Average Joe to Pro………How does it happen?

This is a topic I have discussed before and have had no conclusion on how it happens. How does one go from working 5 days a week and taking time off to fish tournaments to fishing the FLW as a pro and the only work that is being done is pre-fishing and doing sponsor related things? I don’t understand how these guys go from one to the other.
A guy has to work in order to get into the tournaments, but still has to take time off to be able to fish them. In order to make any money doing it you need to fish trails that offer payouts as far down on rankings as possible but still need to be in a trail that is respectable as well as help you move up the ladder. How do you balance work and tournament fishing without not losing your a$$. Boats cost big bucks, trucks to pull the boat cost money, tournament entry fees are certainly not cheap, how in the world do you get to fish without having a day job?
Winning tournaments does not happen often enough to support yourself on the trail and the payouts below that just help you brake even. Does a guy just meed to make a leap to the pro’s and hope he gets on fish the first year or what?
I hope this post gets some replys because I am having a serious dilema on what to do with tournament fishing career. I don’t know whether to quit fishing them or quit my job to fish them. I simply want to know what is a guy supposed to do?
Thanks in advance!

I kind of hate to share this with you but only two years ago Keith K. said on a national forum that every year he does the second mortgage thing to pay all his entry fees. I don’t believe he was kidding.

At La Crosse recently a well known high profile walleye angler mentioned that even in long time sponsors , one year the money is there and the next year it isn’t. He still had not heard from a large sponsor this late into the year.

Last year at the RCL I saw basically three categories of Pros.
#1 Those that have the money to spend and in many cases waste their personal money,(usually taking money from there own businesses to subsidize there tourneys).
#2 A group who were subsidized by family or saints who like fishing and basically pay a lot of the guys way to be able to prefish and be around the show.
#3 A very, very small group that appeared at least to be funded by sponsors, in a relationship more like and employee than somebody sponsored. The last group is really the way it seems to need to be. Basically a full-time job to fill the sponsors needs.

From the conversations I have had with some of the top Bass guys it is a little better there. But again only for a small percentage. So I guess what I just said is plan on paying your own way. Until you get to the very top the purses will almost never pay your way, and then you better be way at the top. So get used to fact that you are probably nobody, will probably never break into the somebody category, and maybe if your lucky ocassionally get an e-mail returned.
If I sound sour on the issue it is just because many sponsors treat you the same way. I never ever had a single sponsor in racing expect and get from their “Pros” what many guys do just to get noticed, let alone keep their sponsorships.
With less success in motor racing,(one regional championship), they did call me and they did make sure they kept in touch. All in all a much more even relationship and at least the ones that weren’t able to help out that year and professionally use your services to profit their company had the professionalism to answer e-mails.
So I have come to realization that some years I will do well on my own money and other years I will waste it. Now if you think you are better than 95% of the guys out there and you may be it is worth the try. Otherwise just enjoy your fun fishing.

skeets alot of them come off these bigg lakes where they have a bigg tournoment once a month they are generally guides that have the freedome to fish every day and get noticed

some have a flexiable job that support there fishing endevours that allow them to leave a couple days early for a tournoment but they have to put in the hours all winter not take vacation for any other reason but fishing

in the book bass wars it sounds like some people do a pay for play with there sponsers where the sponsers give them so much but then they have to give sponsers a cut of there winnings

the boat deals are 1 year then at the end of the year you have to sell the boat and give the boat company the money then take next years boat out

then there is the few i have read whos parents pay there way doing it some had a great job saved all there life and quit to chase there dreams

some have great wives that let them fish while they work and pay all the bills

i dont understand it im trying to figure out how to get a tournoment worthy boat if i can get that ill start cashing checks every weekend i hope but move south not much pay out here to support a full time carrear or get noticved by bigg sponsers unless you win up and down the river like the millers do

Sounds like a terrible dream to chase. I’ll leave the tourneys to those who can afford them and I’ll just keep chasing my dream of a 10#er in my hands. Life is much too short to make something I really care about a chore. I’ve done that many times in the past!
Enjoying the out doors on a nice day is a gift. As I treasure each outing and fish I’m able to catch.

I am a realist and know that for me as much as I love to be out fishing to make that sacrifice is not in the cards.
I agree with BradT. Holding a 10lber is more of my dream.
PS. BradT the eye thing freaks me out a bit!

Win the lottery and then chase your dream. Everything has a price. If you are seriously making a goal of fishing professionally than you will have to save your pennies. The ranks of professional fishing is enjoyed by those with deep pockets or the guy who would give anything for his dream. If I were single and willing to live out of my truck I personally would chase this dream. As I see it know nothing is worth more than my family. Its funny how perspectives change. A few short years ago I couldn’t for the life of me understand how some really great hooks could give all this up. My fog has lifted. While I am a fierce competitor I have figured out where my real priorities lye.
Jc

well, from what you guys have said the future looks grim for a guy who wants to be pro. It almost seems like you have to get lucky to get the right start. Working hard at it without living out of your truck is the way I will try, but I believe it may always remain a dream. Thanks for the advice guys I apprecite it.

JC,

Very well said. Takes a man to realize that.

JHall

Hey, great question!

I’ve worked hard to simply be able to fish the BFL. I’ll shoot for the Everstart and maybe the FLW.

I know of a fellow who finished high in the All American who spent 28k that year on the road & on the water.

There are many who get to the Everstart & FLW who go bankrupt. Yep, bankrupt. That’s insanity to me.

What have I done to insure that I can afford to fish at the BFL/Everstart level? You guys may not believe me, but I cannot say enough for buying foreclosures, rehabbing them & then selling them for a profit. Ok, that word was PROFIT (go buy Find It, Buy It, Fix It (it’s a book). Also go to http://www.carltonsheets.com -I’m not kidding. I worked for us).

I guess I’d fall into the category of the guy with a business that supports his fishing, but I’m also the guy that stuck his neck out and went into business while still working for someone else (I leave my current job in June to do rehabbing/renting full time) so he can fish at those levels.

Now, it could be said, ‘OnTheWater, you have some $ to do this.’ I’d answer, ‘well, you can have it too if you go out and get it.’ It comes down to what you want. I’ve chosen to work and save for it -again, I’m not going bankrupt.

Now, JC mentioned family. I take my wife with me.

Another mentioned big time lakes. I’m moving to VA (Kerr Lake) to pursue the warmth, realestate & year ’round fishing.

I left college before entering medical school. No one wanted to hire me. I went and changed oil at a Jiffy Lube for $6.50/hr, supporting my wife & kids, I took my lawn mower & cut lawns, I dropped trees, waxed cars & then got into computers. So?

So what?

What’s my point? If you, or anyone else, wants this or that for yourself, go get it. The only one stopping you is you.

Want a sponsor? Write them, call them & do what you need to do to retain them.

Clunn says, “fishing is 80% mental.” If you believe, you’re 80% there.

You can do whatever you want as long as you give it your all, and that’s no !

Thanks,

Jeff,
you change things faster than I change my OIL. Good luck in your ventures. You better not trade In-Depth in for some In-Depth Y’all down south. -grin-
If I tried to take my wife with me I am sure to come home alone.
jc

On the water,
You want a partner in that business you are going to be starting up? ( I’m not kidding) I will do pretty much wwhatever it takes to get there. I just need to find a way to support it and still have the freedom to fish the tournaments

Skeets,

Well, we’ve been working with that stuff for about a year now. It’s going well.

If you’re really interested in doing this, pm me and I’ll forward to you what we can do.

JC

Change? Yeah. I do.

I’ll still be posting on this site. There’s a few sites down there that I’ve found or been told about. The guys down there are friendly, so that makes the move easy. What’s more, now that I’m going, everyone says, “hey, when I come down, I’ll have a place to stay, right?”

Anyone who wants to come down, just let me know, and we’ll fish Kerr, Smith Mountain, Lake Anna or the James River. It’s an open invitation -even to PitBull as long as he doesn’t mess the carpets!

Thanks,