How Pro Anglers Choose Spinning Reel?

[Matthew2000]

I don't see why people are always throwing pros opinions away. Yes they do induce there sponsor, more than 90% percent of the time a pro signed with the company is because he believed there product would give them the biggest chance at winning a tournament. Because for one they make more money from winning a tournament then they do from signing with a company. Did you hear about the FLW tourney on Kentucky lake 8 of the top ten were using a Ben Parker magnum spoon. How many of them were sponsored by that company 0. How many of them raved about the bait all of them it had nothing to do with being sponsored it was that it truly worked. These guys go out and catch 30 pound bags on some very tough lakes it's not because they are sponsored it's because they are good fisherman. The point of the article was to ask pros some of the best fisherman in the world about what they look for in a spinning reel. It wasn't what spinning reel should buy. Not one of the pros mentioned the brand they used. I'm not real sure what the people saying the pros were idiots were talking about. Because I am willing to bet that if you were placed in the MLF format you would get your butt whopped.

[SirSnookalot]

A number of reasons why I pay little or no attention to what a pro uses.  First off I seldom watch them, but when I do I see little to compare how they fish to the way I do.  I don't fish the same kind of water and my bass fishing is from shore.  I do not drag fish in at warp speed, I play them for the enjoyment and if I lose one it's no big deal.  I have seen on tv, believe the FLW, where the spinning reels look to be much larger than I use.  I could use a larger reel and rod in my canals, they are high banked and quite often fish are pulled into sea lettuce and up a bank to land them (not easy), instead of pulling them out of it to land them on boat.  Fishing 7 days a week and 12 months of the year I have a good idea of what I want and need, and with over 60 years of spinning experience.  I pay for my own gear, I doubt many high level pros spend their own money.  The pros probably don't use a reel with the hopes if it lasting for years, they probably don't get a reel serviced, they just use a new one.  Competing for the amount of money that they do, I know I would be using a new reel every few weeks, the cost of a new reel is meaningless with thousands on the line. That isn't the case with most of us here, we look for value and performance over the long haul.

 

When push comes to shove, it's the lure and where it's placed that catches fish, not this reel or that reel.

[J Francho]

 

Because for one they make more money from winning a tournament then they do from signing with a company.

 

Really?  I think you have that backwards.  In fact, most pros don't make much at all. Who do you think pays the bills?  Sponsors or purses?

[Matthew2000]

100,000 dollars for a first place finish..... That's quite a bit... Only the top 15 ranked pros in the world make more than that. Just to name a few KVD, Ike, skeet Reese, Gerald swindle. Now anthony galliardi made 500,000 dollars from the forest wood cup. I agree most pros get quite a bit from the sponsors but how do you think they earned those? They sure didn't go out there with the sponsors already lined up. So really throwing that opinion out the window next time tis something to rethink. And KVD has made 5.9 million from tourneys. Roughly 2.5 from sponsors

[J Francho]

Are you a pro? You know more about this than the pros I'm acquainted with, lol.

I couldn't think of poorer example of an average working pro than KVD. His situation, both in sponsorships and winnings are not what I'd call typical.

[Jrob78]

100,000 dollars for a first place finish..... That's quite a bit... Only the top 15 ranked pros in the world make more than that. Just to name a few KVD, Ike, skeet Reese, Gerald swindle. Now anthony galliardi made 500,000 dollars from the forest wood cup. I agree most pros get quite a bit from the sponsors but how do you think they earned those? They sure didn't go out there with the sponsors already lined up. So really throwing that opinion out the window next time tis something to rethink. And KVD has made 5.9 million from tourneys. Roughly 2.5 from sponsors

If pro fishermen had to rely on tournament winnings for their livelihood, there would be no professional fishing, period.   Nobody would be able to afford it.

[OkobojiEagle]

Why any discussion from the pros about spinning gear?  I read here and other sites that experienced anglers can fish every bass technique with their favored bait casting reels and rods...

 

 

oe

[Grantman83]

If it was all based off tournament winnings, then gagliardi wouldn't be sweating trying to find a title sponsor for next season when Chevy dumped their team deal with FLW.

Also, I'm pretty sure that KVD is a part owner eith strike King and nitro boats so a lot of his revenue comes from product as well.

Ish Monroe has talked about how he has stock option, health benefits and a pension plan with River2Sea soooo again I'll assume most of his pay comes from sponsorship both in paying his fees and giving him a steady check. He had a terrible year this year, you think he could afford to drop 50k in entry fees plus gas, tolls, board, gear etc? I sincerely doubt it

[Matthew2000]

KVD received shares in strike king as part of the contract. Back in 2007 skeet Reese got a 600,000 dollar contract largest one ever. But that's only 1 out of how many pro anglers ? The next I gerald swindle with a 315,000, then KVD with 300,000. It just goes down from there. So 3 anglers make that much. Not 1 of them was in that survey. Most of those guys were less known.

[Grantman83]

According to another site, Ish Monroe has been a pro for 16 years and has total tournament winnings of 1.53 million.

That's basically 100k a year. Last season he fished both tours which basically comes to 80k in entry fees. He ran two rigs which is sponsors gave him. He cashed a check in like 3 tourneys combined. You are saying he had roughly 50k to just lose in entry fees alone? Granted he is a bigger name, but if anything that shows how important sponsors are even for the bigger guys, not just the nobodys. They may make extra income from tournies, but they can only fish in the first place because someone foots or helps footbthe bill for them

[J Francho]

KVD received shares in strike king as part of the contract. Back in 2007 skeet Reese got a 600,000 dollar contract largest one ever. But that's only 1 out of how many pro anglers ? The next I gerald swindle with a 315,000, then KVD with 300,000. It just goes down from there. So 3 anglers make that much. Not 1 of them was in that survey. Most of those guys were less known.

 

OK, so add your guys to the list and get a mean.  KVD, Swindle, Reese, why not toss in Hank Parker, Larry Nixon, Rick Clunn, and Roland Martin in there for a more realistic view of finances, lol. 

Most of the pros would not be without their sponsors.  Sorry, picking out a few total purse collection for a few top anglers isn't going to make your argument.  According to most, it takes around $350K/year to break in, and that only goes up with success.  Where does that come from? What is the average total winnings for first, second, and third year qualifiers?  How about you get an average for the entire field, and see how that shakes out.  I mean, how do you really think these guys come up with the capital to get started? Winnings?  Sorry, you're wrong.  It's sponsorship deals.  Why do you think these guys talk all day and all night about such and such oats, such and such rods, if they make all their money from winning? They're helping themselves. 

 

I've said it before, I'm not interested in what a pro uses.  I am HIGHLY interested in what they are doing, and how they do it.