or based on what the company researchers tell them.
The pro bass fisherman has an number of tackle manufacturers working behind the scenes so that they can produce baits for the pros to use on specific bodies of water at certain times of the year and under specific weather conditions that have proven to be productive. With many researchers doing the homework for the pros the pros can take to the water with a good arsnal of baits and knowledge how to use them.
What we are missing are the years of free research that the pros have available at their fingertips and the fishing histories of each body of water the tournaments are held. Computers today can take the results of many tournaments and catagorize them so one can easily see the various fishing factors and what baits worked and when.
The data we do not see is like baseball. Every team knows about each player on the opposing team and how to pitch to them and how to set the field based on the inning and guys on base. The pros parallel this with bodies of water and their tackle and baits.
Please do not feel frustrated when the pros do so well in tournaments and you struggle. If you had a pro bass fishing career with your livelyhood in question you would have to mate with a few manufacturers to hawk their products so you can enter their world of statistical information to use to your advantage.
Brian6428 reply :
Thanks for the replies everybody, there really are some great answers here.
On 5/12/2013 at 3:51 AM, Sam said:I want to expand on my previous post about the bass pros.
Each bass pro has a number of sponsors. These sponsors do the research and study the biats, rods, reels and line under many conditons. Even some pros, like VanDam, Ike, Clunn, Crews, Duckett, Reese, Rombanus, Parker, Brauer, Monroe and others have a say in the production of a specific bait.
The baits the pros use are not always the same as the ones that are marketed to us with the support of the pro. The pros modify their baits in ways we do not know. I was told of two ways VanDam alters his baits and I was asked not to share it with anyone and I will abide by that agreement. Each pro will modify their "off the shelf" baits either using their own gut feeling or based on what the company researchers tell them.
The pro bass fisherman has an number of tackle manufacturers working behind the scenes so that they can produce baits for the pros to use on specific bodies of water at certain times of the year and under specific weather conditions that have proven to be productive. With many researchers doing the homework for the pros the pros can take to the water with a good arsnal of baits and knowledge how to use them.
What we are missing are the years of free research that the pros have available at their fingertips and the fishing histories of each body of water the tournaments are held. Computers today can take the results of many tournaments and catagorize them so one can easily see the various fishing factors and what baits worked and when.
The data we do not see is like baseball. Every team knows about each player on the opposing team and how to pitch to them and how to set the field based on the inning and guys on base. The pros parallel this with bodies of water and their tackle and baits.
Please do not feel frustrated when the pros do so well in tournaments and you struggle. If you had a pro bass fishing career with your livelyhood in question you would have to mate with a few manufacturers to hawk their products so you can enter their world of statistical information to use to your advantage.
This is a really good point no one else has said too much about, because ultimately all the work comes down to the lure that is in the water. Good reply, thanks!
Dinky reply :
On 5/12/2013 at 3:51 AM, Sam said:I want to expand on my previous post about the bass pros.
Each bass pro has a number of sponsors. These sponsors do the research and study the biats, rods, reels and line under many conditons. Even some pros, like VanDam, Ike, Clunn, Crews, Duckett, Reese, Rombanus, Parker, Brauer, Monroe and others have a say in the production of a specific bait.
The baits the pros use are not always the same as the ones that are marketed to us with the support of the pro. The pros modify their baits in ways we do not know. I was told of two ways VanDam alters his baits and I was asked not to share it with anyone and I will abide by that agreement. Each pro will modify their "off the shelf" baits either using their own gut feeling or based on what the company researchers tell them.
The pro bass fisherman has an number of tackle manufacturers working behind the scenes so that they can produce baits for the pros to use on specific bodies of water at certain times of the year and under specific weather conditions that have proven to be productive. With many researchers doing the homework for the pros the pros can take to the water with a good arsnal of baits and knowledge how to use them.
What we are missing are the years of free research that the pros have available at their fingertips and the fishing histories of each body of water the tournaments are held. Computers today can take the results of many tournaments and catagorize them so one can easily see the various fishing factors and what baits worked and when.
The data we do not see is like baseball. Every team knows about each player on the opposing team and how to pitch to them and how to set the field based on the inning and guys on base. The pros parallel this with bodies of water and their tackle and baits.
Please do not feel frustrated when the pros do so well in tournaments and you struggle. If you had a pro bass fishing career with your livelyhood in question you would have to mate with a few manufacturers to hawk their products so you can enter their world of statistical information to use to your advantage.
I must disagree a little.
The so- called "free research" done by the bait sponsors is done in response to a specific request by a pro for a bait to look/act a specific way under certain conditions. The pro has initially come up with the type of bait he wants and it's specific characteristics based on his months of fishing for a living and analyzing what works and what doesn't--ie-he is doing the research, not the bait company.
The sponsors want to sell their products, but the pros must be successful on the tour for those sales to increase so they can continue to pay the pros.
Statistical information for many lakes is readily available on-line. It has its limitations for sure and is of some, but not significant, usefulness. Regardless, everyone, pro or not, knows certain things and most of these can be found on line--Gunnersville: no grass, no bass; certain lakes with blueback herring forage favored by bass; etc, etc. Access to this info is no secret and is not why the pros are as good as they are.
Hiring a guide is helpful to get a general overview of a lake; general structure, etc can also be determined by the pros from maps-and they can all read maps! but the off limits rules preclude use of guides when it would be most helpful--right before the tournament--, and thus its usefulness is questionable anyway.
What the fish are doing in April on the lake is not a sure indicator of what they are doing in July on that lake. Besides-they are busy competing and hardly have time for guided trips other than in the off season--making the info even less useful 8 to 12 months later.
It is true that they were all 'local' pros at one time-it is also true they weren't local for very long. Plus many have risen to the big time 200 best only to be soon returned to a smaller arena. Very few local/amateurs who weigh a big sack in his club championship on his home lake is capable of competing with those 200-no matter what they say about not having the resources to go pro.
K_Mac reply :
Very well said Dinky. There has been much talk of special knowledge, special baits, special sponsorship, etc. Marketability is important; having a bait that works exactly for the purpose it was made is great; having detailed knowledge of the water using every legal means possible is just good business; but, none of these things are what separate the best from the rest. What is special about these guys is their ability to perform under all conditions while managing their personal and business affairs. Many pro athletes make the big time only to crash and burn. They make the big time based on their talent, and stay based on their ability to perform. Pro fishing is exactly the same IMO.
senile1 reply :
On 5/11/2013 at 12:14 AM, Paul Roberts said:I vote for research, critical thinking skills, positive outlook, resolve, and time on the water. Also, having grown up fishing where there are diverse opportunities would help a lot too in terms of the learning curve.
AND... after reading the posts below... you have to want to, be willing to, make a business out of your fishing.
I agree with a lot that has been said and I believe Paul sums it up quite nicely. However, there is one element I want to comment on and that is critical thinking. Many have mentioned it as one of the things that separates the pros from the rest of us. There are doctors and mathematicians who are just average fishermen. Fishing and marketing are not rocket science. Fishing and marketing are not higher level math. Fishing and marketing cannot be compared to deep, high-level IT work. I have known anglers whose critical thought in other areas was poor but they could catch fish better than most. I think there is an element of critical thinking involved but it is specific to finding fish under the circumstances presented. There are probably some geniuses involved in fishing as in anything else, but for the most part, there is a specialized type of critical thinking that a higher performing elite angler has with respect to finding and catching fish. I think that type of thinking has to be honed through study and many hours on the water under different circumstances. And I think, like many forms of intelligence, some people may be genetically inclined to be better at it than others.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 5/13/2013 at 9:08 PM, senile1 said:I agree with a lot that has been said and I believe Paul sums it up quite nicely. However, there is one element I want to comment on and that is critical thinking. Many have mentioned it as one of the things that separates the pros from the rest of us. There are doctors and mathematicians who are just average fishermen. Fishing and marketing are not rocket science. Fishing and marketing are not higher level math. Fishing and marketing cannot be compared to deep, high-level IT work. I have known anglers whose critical thought in other areas was poor but they could catch fish better than most. I think there is an element of critical thinking involved but it is specific to finding fish under the circumstances presented. There are probably some geniuses involved in fishing as in anything else, but for the most part, there is a specialized type of critical thinking that a higher performing elite angler has with respect to finding and catching fish. I think that type of thinking has to be honed through study and many hours on the water under different circumstances. And I think, like many forms of intelligence, some people may be genetically inclined to be better at it than others.
Good point. And an interesting one too, in that it asks for a better definition of "critical thinking skills". Then, how is such a thing used in tournament fishing? Are we talking about different kinds of intelligence required?
As to the highlighted sentence, this may have more to do with experience? How would such a person fare in "The Elites"? Which always made me wonder whether many pros aren't just regular guys who fish a lot but have gone ahead and made the sacrifices of fishing costly tournament schedules. (Pardon my ignorance bc I really don't know how rigorous qualifications are for the various tournaments schedules. {EDIT: Although after reading Dinky's response above, maybe its is rigorous. So I guess I would ask, do the "Elites" have to qualify from the ground up every year? Or is there some kind of "glass ceiling?"} )
Edited by Paul Robertsmtaag3 reply :
Similar to one of the other posters I was a professional in something besides bass fishing however I think the factors are universal and transcend the specific "sport".
Those two traits are commitment and experience. They are not exclusive, but if you look at everything that goes into becoming a pro, any pro, they can all be boiled down to those two.
Commitment, what does that mean? It means to commit to your sport above and beyond just doing it. One must constantly be introspective and ask where are your weaknesses and what can you do to make them strengths? Being willing to try new things. Being willing to FAIL to LEARN. Commitment takes time. Commitment builds experience. Look at Olympic gymnasts. It amazes me the commitment they make for their dreams. THAT, to me, is a high bar but shows that a "weekend warrior" or a part time player is not going to make it. One has to go "all in" to get to the top of their game.
What about experience? Getting to that point where the scenarios you encounter as "first times" become more and more rare. Amassing all the different scenarios one can encounter and then using that knowledge to your advantage. One thing that struck me about the Major League Fishing show is that they all understood the uniqueness of Florida bass and lakes. They KNEW what to expect and how to approach the fish. Then on top of seeing new things, are you setting out to learn new things? What are you taking away from your day other than catching fish?
I'm of the mindset that technique and athleticism can be overcome with these two traits. Take golf for example. Arnold Palmer had a horrible swing. He's one of the best golfers in history. Why? See commitment and experience.
Could I, as a new angler, get a nice bass boat and equipment and fish 320+ days a year become a pro? I could as long as I was willing to commit to learning from every experience I have every day.
Just my $.02
Dinky reply :
COMMITTMENT & EXPERIENCE
These two traits seem to dominate the various analyses above. I agree and include in those traits synonymous traits like focus, persistence, experience, time on the water.
As for the Elite Tour: it is very rigorous--and expensive.
But like any other sport it is a pyramid in terms of relative success. There are there those few at the very top and the success(income) will lessen rapidly as one moves down the pyramid.
If you saw the interview with J Todd Tucker by db here on the board you will see that he said that a tournament fishing day was an easy day compared to a practice day. These guys practice from dawn to dusk--12-16 hours for 3 to 3 1/2 days prior to a 4 day tournament in which they fish for 8 hours per day; but by the time they finish the weigh in, load the boat on the trailer, stop by the service yard to get a problem fixed with the boat and gas up for the next day it can quickly become a 12 hour day. Now it is time to eat and get tackle ready for tomorrow. No they don't all have caddies. If their Marshall doesn't help them load the boat, or they have a wife with them who will do it, they will do it themselves.
You will see many Elite Pros (as well as FLW pros) fishing in the Bassmaster Opens. Sure, if an Elite Pro wins one of the 9 Opens it is an automatic berth in the Classic and a minimum $10,000 with a chance at $500,000 and that is an incentive to enter more tournaments. But they also enter because they are often pressured to by sponsors--those wrapped boats they fish out of are mobile billboards. It is what the sponsors are paying for.
Brian6428 reply :
Thanks a ton guys, every answer brings up another point, all of which are correct. Thanks!
floridabassman reply :
Knowing how to catch fish in every situation
basseditor reply :
I tried to make a living as tournament angler on a shoe string budget. Had some minor success in mid level events, but the two days of driving, six or seven days of fishing, and two more days of driving again, would wear me out. Every two weeks or so.
Seriously though, the practice days were critical. You need to know not only know where to fish, but when. If I found a good looking area, I would go back to it four to five times in a day to see when they were most likely to bite. Like it has been mentioned, dawn to dusk fishing and sleeping for only fours a night is likely.
The more events I fished, the more in tune I felt. The more I caught too.
Time on the water. Confidence. Versatility. But most of all, IMO, is desire. How bad do you want it? Are you willing to sacrifice everything? I found out I didn't want to be on the road 300 days a year.
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
previous topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.