After this many years and wins i would think these to guys would have alot of money in the bank. But after reading the following OMG we are broke, or don't want to use there own $ to fish.

Please read this and let me know what you thoughts are.

The Hibdons hit rock bottom during a two-day period late last fall. First, Chevy announced that it was getting out of the pro fishing game, taking away Dion�s title sponsor. A day later, Guido learned that one of his main sponsors, Luck-E-Strike Lures, was sold and the pro staff was reconfigured, dropping Hibdon.

It was a crushing blow, considering that those two sponsors provided much of Team Hibdon�s money for expensive entry fees on the FLW Tour.

�It costs the three of us almost $70,000 in entry fees alone,� Guido said. �Then you have expenses on the road.

�We still have some great sponsors like Ranger Boats and Evinrude, but it�s still tough.�

A friend stepped forward and gave the Hibdons the down payment for the season�s FLW entry fees, and the three fishermen are on the pro circuit�s 2015 roster. But that doesn�t ensure that they will be competing for the entire season, Guido said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/article7289720.html#storylink=cpy

Gotta pay to play, and gotta make money to say in the game!


I like the guy's but like many people now a days sounds like they have been living beyond their means and floated it as long as they could. I know it sounds harsh, but if I can't afford the tour, then Im not going to fish it.

Not really a suprise. Allot of pros are having problems it's not a poor mans profession. I would imagine allot of the pros who don't have money issues are independetly wealthy

Guido Hibdon is one of the kindest men on the Tour! I wish him and his family the best in 2015.

I'm pretty sure being a tournament pro is, by definition, "living beyond your means".

At 100k a year or better in expenses+ normal living expenses, I would imagine there isn't much opportunity to save.

They are not the only big name pros that may not be around after the first couple of tournaments if they don't win any money in the first couple. Sponsorahips are hard to come by and espicially ones that give you money to pay your entry's. I know of a few pros that I have talked to that are nervous as they can be about it right now.

Considering the total number of tourney fishermen vs. those that are capable of making a living doing it and it's not going to rank very high on the list of "Top Professions" to have.

Don't hear many stories about poverty stricken anglers going from rags to riches.

Makes you wonder how many top notch anglers there are that we'll never know about because they don't have the means or desire to do it for a living.

I've always thought that that was the case. I would imagine that there are just a handful of those guys that can make enough just from their fishing career. I think to survive now, you have to hustle a lot. Work every possible angle of the fishing game from sponsorships, to public appearances, to just winning. Having a good personality and having the right "look" probably go a long way now too. Nobody wants to put a fat, balding, ugly guy on their commercials, it just doesn't sell products.

HEY!!!!!! I resemble that remark.....lol

IMO they are the nicest folks/family you will meet at the FLW Tour or anywhere. They are just your typical fishing family. They travel together as a family. 3 Generations(4 generations travel but he is a baby). Mrs. Hibdon prepares their meals each day and drops Guido off at the lake each morning. I wish my family was like that. They really are good folks to look up too. And some of the funniest people. Your mouth will be tired from smiling/laughing. I wish them the best.

On a side note - it really is sad to see some of these guys loose their sponsorship(I keep reading about it). Makes me wonder is this economy really that strong? Marketing dollars are first to be dropped anytime a slow down comes....

Or has Bass Fishing Tournaments lost it's luster? Sponsors realized it and started backing out? (I see it all the time, hard core fisherman who state on here they don't follow the pros anymore.....makes me wonder.)

Does that "look" mean liking to run into other people's boats, cuss people and wanna fight?

A lot of what's said in here is true. One thing not said is that each year it seems more and more people come into the biz side of bass fishing who don't fish or don't have any idea who people like the Hibdons are/were and what they represent...and these folks are making biz decisions, many of which aren't the greatest imo. Not pointing fingers, just giving you my view of reality. Also, biz decisions are being made with shorter-term goals -- all across the US, not just in fishing.

I hope the Hibdons pick up some sponsors who can help them.

Don't forget that sponsorships aren't free rides. You have to perform to keep them, no exceptions.