to fish or not to fish tis the question

[fish-fighting-illini]

 If you had the opportunity to fish as a pro and could make a living at it etc;

Would you? or do you think it would take the fun out of it eventualy and make it like too much like a job?

Maybe while you were young would be different then after having a family.

Before family I might have, after prob not. I'd be afraid that it would take the fun out of something that I love.

[hi_steel_basser]

Thank God I am not good enough to face this dilemma.  ;D The top pros put in more hours and days away from home than us regular guys couldeven think about. At the same time, they get to fish all the time, whether they want to or not. I would really have to think about it long and hard if I was at that level. If I didn't enjoy the challenges I face at my regular job, it would be a no-brainer.

[Guest avid]

This is a no brainer for me.

Being is a Bass Pro is a job.

I fish because I love it as a recreational passtime.  Specifically this means NO PRESSURE.

If you need to make money at something, it ain't fun no mo'

[Gatorbassman]

Nope. I just want to be good enough to be feared at the local tournaments. lol

Check out the caption under my avatar. lol

[Cephkiller]

No way.  I have to bargain my way out of business trips all the time because I can't bear to leave my wife and three kids.  I'm sure that's not a good career move, but when we're all on our death bed, I bet none of us will say he wishes he had only worked more hours when he had a chance.  Think about it.

[KYbass1276]

I'm with Ceph and Avid on this myself.  I wouldn't mind fishing a couple weekend tourneys on local lakes, you know the ones where you pay $20 or so on a entry fee and just kinda fish for fun and if you happen to catch more than the rest you win and if you don't you still had a good time anyway.  Competing on the pro level dosen't appeal to me.   Fishing is my get away and think time it's what I like to do when things aren't going the way I think they should or hoped they should.   It's what I like to do after a bad day at work.    If I was fishing pro what would I do when I had a bad day at work.  

[David P]

  Quote

No way.  I have to bargain my way out of business trips all the time because I can't bear to leave my wife and three kids.  I'm sure that's not a good career move, but when we're all on our death bed, I bet none of us will say he wishes he had only worked more hours when he had a chance.  Think about it.

Great way to think of it, and a great way to live life. I'm going to remember that.

[jomatty]

i would absolutely love visiting the different lakes and spending that much time on the water but it could never work for me.  i could not spend that much time away from my son.  if most pro fishermen made more money i would consider it if he could travel with me and i could have tutor etc and do it right but thats just not the reality of pro fishing.  most of those guys are lucky to make more than a 100k a year and even most of the well known guys dont make that much more from what ive heard.  now KVD and IKE are exceptions and i assume they make the kind of money to take a family on the road if they so choose but most guys are gonna struggle to do this.  dont know why im blathering on anyways as i doubt i would do it to my son anyways.  thats the long answer.

the short answer is not for me.

[PondBoss]

As a golf professional I can understand the reasons stated above.  And until fisherman start making the bigger bucks I just don't see how I as a parent could do it.  As it stands now I can leave and play for a couple of weeks but earn enough to still come home for the next couple of weeks and can play the schedule I want to.  With fishing and the money as sparse as it seems, the weekly grind would just be to much I'm sure.

[Cigarlover 1]

If I was single and didn't want to have kids and was good enough I would probably give it a shot. The thing about fishing for me is no matter how much stress and worries I have going on, once I'm on the water I'm completely relaxed and nothing can bother me. Granted I don't fish to make a living but I would like to think that it would be the same for me if I was a pro. If I could fish good enough to be a pro I would like to think the secret to my success would be to just go out and have fun at it.

Personally I think that's where some guys go wrong. They get out on the water and in the back of they're head they have the stress and worry of trying to make a living and they try to force good fishing. I think some would have more success if they just went out and fished like they used to before they were doing it for money.

[flyphisher #]

In a minute. Being a pro would beat guideing which aint bad. With a little luck, My goal is to fish bassmaster opens in the next 5 years and see if i can manage to qualify for the elites. If only to do it one year.Then invest money in someone that obtains sponsors for people, like alot of pros do now.  No kids, no serious gf, no problems.

[Cephkiller]

  Quote

No kids, no serious gf, no problems.

Sweet!  Do bass pros have groupies?

[Pa Angler]

At 55 there's no way I'd want to hit the Pro trail I fish for the R & R and for the enjoyment of nature once your a Pro it becomes a job and not for pleasure you'd have to fish no matter what the weather not to mention $5,000 entry fee on the Elite Series you'd better do well or have a bunch of sponsors being self sponsored you'd better have deep pockets or your not going to last long. Let's be honest if being a Pro was that easy we'd all be doing it.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I fish to relax and I don't have the drive to be competitive at something that is my relaxation. I don't need any more pressue on me than life brings on it's own.I also love Ceph's response. When I was on the road as a musicina when i was younger I missed a lot of stuff at home that i feel bad about now. I like being able to fish a lot close to home with the ocassional road trip.

[BassBeat101]

Keep in mind that I don't have any major committments holding me down, but I'd drop whatever I have going on right now to be a pro fisherman - I'm a competitive guy, which is probably why I like fishing - it's me against the fish everytime I'm on the water.  If I can get my life to the point where one of the few things that cause stress is fishing, I'll be all right.  Maybe some days would be less fun - but right now I work at Blockbuster - fun, but not fishing.

Daryl

[Catt]

During the 70/80s I was considered to be a Semi Pro, fishing 6-10 tournaments a month but still holding down a weekly job. Even with sponsors some months I was lucky to break even much less make money. Some times I would get off work at 3:30 pm, drive 2 ½ hours to the camp, fish all night, and then drive 2 ½ hours back home to be at work by 7:00 am.

The fishing aspect is not the stress it's the money part; what you are doing is supporting two households, because believe me not all wives are willing to leave home. At today's prices I don't see how some of these guys survive.

Would I do it at my age? Absolutely not!

If I was 25 again would I do it again? Damm straight!

[jomatty]

catts absolutely right about supporting two households.  i am a proffesional poker player and used to spend a lot of time on the road in vegas and atlantic city.  even when my wife and son would travel with me we had to keep up two households.  i mean we still had rent, cable, internet, phone and all that stuff even if we werent at home all month.  for me it could not work.  i had to make too much just to break even on the trips and i dont see how many of the mid tier fishermen do it.  i mean even guys we think of famous probably arent making that much (with a few notable exceptions).  

not only that but i would never go through that lonely feeling of being on the road and realizing that all i want to do is be at home with my family and not caring how much i enjoy my work or what kind of money i was making (which in my case wasnt nearly enough).  anyhow that sounds lame as most people dont think they would be up at nights in las vegas wishing they were at home but i assure you they may after doing it for awhile.

matt

[Catt]

I would add some thing else, it's a fast way to a divorce!

My wife now compares it to that Garth Brooks song Rodeo because back in the day they were called Fishing Rodeo's.

His eyes are cold and restless

His wounds have almost healed

And she'd give half of Texas

Just to change the way he feels

She knows his love's in Tulsa

And she knows he's gonna go

Well, it ain't no woman, flesh and blood

It's that damned old rodeo

Carol knows when it's time for me to go but I've learned to swallow my pride and stay home more.

That's the hardest part of chasing any sport, Pro or Semi Pro!  

[Fish Chris]

Hmmmm. If you mean "fish tournaments for a living", no. Heck, I don't even want to fish tournaments "for fun".

Next posibility would be guiding..... and it's a definite 'no' there either.

Now, I'm already in pretty unique situation to be sponsored by several great companies, just because I catch big fish, and the coolest thing about this, is that I'd be out there chasing big fish whether anybody gave me anything for it or not. This is just what I love to do.

So would I like to "fish for a living" ??? Well, if it were completely on my own terms.... or in other words, if I could fish exactly like I do now, except Monday through Friday, instead of just Monday though Weds.... Heck yes I'd like to fish for a living ! They would not even have to pay me much ;-)

They'd just need to start with a "gas card".... next is my rent, which is not too bad.... and a few hundred for my small bills and groceries :-)

......then if they could just get out of my way and let me fish, I'll talk with em' each Saturday, with reports and photos :-) Sounds great to me :-)

Peace,

Fish

[flyphisher #]

Those mid-tier guys are doing alot better than we will ever know. THey dont want anyone to know what they make because we would be suprised. Jason Quinn makes $300,000 a year on sponsorship, and he hasnt won a tour level even yet. If you qualify for the elite series, there are sponsors waiting to help you..think about how many people see those wrapped boats to and from tournaments....

[roadwarrior]

Never even a consideration, I don't fish tournaments...ever.

Professional fishing is a job with  VERY low AVERAGE compensation. There are only a handful of guys at the top that actually make money, the rest finance "The Dream."

[Catt]

Jason Quinn stats since 2002

Career Winnings: $450,957.63

Avg. Per Tournament: $5,433.22

Cash Winnings: $370,122.63

Merchandise Bonus: $65,000.00

Cash Bonus: $15,835.00

That's a gross yearly average $90,191

Minus taxes

Minus tournament expenses for 12 tournament (2006)

Minus expenses for a house in South Carolina, a wife and 3 children

He has 3 major sponsors Nitro, Mercury, & Evan Williams ($300,000?)

[senile1]

  Quote

Jason Quinn stats since 2002

Career Winnings: $450,957.63

Avg. Per Tournament: $5,433.22

Cash Winnings: $370,122.63

Merchandise Bonus: $65,000.00

Cash Bonus: $15,835.00

That's a gross yearly average $90,191

Minus taxes

Minus tournament expenses for 12 tournament (2006)

Minus expenses for a house in South Carolina, a wife and 3 children

He has 3 major sponsors Nitro, Mercury, & Evan Williams ($300,000?)

Thanks for the info, Catt.  Unless Jason Quinn's wife is bringing in a decent income, this is not a great deal of money for a family of five.  

[flyphisher #]

I know there will be some saying this  is going say this is bovine excrement, but these numbers are coming straight from bassmaster magazine article.

Actually according to Bassmasters 07 pro guide. Quinn actually gets $400,000 a year. They could not list what came from who, for the obvious reasons, those figures are confidental.

The top guys in 2006 are Skeet Reese $600,000, Gearld Swindle $515,000, VanDam $500,000, Quinn $400,000,Iaconelli $370,000, and Marty Stone $320,000. yearly. These are just the figures for B.A.S.S.

Speaking of a wife w/ a good job, Greg Hackney readily gives alot of the credit for his success to his wife who is a veternarinan, says that allows him to fish alot more relaxed.

I fish againest alot of guys that stay in GA and fish the best paying smaller events and make a living w/ a little guiding thrown in. If you are consistent w/o many bills and there are enough tournaments in your area, you can win pretty good money.

[Catt]

Not wanting to argue but I don't know of any sponsors in Pro fishing who pay cash money?

My stats are directly from ESPN.com: Bassmaster Index Angler Profile