Do we use the guidelines of some other sports, that if you get paid, your a pro? Therefore if one wins a tourney and gets paid, does that then make them a “professional” fisherman or do you have to get paid for every trip such as a guide.
Good question. When it comes to fishing I’ve always looked at a “professional” as being one that makes money fishing a professional circuit and has sponsors. There are tons of amateur fishing tournaments that pay money and most of the pros cut their teeth fishing these tournaments but they don’t pay the big bucks and most of the amateurs don’t have sponsors. Most of the amateur fishing circuits are regional with all of the tournaments held in the same general area while the pro circuits tend to hold tournaments spread all over the country. Pretty much anybody who has the money can fish a pro circuit but it is expensive and, when done the right way, is more than a full time job. That is where sponsors come in with financial backing.
Eyehunter
I allways thought that a “professional” whatever was someone that did what they did to make a living.
ie: professional race car driver, pro golfer, ect.
I called myself a “professional custom rod builder”
for years. no one ever asked me “what make’s you a professional” they just assume you know what your doing
because you do it for a living
so IMHO It’s a self imposed title for a JOB thats all!!
I’m not trying to put anyones skills down but being a “professional”
just makes you “EMPLOYED”
not a bad thing these days
In my mind you are a professional if 80% or more of your income comes from your profession.
i agree with all of you also though a pro is a person who can catch fish in the toughest times of the day and can locate the fish very well
When talking about tournament fishermen, the “Pro” has a lot to do with “Promotion”. He or she may not be making a lot of money in actual tournament fishing, but rather in endorsements, seminars and other business deals.
-J.
It all depends on who you ask. In some fishing tournaments, “Professional” simply means you pay more money. In other tournaments it means you fished as a “Professional” at least once before (and can’t go back to Amatuer status as a result). In the Olymics, you are a “Professional” if you EVER received compensation for your particular event. According the the dictionary, you get paid for what you do (doesn’t have to be paid regularly).
See: “subjective”
I would say a full time guide is a professional.
I would not say a small tourney fisherman fishing for fun, prestige and beer money is a professional but a big time tourney fisherman making a livng and working his butt off at it is.
Like Jon J. said Pro like in Pro Staff means Promotional. You are promoting products that you believe in from companies that sponsor you plus promoting fishing. Pro as in fishing tournaments is someone fishes major tournaments along with doing the promotional things also. It goes from being just a hobby to a job/business sorta. May be fulltime [guys who really make it big] or a partime job which consumes most of your time away from your day job. Theres ALOT more than just the fishing part. Somes Pros find themselves fishing less due to all the promotional parts of the job.
Thanks, Bill
Main Entry: 1pro·fes·sion·al
Pronunciation: pr&-‘fesh-n&l, -‘fe-sh&-n&l
Function: adjective
1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession b : engaged in one of the learned professions c (1) : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace
2 a : participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs <a professional golfer> b : having a particular profession as a permanent career <a professional soldier> c : engaged in by persons receiving financial return <professional football>
To me when it comes to fishing a professional is someone who makes the majority of his income from fishing, whether it be a guide, tournament angler, etc.
Actually Jon Jordan hit the nail on the head. In the fishing industry PRO means promotion that is why every pro we see in the fishing circuit is pretty much a billboard of advertisements. Plain and simple. They are promoting the items of the sponsors that paid there way to get where they are. Now do understand that not all sponsors pay in cash some may give rods,fish line, tackle of all different types and or electronics.
I asked the late Tim Tucker the same question. I was sending out resumes and didn’t feel comfortable using the term professional. So I asked him about it since he has put several workshops together for those wanting to take it to the next level in bass fishing. Here is his response.
Quote:
Jason,
If you’re hoping to create a part time or fulltime career in fishing, then you should call yourself a professional angler. It gives a prospective sponsor a way to know that you are serious about this.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Tim
I still don’t feel I am a professional, but if you talk to many guys on the tour many of them will say “I’m just a regular guy who likes to fish”. In BASS you are a professional when you pay to fish on the professional side out of tournament and buy a membership into the Association of Bass Professionals. Anybody can do this and call themselves a professional.
A professional shouldn’t be confused with pro staff. Many people think the pro in pro staff is professional. Well as stated earlier it stands for promotional staff. So it is really two different things.
There is no clear cut definition of a professional angler. Is it based on income, skill level or is it as simple as buying your way into the ABP and fishing the pro side of tournaments. I use the term professional on all of my stuff for the simple reason that Tim Tucker suggested it.
Jason
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