Would You Or Wouldn't You? 2024

SDoolittle reply :

When talking with my fishing buddies, the subject of fishing professionally often comes up. There seems to be two different trains of thought on the subject. Half of them say that they would love nothing more than to go pro, while the other half believe that it would turn their hobby into a job and take the fun out of it. So let's pretend for a moment that you have no real responsibilties (i.e., no spouse, no children, no debt, etc.) and that you are confident in your ability to compete at the professional level. Would you give pro fishing a shot? Why?

zip pow reply :

Yes I would I fish over 150 days a year anyways why not get the option for a big pay day . I've fished from dark to dark hard getting ready for tourneys I know how demanding it is. I work harder on the water than I do at work anyways.

Dalton Tam reply :

No doubt in my mind.

Red reply :

Yes

Fishing Rhino reply :

Why not. No responsibilities, no debt. Better to have tried and failed than to go through the rest of your life wishing you had given it a shot.

But, it takes a lot of money to compete professionally until you do well enough to attract sponsors. Having no family responsibilities or debt just ain't gonna cut it unless you have the resources to support the endeavor.

Then the question becomes, how much of your resources are you willing to part with to make the attempt?

It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

NoBassPro reply :

On 10/31/2011 at 4:51 AM, Fishing Rhino said:

But, it takes a lot of money to compete professionally until you do well enough to attract sponsors. Having no family responsibilities or debt just ain't gonna cut it unless you have the resources to support the endeavor.

Then the question becomes, how much of your resources are you willing to part with to make the attempt?

I agree 100% with this. I happen to enjoy my work, so not sure I would. Competitive fishing sounds fun, but the stress of not having any sort of steady check and the time away from home would take its toll.

I also think there's also a big difference between a good and great fisherman. I guess KVD used to compete in local tournaments in my area, and people I consider good fishermen just say he was a beast. Just saying, until you see how good the competition is on a consistent basis, it would be really hard to say how you would end up stacking up.

Khong Y. reply :

The Pro's fish to win. I fish to get away from it all and give myself my time and my space. So I have to say, "No!" I would not make a job out of something I love and appreciate so much.

I do appreciate the Pro's, they're the one that are actually teaching us the tips to fishing better.

grimlin reply :

Said it once and I'll say it again. Nope!!!

As much fun and great it may sound to fish professionally for a living,It would turn old real quickly.Some people could do it,I'm not one of them.It takes a lot to be a professional at something like that.

.ghoti. reply :

Never.

I like both of my jobs too much to turn them into something I used to do, and I like fishing way too much to turn it into a job.

preach4bass reply :

Nah. I'll keep my wife, kids, and job I love. I'm just fine with fishing being something fun to do every once in a while.

IntroC reply :

I'd have to test the waters a little first. Would love to compete against fellers like KVD, Ike, and Reese to name a few. If I had 365 days out of the year to fish and dedicate my time to nothing but fishing.... anythings possible.

ww2farmer reply :

I love bass fishing, I love fishing in as many tournaments as I can on my local water. I also love sleeping in my own bed every night, watching my kids grow up, and not having debt out the wazoo to selfishly chase a dream. I love that I can choose NOT to go fishing when I don't feel like it. I do not like the idea of "you have to catch them" to make a living. I am far better at making one at a lower stress level. So in case you can't guess............NO for me.

slonezp reply :

On 10/31/2011 at 5:03 AM, NoBassPro said:

I agree 100% with this. I happen to enjoy my work, so not sure I would. Competitive fishing sounds fun, but the stress of not having any sort of steady check and the time away from home would take its toll.

I also think there's also a big difference between a good and great fisherman. I guess KVD used to compete in local tournaments in my area, and people I consider good fishermen just say he was a beast. Just saying, until you see how good the competition is on a consistent basis, it would be really hard to say how you would end up stacking up.

Agreed

If you have ever seen a seminar givin by KVD or Ike or any of the big name pros, you'd realize they are on a completely different level then the masses. I beleive I am a good fisherman. I do alright club fishing. I try and learn things everytime I'm on the water or the web to expand my knowledge. Could I ever compete with the likes of KVD or Ike? Probably not. Would I want to? Sure, I'd give it a shot, if for nothing else, to live the experience.

Wisconsin Heat. reply :

I couldnt stand all the time on the road away from family and friends. it would definatley be an awesome experiance, but i think that id rather fish carelessly and without stress in my freetime than do it all the time but know if u dont catch em u go broke.

flippin and pitchin reply :

Not me. Bass fishing is my mental heatlh therapy from my job. What would I do

if it was my job ? Finish concrete ? My buddy gave it a go and said ( in our part of the country ) the sacrifice was too much for him. To those that have the passion and have made it, they paid a price to get there I'm sure.

SirSnookalot reply :

Only If I can use an Alabama rig.

Grey Wolf reply :

Absolutely not , why ruin a beautiful thing with the helter-skelter approach.

Sfritr reply :

Absolutely!!!! With no baggage, kids, wife, etc. YES YES YES

A buddy of mine got drafted out of high school and he asked me if I thought it was worth it to play in the minors rather than go to college. My response was the same: YES YES YES. Give yourself a 2-4 year deadline, if you don't make it go to school etc. What an experience to say you fished professionally. And, you never know what may happen

Hi Salenity reply :

No thanks, I'd rather fish when I want to and I'd prefer to be the only one on the lake.

Jim_M reply :

From my prospective today, heck no. Turning this passion into an occupation would destroy it.

But, in make believe land? Sure IF I had been raised bass fishing in the southeast,

completed and won dang near every Jr event I entered. Graduated from North Carolina State University,

dominated while competing on their bass fishing team and catching the eye of say, thirty solid sponsors.

Yes, pretending, sure. But I don't pretend small.

bassfisherjk reply :

No I wouldn't.I enjoy fishing to much to turn it into a job.

senile1 reply :

I would have to walk in those shoes to really know if I would make that decision as I have mixed feelings about it. Without family, responsibility, or debt as the OP stated, the fishing part would be a no-brainer. I would absolutely want to give it a shot. Where I would have an issue is the salesmanship piece. These guys have to be able to give a sales pitch for every lure or piece of equipment they use or try for their sponsor. If I didn't believe a lure or piece of equipment was all that, I couldn't, in good conscience, pitch that product. I know a lot of guys say they only accept a sponsor they believe in but when you reach this level, you're on the hook for your sponsors even when they blow it. I'm sure some will disagree but In my opinion, objectivity suffers when a person has to really push to sell a product.

BassWhole! reply :

Cause towing a rig behind a (fill in Ford or Chevy of your choice) all around the country and staying at (Fill in cheesy motel chain of your choice), and being away from family and friends sounds like so much fun!

If you enjoy competition and trophies, then yes, you'll probably enjoy it, if you enjoy fishing, then you certainly won't.

Gangley reply :

Nope, too stressful when relying on it for a paycheck. Fishing is fun for me because its not stressful.

A-Jay reply :

I'm looking at it from a different perspective ~

I want Zona's Job !

A-Jay

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

The qualifiers of "no responsibility" and "no debt" make this even more of a fantasy scenario. In that case sure. In reality, everyone has responsibility even if just for yourself. (unless you're a trust fund baby) Pro anglers are independent businessmen and need a stake to get started which means debt. (unless again if you're a trust fund baby). Like an over the road truck driver, this is a tough endeavor for a family man, more of an adventure for a young single person. I'll have to pass.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

On 10/31/2011 at 4:38 PM, SirSnookalot said:

Only If I can use an Alabama rig.

No, you can ONLY use an Alabama Rig?

(='_'=) reply :

On 10/31/2011 at 7:08 AM, Khong Y. said:

The Pro's fish to win. I fish to get away from it all and give myself my time and my space. So I have to say, "No!" I would not make a job out of something I love and appreciate so much.

I do appreciate the Pro's, they're the one that are actually teaching us the tips to fishing better.

as he said.... if fishing becomes my job, then what would i do to "get away from job"??? go to an office??

so, no, i wouldnt become a Pro....

Siebert Outdoors reply :

Nope. I would not. When I fish I like to relax and enjoy my time.

Clint C. reply :

I would for sure! Hard part is knowing where to begin though. So yes, I 100% would.

JigMe reply :

Nope, I will pass. I will not trade my kids, wife, and my job for anything. Believe it not, I actually enjoy my work. I would rather fish on the weekend with my family, or my fishing buddies. Trying to fish for a living is too complicated; and I sure don’t like to drive 1000 miles for a tournment. If I want to go away to a fishing trip, then I will just fly out.

tholmes reply :

On 10/31/2011 at 7:08 AM, Khong Y. said:

The Pro's fish to win. I fish to get away from it all and give myself my time and my space. So I have to say, "No!" I would not make a job out of something I love and appreciate so much.

I do appreciate the Pro's, they're the one that are actually teaching us the tips to fishing better.

I agree wholeheartedly. I enjoy fishing as a sport. Introduce "winners" and competition, it would become merely a game.

Tom

Fishmaster10 reply :

I would definitely go pro if I had the opportunity. I already fish as much as possible and there's nothing I enjoy more than getting out on the water. Even as a career I don't think fishing would feel like work to me because I enjoy it so much.

Mudwalker reply :

I would have to pass on going Pro. I am one of those that believes it would be too much like work. I fish for the relaxation. If I catch fish, great. If I don't catch fish, great. Just being on the water is what I enjoy. Catching fish is a bonus for me. Going out an having to catch fish would add a level of stress that I do not want. I fish local tournaments for fun and only when I want to. Now if I could get a gig with sponsors that would allow me to fish when and where I wanted...

Bluebasser86 reply :

I love the competition and I love fishing. In the example the OP gave I'd go pro in a heartbeat. I've fished for hours for days on end and never started to get close to being bored with it, even when it's tough. I think fishing professionally would just add that much more excitement to it for me.

skunked_again reply :

not a chance.

Bass Dude reply :

I would absolutely go pro. I am consumed with fishing and everything that goes with it. Tournaments really get my fire going and love the mornings when you're motor is running, just waiting to blast off. I love the fact that you never really know how the day will unfold. The rush you get when you get that first keeper in the boat. The sponsor duties and the travel doesn't bother me, because that's what I would have to do to do my job.

Also, I really want to get into lure designing and the lure business, and being a pro is a much easier way to get into the industry than being Joe Public trying to get into the business.

11365

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