When are you concidered a pro 2025
Nitrofreak reply :
OK so we learned about what 10 mistakes a amateur makes so at what stage are you considered a pro... disregarding any sponsorships...for example (not that this would happen but) If a amateur who let's say only has one year or less in the field and can catch fish on a consistent basis and win tournaments on a consistent basis... How do you establish a pro?
5bass reply :
There's been several discussions about this before but the easiest way to understand it is when over half of your yearly IRS reported income is earned by bass fishing.
If you make $80,000 a year and at least $40,001 of it was made from tournament winnings, sponsorship retainers, etc...
You could go thru the pages in the Tournament Talk section and probably find the last thread about it. That's also where you'll find this thread in just a few minutes. 
frogtog reply :
When you show up at a local tournament and they won't let you fish. ;D
Nitrofreak reply :
QuoteWhen you show up at a local tournament and they won't let you fish. ;D
Funny!! ;D
I guess what I am asking is can you be considered a pro and not fish tournaments or are you considered an avid fisherman?
Grey Wolf reply :
QuoteQuoteWhen you show up at a local tournament and they won't let you fish. ;DFunny!! ;D
I guess what I am asking is can you be considered a pro and not fish tournaments or are you considered an avid fisherman?
To keep it simple , the answer is no.
stratos 375 reply :
to keep it complicated, the answer is yes. Guides by definition are professional, and some of them don't fish tourneys
J Francho reply :
When you can spell considered correctly. And yes, guides are pros, and some don't fish tournaments, and certainly not to derive their primary income.
Nitrofreak reply :
QuoteWhen you can spell considered correctly. And yes, guides are pros, and some don't fish tournaments, and certainly not to derive their primary income.
OK so I misspelled a word BIG DEAL and thank you for answering my question and I shall try harder to make sure my grammar is not in question when I have a question to ask.
J Francho reply :
Forgot the jokey smile, my mistake. Enjoy: 
Nitrofreak reply :
No problem
Be safe and have fun.
backpain... reply :
These boards are so friendly lately.
Nitrofreak reply :
I think it's due to the spring like weather...everyone would rather be on the water rather than read post's from beginners like me. lol
I can't say that I blame them either.
Matt Fly reply :
I don't think money plays into bass fishing.
Anyone can be sponsored and don't have to be a touring pro.
What makes you a professional in other sports? when an amatuer no longer competes purely for the cometition of it and steps to the next level to compete for money.
I'd have to say that becoming a pro is fishing against the same level of competion.
I could be a professional guide, but that don't make me even close to a professional bass fishermen.
Your not a Pro at the college level.
Amatuer events in our area don't ask if you fished against so and so, its based on the cost of entry fee to determine if your PRO or not.
Example: If you have fished more than 3 events with an entry fee of more than 2500.oo, you are considered a pro and can't fish our amatuer trails.
Just how many bass trails do you know of with entries over a couple thousand dollars?
basser223 reply :
you can only be considered a pro if you can catch 50 percent less then what chuck norris can. On average he catches 500 bass a minute
fishfordollars reply :
Well lets see:
An elite angler borrows 80,000.00 to fish for a year.
Entry fees and expenses amount to 70,000.00.
Interest on loan 6.50% (Maybe, but his credit score will suck after year one)so that is around 5,208.00 give or take.
If he is lucky he might win 30,000.00.
With the 30,000.00 he repays his loan with interest and that amounts to about 13,500.00 interest and principle.
This leaves 17,500.00.
He has a boat deal and the new boat is ready. He gets a new boat each year, but he cannot fish it until he sells the other. Notes due on older boat so he makes another loan to pay off the boat. 35,000.00.
Sells older boat for 33,000.000.
Puts 180,000 miles on new truck the first year, it breaks, he pays off(10,000.00) and makes a loan for another new truck and stacks the amount he is upside down into the second note.
He now has 55,000.00 note on a 40,000.00 truck.
He has yet to pay any personal expenses for his household.
With this scenario over half of the elite field would not be considered pros as they did not derive 50% of their income from fishing. They are living (If you want to call it that) off of loans.
I know this sounds silly, but I can name several guys that went for it the first year(On borrowed money) and lost their rear ends. They never won a dime.
Not all do it this way. I also know two great fishermen that qualified for the elites this year, but chose to not fish as they could not put together enough sponsor dollars to make it work.
Nitrofreak reply :
Fishfordollars,
Would you consider those two people pros That is exactly my question.
If you can fish with the best and not for money or sponsorship deals...That to me is along with a great attitude and helping others is what I consider a pro.
What's your thoughts?
fishfordollars reply :
QuoteFishfordollars,Would you consider those two people pros That is exactly my question.
If you can fish with the best and not for money or sponsorship deals...That to me is along with a great attitude and helping others is what I consider a pro.
What's your thoughts?
Heck yes I consider both to be pros. There is a lot more than catching fish to it; however, both have won untold dollars fishing the circuits in this area.
They fish, work, and represent in a way that would be a credit to any company out there. Both have families and their lifestyles are unquestioned. I wish the best for them and hope they make it one day.
I guarantee most of you would recognize their names, but without their approval I would never post it here.
Nitrofreak reply :
Cool, I hope they both make it as well if that is what they really want.
Thanks for the reply Fishfordollars.
Catt reply :
I can probably guess who Fishfordollars is talking about and can add another dozen names that while they only have tackle sponsorships they win addition money by driving certain name brand boats. The Texas state median income for a family of four is $59,808, half of that rounded to 60k is 30k; win a Bass Champs and you've up to 22k.
So are these guys "touring" Pros? No, but Pros none the less
Nitrofreak reply :
So are these guys "touring" Pros? No, but Pros none the less
Great comment !!
etommy28 reply :
see I disagree with a few of the post. because i fish here in florida where I enter tournaments all the time along with people witht he names of Terry Scroggins, Brian Hugdens and, Preston Clark, and other guys have have fished the elites and FLW tour. but they are allowed to fish and are clearly Pros, so where do you draw the line?
fishfordollars reply :
What makes you think we don't have to fish against the Tommy Martins, Todd Faircloths, etc, crews on our weekend tournaments here in Texas and louisiana? It's all the same. the touring pros fish these circuits whenever they have the chance. They have to go out and compete just like the rest. They have their good days and their bad days, just not as many bad as the rest of us, but they can and do get beat. You can't draw a line. They should be allowed to fish. If you're not happy fishing against the best you should pick another lesser circuit. JMO.
etommy28 reply :
fishfordollars what are you talking about, im agreeing with you. I was responding to what Matt Fly said. I agree completely with what you said and it is the best way to look at it.
Matt Fly said
"I don't think money plays into bass fishing.
Anyone can be sponsored and don't have to be a touring pro.
What makes you a professional in other sports? when an amatuer no longer competes purely for the cometition of it and steps to the next level to compete for money.
I'd have to say that becoming a pro is fishing against the same level of competion.
I could be a professional guide, but that don't make me even close to a professional bass fishermen.
Your not a Pro at the college level.
Amatuer events in our area don't ask if you fished against so and so, its based on the cost of entry fee to determine if your PRO or not.
Example: If you have fished more than 3 events with an entry fee of more than 2500.oo, you are considered a pro and can't fish our amatuer trails.
Just how many bass trails do you know of with entries over a couple thousand dollars?"
Catt reply :
QuoteI could be a professional guide, but that don't make me even close to a professional bass fishermen.
Do you know how many "Pros" are guides?
One does not have to fish the top FLW or Bassmaster events to be a "professional".
Captain Shane Procell reply :
QuoteI could be a professional guide, but that don't make me even close to a professional bass fishermen.
I would agree with this 100%.
preach4bass reply :
QuoteQuoteI could be a professional guide, but that don't make me even close to a professional bass fishermen.
I would agree with this 100%.
That's a nice endorsement.
Captain Shane Procell reply :
Preach4Bass
I may not have made a clear statement. As a professional guide, I do not consider "Guides" to be professional fisherman. A guides income comes from putting the client on the fish. The "Pro" earns his money fishing tournaments and from sponsor endorsements, etc. I just consider the two occupations to be different.
preach4bass reply :
QuotePreach4BassI may not have made a clear statement. As a professional guide, I do not consider "Guides" to be professional fisherman. A guides income comes from putting the client on the fish. The "Pro" earns his money fishing tournaments and from sponsor endorsements, etc. I just consider the two occupations to be different.
Oh, my mistake. I thought you were stepping up to back up etommy's BOLD statement.
CJ reply :
This is just how "I" look at it:
A pro is the guys who are either fishing the top level of FLW events or the BASS Elites Series. Everybody else is in the minors. It's just how I define the title of "pro". With that said, there are many great angler's and even legends who have never stepped up on the big stage.
etommy28 reply :
my BOLD statement was a quote from Matt Fly Which I dont agree with.
preach4bass reply :
Quotemy BOLD statement was a quote from Matt Fly Which I dont agree with.
Sorry. My mistake again.
5bass reply :
QuoteThis is just how "I" look at it:A pro is the guys who are either fishing the top level of FLW events or the BASS Elites Series. Everybody else is in the minors. It's just how I define the title of "pro". With that said, there are many great angler's and even legends who have never stepped up on the big stage.
You and I are on the same page then.
oteymc reply :
It looks like we are using two definitions of a "pro". Some use the word to describe a status level, while others use the word to describe a person's occupation.
If I fish for a living, I would describe myself as a professional fisherman. Whether or not I ever entered an elite series event.
If I am fishing at a "pro" level, I would also probably use the same description. Even if I relied on other income to support myself.
I don't have a dog in the fight, just chiming in with some thoughts.
Nitrofreak reply :
QuoteIt looks like we are using two definitions of a "pro". Some use the word to describe a status level, while others use the word to describe a person's occupation.If I fish for a living, I would describe myself as a professional fisherman. Whether or not I ever entered an elite series event.
If I am fishing at a "pro" level, I would also probably use the same description. Even if I relied on other income to support myself.
I don't have a dog in the fight, just chiming in with some thoughts.
I think you are right.
I asked this question some time back and it really was not about the money you bring in but more so about the knowledge and desire you have along with the personality and the willingness to teach others who so love this sport of ours.
I do not consider myself a pro in the aspect of catching fish and no matter how good I get, I probably never will.
KVD for example...If you were to strip all of his title's and sponsorships and put all of that aside... He is one who works hard and can catch fish on any body of water on any given day it seems.
But to me if he were to have the...I'm better than you are and you are not worthy to grace my presence attitude then the pro status goes out the window.
I know people who can fish like KVD and consistently can win big money tournaments but they wont do it, They are happy the way things are and they take the time to share a lot of their knowledge with others especially the younger generation and this is what I consider to be a pro.
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