Equiped Like A Pro

[Hi Salenity]

.I'd love to have the 300+ hp boat and the gear they have but I still wouldn't have any desire to fish a tournament

[Deadeye-1]

IMO there is nothing more vaulable than experience. I am learning to fish the St Johns River in central Florida. On the main river I've had days where I have caught 2-3 fish, while in some of the feeder runs I've had days where I've caught 10-15. For me those are good numbers, but for some of the guys I know that have grown up fishing the river those numbers mean nothing.

These guys know where the fish are at any time of year and regularly put 20-50 bass in the boat per outing. The local weeknight tourney usually takes 15-25 lbs to win in 3-3 1/2 hrs of fishing. I could have the best equipment, but until I learn the water as good as they do it is doubtful that I would win.

Same with the Pros. They are Pros for a reason, they are the best at what they do. They have learned how to look at a lake/river and know exactly where to go and what to do to catch fish.

[NCLifetimer]

I think I would cash a check maybe once or twice. Not that i couldn't catch a limit, but 10 lb limit doesn't mean much when everyone else is on 4+ pounders. It would be great to get all the equipment, money and sponsers and make a run at it one year, but I know my knowledge set isn't close to those guys in the elite. At that level, its over 90% mental in my opinion.

[Flukeman]

1: The equipment has absolutely nothing to do with it, lots of weekend fishermen have the same electronics, gear, and boats. Some of my

friends have even bought their boats.

2: Working a day job and winning weekend tournaments even at the open level, is nothing compared to knowing you have to shell out

$100,000 to even participate for the year and knowing your family is counting on you.

3: Then comes the physical part. Once you have spent some time on the water with these guys you realize 99% of weekend anglers would be

laying flat on the back deck after a 15 hour day of practice. The effort they expense and the presicion they have 99% of you can't even

come close. Your arms will fall off and your back would revolt (that includes mine). Everything they do is so effortless. The next time you are

watching KVD on TV and they

cover him for a solid minute, count how many times he casts. Then go try and do that just for an 8 hour time period like a tournament day

would be. And then ask yourself how you would feel doing just that for 250 -260 days a year.

4: Those few things don't even take into account the time away from the home most of us enjoy. Or the years we would have to put in paying

the dues to be at the knowledge level of the top 25 guys. Just seems easier and more enjoyable just having a day job and fishing when I

want too, instead of when I have too.

Just my observations,

[out_doors_guy]

1: The equipment has absolutely nothing to do with it, lots of weekend fishermen have the same electronics, gear, and boats. Some of my

friends have even bought their boats.

2: Working a day job and winning weekend tournaments even at the open level, is nothing compared to knowing you have to shell out

$100,000 to even participate for the year and knowing your family is counting on you.

3: Then comes the physical part. Once you have spent some time on the water with these guys you realize 99% of weekend anglers would be

laying flat on the back deck after a 15 hour day of practice. The effort they expense and the presicion they have 99% of you can't even

come close. Your arms will fall off and your back would revolt (that includes mine). Everything they do is so effortless. The next time you are

watching KVD on TV and they

cover him for a solid minute, count how many times he casts. Then go try and do that just for an 8 hour time period like a tournament day

would be. And then ask yourself how you would feel doing just that for 250 -260 days a year.

4: Those few things don't even take into account the time away from the home most of us enjoy. Or the years we would have to put in paying

the dues to be at the knowledge level of the top 25 guys. Just seems easier and more enjoyable just having a day job and fishing when I

want too, instead of when I have too.

Just my observations,

x2

Equipment can increase effeciency but without the knowledge, determination, physical and mental ability it wont help you catch any more fish than you would without it.

[NCbassmaster4Life]

Top 20 spot.

[Eric Buck]

Don't you think it's hard to get the knowledge that you need unless you have the better equipment? Also, think about the minor things like have 6 different crankbait rods to do 6 different things or the pitching rods that are made for this or that. I find it hard to believe that you can be a great angler without the essential tools that the pros are using. People are so good with their electronics that they know what type of fish it is and what they are eating on before the even shut off their big motor. I agree with most of what all of you are saying about knowledge, but equipment plays a huge part into that. The time away from home is going way off track from the original topic on how you would do as a pro. Keep the comments coming. Everyone's point of view is great!

[evrgladesbasser]

Your still ignoring the fact that these guys were doing this long before modern day electronics. I have more respect for the old fashioned fisherman who drug a 2oz weight around the lake to learn all it's features in his 14ft john boat, than I have for one who pulls up in his $80k ranger, pops in his navionics chip and hits prime spots. Any idiot can learn to use a good fish finder, but you still have to catch the fish you see on screen. Modern day electronics have taken a lot of work out of fishing, which is probably another reason so many enjoy it today.

[K_Mac]

Eric you keep coming back to the idea that it is somehow gear that separates the pros from the rest. How many wannabees are there who have all the hardware, software, and gear used by the pros? They have read all the articles, fished the same waters, cashed a check or two at every level, but fail to ever really make the big time. Why? Some of these guys are very experienced and knowledgeable. Great fishermen. Studs among their peers, yet at the highest level they can't make the cut. Michael DiNardo makes a strong argument that the difference is not physical. Maybe he is right that it doesn't take extraordinary physical ability to make it as pro. It does take something (or somethings) extraordinary though. I think reason may be right:

... what separates the pros from the rest isn't equipment, physical talent, competitive nature, psychological makeup, or anything else alone, its the extremely rare combinations of all these factors...

We watch them with all the bells and whistles and say, "I could do that." It's just fishing, right? I don't know how to codify what it takes to succeed at the highest level; what I do know is many talented, knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated guys try and only a handful do. There must be a lesson there somewhere.

[Dave Hull]

I honestly don't mean any disrespect with this, but they aren't Supermen. Just look at the results of the FLW Tournament in Pittsburgh. I am by no means saying I could compete with them or any tournament

fisherman right now. But, they are not hitting a 95 mph fastball or something that can only be physically accomplished by a gifted few. I think you have to have many things on your side to be a pro besides being able to catch fish.

but they really are superhuman...

I couldn't disagree more. It could be marbles, bowling or darts if you prefer, same results, what separates the pros from the rest isn't equipment, physical talent, competitive nature, psychological makeup, or anything else alone, its the extremely rare combinations of all these factors, not to mention the exposure to the sport or activity.

X3

pro = super human mind blowing talent + unwavering determination + experiance

For instance I had a professor in natural resourses who claimed he'd shot 40 grouse so far that year, no dog. Mind you this is in Ohio where grouse hunting then was marginal at best and probably zilch today. When pressed on his methods he said that he could see them on the ground first then walked over and flushed them. He was reported to be a crack shot too. Claimed he could see their eye blink while they were setting still on the ground. So he knew exactly where they where. Amazing!

Then there is the fighter pilot from Iran, I think? Who can see other planes 10 miles further out than any of his peers.

Amazing!

I currently work with a younger fellow who can open a text book to any page, his right eye reads the right page and his left I reads the left page, in a matter of seconds he can process it and soon after photographically remember it.

Amazing!

Some people are just exceptionally blessed. I'm not. I can't even comprehend them.

[Crookedneck]

Where I don't see the pro's as supermen or untouchable. I think thier dedication to the sport is actually how they made it to where they are at. I'm sure there are several who it was handed to. But, most got there by spending hours and $$ to get where they are now. It is there dedication/passion that has pushed them to get there. They probably fish more in a month than most of us fish in a year.

I would love to fish against any of them, if only to learn from them and get my butt kicked. Would I be able to boat some fish and occasionally cash a check, sure! Would I be able to fish 250 days a year? No, I wouldn't have a job if I did.

I see alot of guys I fish against and with, running in $40k boats with all the top of the line gear and I see them fail time and time again at weigh in time. I see guys who fish out of 17' aluminum boats cash checks. I've seen some old timers who could cash a check standing on shore fishing.

I agree with the statement that was made that if you think you can do it then do it, join a league and make a run. Giver a try! Let us know how it works out. that is how most of the pro's got there.

[basslover12345]

I think its all about confidence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[preach4bass]

I think its all about confidence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree 100%!!! I am totally confident that if I had all the same equipment as the pros, they would still crush me!

[Christian M]

I think equipment plays a large part in being successful on the water, but dedication, determination, experience, and flat out talent will take the win in the long run every time. I mean honestly, even with the top of the line gear, do most of you guys think you could hold a candle against the top pros fishing a 3-4 day tournament on a 40,000 acre lake? I have tons of confidence in myself when I fish tourneys with my club, and I do okay, but even if I had the top of the line gear, I can't take away credit where credit is due.

[wrat]

tools are just tools , equipment=tools , anyone can buy tools/equipment

[lmoore]

My belief has always been that you could put just about any bass fisherman in the winning spot and he would win, or at least do really well. There may be subtle changes in the day that the winning pro noticed and others may not, but for the most part, catching fish is catching fish. It's the same reason you can go out with your buddy who barely ever fishes and every, every now and then, he'll outfish you.

The biggest thing that sets apart the pros from everyone else, in my mind, is 2-fold. Number 1 is experience. Those guys flat out understand fish and that comes form years and years of fishing for the better part of every year. Knowing where to start on a certain body of water at a certain time of year and how to adjust to the little things that change bass mood/behavior is the biggest key to making it as a pro. The second thing that comes with experience is the mentality and focus to compete at that level. We've all been out fishing and, after a few hours, missed a fish because we weren't totally focused on what we were doing. Miss a 5 pounder in an Elite tournament, and you've just gone from competing for the win, to sitting at the ramp on the final day wishing you had another shot at it.

The second is work ethic and deication. This is one of the few things that can make up for some deficiency in experience or knowledge. This si the type of thing that sets apart a guy like say Randall Tharp. He may or may not be much more talented than the rest of the field, but he works his tail off day in and day out, and gets rewarded with pretty consistently being towards the top of the standings. This is also where the "average joe" would have to make up ground in the scenario from the OP.

Long story-short, I think I (or just about anyone here, for that matter), could occasionally (maybe rarely is a better term) compete with the big boys, given they work hard enough at it, but theres just no substitute for the experience those guys have that enables them to adjust and understand what the fish are going to do.

[J Francho]

The equipment aspect at the pro level is all about parity. If one has something that aids them, then they all have it. As far as what that equipment does for me, well it makes the sport more enjoyable, and fun. But it won't make me a pro.

[Eric Buck]

I think if you give me the tools that you give the pro anglers and I will be a 10 times better fisherman. I just can't afford to get all the down imaging sonar devices, or the power poles. 20 years ago that would of been fine, but now adays you are way behind the power curve if you don't have those and another guy does and is using them properly. Fishing is becoming a rich persons sport kind of like golf.

[J Francho]

You will be ten times more confused about what to do. It's information overload, trust me. You will get better, though, once you learn how to use those tools. Just getting them isn't the ticket to success. It's what you do with them that is.

[Eric Buck]

Exactly, however my fish finders I have on my boat now are no where near proficient enough to tell what TYPE of structure is in the water holding fish. For that matter the newer fish finders can show you with a little bit of knowlege what type of fish are holding to that structure. It will also give you a clear image of what the contour of the bottom is which may/may not alter the technique you would use to fish that area. With my fish finders I use them for depth and temperature for the most part because the sonar doesn't produce a vivid picture of what I am up against. Now don't get me wrong with a little work you can use certain techniques (Carolina rig) to figure it out, but the high end fish finders will elimate all that madness and put you on fish faster. I think if I had a season to work with the Pro's equipment and get familiarized and proficient with it I would fair against the Elites. I think I have enough knowlege to make a few cuts and get my feet wet. Am I overly confident? Maybe, but that's how I truely feel. I know everyone thinks that you have to know exactly what to do in each situation, but there are more than one techinique that will work and you just have to go with your gut and your experience to land those fish. The Elites don't fish some chump lakes either. They are fishing lakes taht are known to produce large bass and numbers. Get on a lake that works with your style and your in the money. Have faith. They are human to.

[K_Mac]

So what you're saying Eric is that for maybe $5000 in electronics, you could make it at the top level? If that and a little work with those new electronics is all that separates you from competing, you need to find a way to make the extra cash. I admire your confidence, but to say, "I could have been a contender" while typing excuses on your computer rings a little hollow. Life is too short. If you have the ability then do it. Those that can, do. Everything else is just talk. Good luck.

[james 14]

I'd just like to be in a bigger, faster boat. I could do SO much more if I had more than a 12ft jon with a 15hp motor. My partner and I are still leading AOY points for our little local club but the boat makes it tough. I really have to make a game plan for how we'll spend our time on the lake. We actually fish tourneys out of his boat which is all of 2ft longer with a 25hp motor. We don't go much faster and he doesn't like it when I hit the TM on high and he's not expecting it. One day he's gonna fall out the boat. He actually almost did in the last tourney but that wasn't my fault.

With that in mind I can't really say how I would fair if I had all the goodies. It'd be interesting to see what might be if I had the ability to get around the lake more efficiently and had a more stable platform to work from...especially in the wind. It seems everytime I've gone out this year the weather forecast has been WAY off and I've been blown all over the dang lake. I think with the boat (which is coming in the next year) and certain ammenities (power pole, higher quality graph) I'd be pretty solid after a year or so. "Solid" doesn't mean I'm competing at the pro level but perhaps I'll be fairing well in the BWS or BFL circuits. My plan is to move on to those formats after a year or so of being able to work out a pattern more efficiently in a larger, faster boat.

[Eric Buck]

K_Mac I plan out it when I retire from the Army when I am 42. I have my family depending on me to bring home a paycheck every month and there is no way that I can chance it. I really do think that I would fair against the upper half of the pros. I have a lot of fishing experience throughout my life. I am almost 30 years old and have been fishing religously for over 25 years of that. Familiarization with different waters may get me from time to time, but getting out there and catching a limit of bass on the waters that they fish wouldn't be a difficult task. Catching 5 quality keepers is what seperates the good and the great. If I had the electronics and all the equipment that the Pro's are using there is no doubt in my mind that I can get into the top 50 a few times. Am I going to win them all or make the final cut all the time, absolutely not. That would be rediculous for me to say such a thing, but I think that I am skilled enough to compete. Now if my family wasn't depending on me to make a living, I would definately make a run for it. I am going to fish a club when I return and just work on some things and get some cash on the side and when I retire I will make a run for the gold hopefully. I think you took what I said that wrong way. I am not saying that I would school KVD on any given sunday. I'm just saying that from time to time I could bring home the cheddar.

[K_Mac]

Eric, I wish you well with your plan. I hope to read your name and see you fishing on Sunday at the Bassmasters Classic; maybe even see you hawking the next big thing on a commercial or two.

My point is simple. It is not meant to be critical of you or anyone else. I am old enough to have sat on the sidelines a few times while saying, "I could do that". Many of the guys fishing the big show have committed everything to making their dreams come true, and have put themselves and their families on the line to do it. It is that level of commitment that makes the real difference IMO. You may be a fantastic fisherman and a fine human being. Your commitment to your family and our country shows character and courage. It is those attributes that will make you successful at whatever you do. Equipment is a secondary concern in my view. Good luck and thank you for your service to our country.

[JunkYard814]

I think time has the most to do with it. Most people work jobs that don't allow them to travel all over the country and fish for 5+ days a week. I think a good deal comes from what was available to them and others just put their lives all-in hoping they'll make it as a pro angler. I personally do not have the desire to risk everything I have on the chance to become a professional angler.

However, if I had the opportunity with the equipment they have and the time to fish all week, after a year or two I think I could snag a few checks. But equipment and time is half the battle of getting to the top.