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Pro's?
I've read lots of interesting comments recently about what it means to be a "professional" bass fisherman. What are the qualifications?
Money? Proficiency? Time? Talent? Reputation? Tournament results? I know
better than to think I can settle the argument of what the word as it
applies to bass fishing means and who qualifies. I will share some
insight into the truth.
The truth is that many of the Elite Series pros I fished against in the 2010 Classic would not meet many of your standards of the word
"pro". Most struggle just paying expenses and even participating in the
sport at that level. Most sacrifice more than they would ever want to
admit to fish as a "professional". They sacrifice marriages and other
important relationships. They sacrifice any notion of having a normal
life with a normal residence filled with normal things where they eat
normal meals with a normal family. They travel at least half of the year
with all their fishing stuff and a few clothes stuffed into the back of
a truck. Many meals are eaten out of the truck. Many nights are slept
in the truck. Some bring along their family and stay in campers or an
RV. Some have sold their homes to go on the road with an RV.
Most of the "pros" have difficulty obtaining sponsors that can really help. Ones that can help cut into the $100,000 cost of just
competing and living as a "pro". Most sponsors are a little gun-shy to
commit to that - especially in the last year or two. I remember
overhearing one of the Elites talking with a boat manufacturing rep. and
explaining that he was willing to take just about any kind of a deal to
get into a 2010 model for the upcoming Elite season. His current boat
manufacturer was making cuts and he was afraid he may be one of them. He
was going to be forced to fish out of a used boat, which at one time
was unheard of for a "pro". The boat rep told him that there was really
nothing that could be done for him for the 2010 season and that maybe
they could talk again next year. The fisherman is a big-time name among
the Elites. Someone who has won several Elite level events.
Some
of the Elite "pros" don't even have major sponsors. They pay for their
own stuff - boat included. They may have money set aside from some other
source. Their hope is to break even during the tour so they don't have
to dip into their savings. There is no medical plan. There is no
retirement plan. The truth is you wouldn't even have to use your toes to
count how many "pros" make a serious profit each year.
Understand what it means for many of these guys to attain the title of "pro". First of all you have to be able to fish - really fish,
anyplace, anytime. You better be willing to gamble, to take a chance
with what you own. Your house, boat, savings, reputation, peace of mind.
Sure, some of them are set financially through other means, but it
doesn't or won't take long to burn through that stash at 100K per
season. Most of the rest are simply willing to pick up, move to where
the action is and take a chance. Have a good season, make some money?
Great, because next year is going to cost you 100K to do it again. Think
you can find lots of companies willing to pony up the money for you to
fish. Think again. You think Skeet winning the Classic in '09 made him
an instant millionaire? Wrong. You think all his sponsors said, "Great
job Skeet, we gotta have you representing our company so here's a fat
check!" Wrong again. Go poll your neighbors and ask how many know who
Kevin VanDam is. Then think about which companies out there are willing
to finance some guy fishing as a "pro" who even your bass buddies
haven't heard of.
Are NW fisherman good enough? Some are no doubt. But you better be single, relatively young, and not afraid to take chances. Better not
spend too much time worrying about things like a mortgage or a college
education for your kids. You better be able to network - work with
others to figure out how to get things done because you won't be able to
make it happen on your own. Truck breaks down on the road, your better
have a backup plan. Boat breaks down, better have someone you know who
is willing to loan you one. It doesn't' take much of an imagination to
see how without lots of help you could end up broken down along the side
of the highway sleeping in your truck. Oh, and you are probably not
going to be able to live here and make this happen. So either decide to
tell your family you are moving them or that you will be gone 9 months
per year.
Just a little reality check for some of you that think the title of "pro" is something worth arguing over.
Views: 202
Comment
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Comment by Curtis Blunck on December 14, 2010 at 9:25am
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You make a good point about what makes a pro. Although I think if you can do well up here in the Northwest you can catch fish anywhere. You don't have to be single. You just have to have the woman that understands. Ha Ha.
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Comment by Don Hogue on December 8, 2010 at 9:37am
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Same to you Dan! I enjoyed Marc's comments as well. All the comments have been interesting to read.
Josh, relating to what you said... quite a few people have asked me what KVD was like. After spending a week around him, it sure seemed to me that he had an amazing amount of energy and worked several times harder than the others - and it wasn't that anybody wasn't working hard. But he was amazingly efficient about the use of his time and he had 10X the demands on his time as the rest. For example, after the 1st competition day we were all waiting in the water for our trailers to be backed down. Most of us are talking or maybe putting a few things away. He is stripping line and respooling probably a half dozen reels - while in the boat before its even back on the trailer.
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Comment by Dan Johnson on December 8, 2010 at 8:53am
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Very well put Don. Great follow up Marc. It is a pleasure to know both of you guys.
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Comment by Kun on December 7, 2010 at 11:29pm
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Well written Don. Most people only see the glamor of any pro sports. They don't see the hard work, time, and sacrifice behind what these guys put into it, to get to where they are. Heck, it is hard enough just to make a decent living to own a house, not to mention own a boat and the equipment to fish. After all, it is the American dream.
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Comment by Ben Holten on December 7, 2010 at 6:20pm
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Heck I think just fishing series like NWBASS is hard on family and finaces.
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Comment by Josh Potter on December 7, 2010 at 10:22am
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Don you are right on the money and this applies to much more than just professional fishing. Most of the time all we ever see is the finished product. It is easy to see a sucessful person and envy what they have. The truth of the matter is very few of us ever reach an elite level at any thing and so we don't have a real clue of what kinds of sacrafices it takes to reach that level. All we ever see is what it looks like when it has been achieved. I don't know any touring pro's but I do know a couple of professional athletes and have spent a lot of time with one of the nations top college basketball head coaches. It is truly amazing what these these guys have to do to get where they are and the compromises they have to make along the way. Clearly professional athletes and coaches make much more money than do professional anglers but pain and sacrafice is all relative. The one thing all of these people have in common is that they are solely driven by one thing and many of them have a trail of broken relatuionships behind them.
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Comment by David Parnicky on December 6, 2010 at 8:40pm
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Great post Don! I have fished in one way or another since I was 3. Fishing has always been special to me and I would hate to lose a hobby I enjoy so much because it wasn't fun anymore! I have a hard time seeing any part of what you described as being fun! I do enjoy fishing tournaments, competing, and trying to constantly become a better angler but there are so many means to do that at so many different levels of competition in Washington State between bass clubs, NW Bass, ABA, TBF Qualifiers, BASS Qualifiers, etc. etc. it is hard to imagine needing to go far to find what you are looking for.
On that note, I know a lot of you are going to laugh at this but it baffles my mind just how much of a burden/expense it can be to try and compete in tournaments around Washington, let alone across the country!! I can't imagine very many people touring across the country are what you would consider as "happy" or living a "balanced" life! I figure, if you aren't enjoying what you are doing, what is the point in doing it?
Congrats again on making the Classic Don! I think many young anglers in the state can use you as a great example of how to get into fishing competitively without overextending themselves! Get your life set how you want it first and then fish only within your means. At the end of the day, you have to be happy with your life regardless of how you did in your last tournament! Fishing is such an enjoyable hobby I would hate to see anyone lose interest simply because they got in over their head!
I hope my job keeps going well so I can continue fishing tournaments with you guys around the state and hopefully continue to improve as an angler! I love it and that is FAR more competition than I can handle/need! At the same time though, if I decided I couldn't afford it, and had to fish out of a float tube like back in college, I would be just as happy with that. As long as I am healthy, happy and able to fish for bass in one way or another, I will consider life to be good!
P.S. Marc, I really enjoyed reading your response as well! You made some excellent points!
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Comment by Marc Marcantonio on December 6, 2010 at 7:20pm
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You are on the mark, Don. That is what I was talking about. Many get enamored with the prize money, but have no clue about the expense side of the ledger. They don't understand the lifestyle. They don't understand the importance in life of feeling valued, loved, and being happy and secure. Of having a sense of purpose; and making the world or someone or something a little better than it was before.
I feel sorry for the person that I hear state "If you are so good you would be fishing the tour!" They have no clue, and have a long way to being happy in life.
If you want to make a living doing what you love (in this case fishing) then you need to determine what it is about fishing you want to do the rest of your life, and figure out the best path to get there. I know several guys who are making a living fishing, and are really enjoying life with their families and other things important to them. None of them are fishing a tour. These are my professionals.
ciao,
Marc Marcantonio
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Comment by Pat on December 6, 2010 at 7:20pm
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great insight Don
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