That part was funny! I like it.

Now that is funny right there!!!

I don't know what ya'll are talking about!

First off, for those of you saying that saying single as long as possible is "the way", give me a break. Whenever I go fishing and have a bad day, the one thing I look forward to is knowing that when I get home, I've got a beautiful girl waiting for me who doens't care whether I limited out or not.

Second, I, as well as randy obviously is, am addicted to fishing. I had an internship with an Advertising agency earlier in the year and couldn't stand the cubicle atomosphere (and those darn TPS reports!---office space).. so I quit so I could spend more time fishing. Then I realized, I don't have enough money for all of the stuff I want. So, I downgraded in pay and got a job at Academy. Getting paid less to be bored surrounded by fishing gear is much better than being bored in a cubicle listening to elevator music in the background. My point is that everyone should do what they love. I took a pay cut to allow me to earn income for my passion, and so I could talk about it and be around it all of the time. Who knows, once I get my masters degree next year my job at Academy will pay off with all of the contacts I've made.

If someone quits their job for fishing, it just shows that that person has a prioroty. However, if that priority doesnt generate a desired level of income, get a job that relates to it! At least you wont have to have a boss that doesn't undertand how addictive fishing can be!!!!

My point is that if someone has a boss that doesn't know what its like to be addicted to fishing, and they dont allow you to get off for certain events, why not try to find a job that relates to the entire industry. The jobs are out there, you just have to find them. The members on TFF share the same passion that the creators of fishing products and boats, expo organizers, and fishing guides have. If someone like Randy wants to be a guide, DO IT!!!!!! I would much rather be cold and miserable in a boat that warm and miserable in a cubicle!!!!!

Well Randy, I'm glad you had the pleasure of telling the man to take that job and shove it. It may be the only time in your life that you can afford to do it. Good Luck...

I cant wait to just quit working ot on the weekends. Man am i jealous. Go for it Randy. Dont get sucked in like I did...

I am sort of in the same position as you. I am graduating from college and searching for a job that I will really enjoy. There are not a ton out there. Currently I am applying and interviewing, but in the mean time, I am guiding. So far, it has been a blast. It is by no means a high paying job, but paying the bills by being on the lake and talking about fishing all day is pretty enjoyable.

Soon enough my guiding will be over and it will be on the real world. I will still have fun and enjoy what I am doing, but few things compare to the passion I have for fishing. Be realistic and always make sure you can put food on the table, but fish while you can and enjoy every second of it.

I actually have enough money until the summer so i can fish until then. i also had the experience tellin my boss he could shove it.

i am actually in my computer class right now for those of you who think im not in school. im actually real responsible for 17 and i have been making plans the past year or so. you dont have to have a 2 storie house on the hill to be happy like alot of you guys.

i will just get to be a little more fortunate than most people and get to be on the water every day.

and who ever said its hard to figure out the fish i have lived on the lake all of my life and i know how to catch them in quanities.

I'm also a college grad. I remember MY college years as the worst years ever. I was an Engineering major, so it was all study and tests and everybody flunking out all the time. I remember making a 37 on a midterm once, was all down in the dumps and thought I'd flunk out - until I found out I'd made the high grade on the test and the prof had curved the grade to an "A". When I was a freshman there were 5,000 freshman Engineering majors. When I graduated there were 14 of us left.

On the other hand, that same degree allowed me to buy that $40K bass boat and $35K truck to pull it with.

Hang in there, dude - life throws you some funny curves sometimes. Enjoy what you can, don't sweat the small stuff, fish whenever you can, and remember most of it's small stuff!

man I am sorry but the amount of negativity in this post is insane. Does anyone here come to read about how people should "grow up" and act a certain way? What I love is the number of people that fly off the handle before even knowing the kids situation - insinuations about living in a trailer, what is this the third grade?

Fish all you can because as proof here it's all down hill from here apparently (according to several of the "straghten up and fly right crew") - enjoy your youth because you sure as heck are not going to get it back.

Ian

A bad day fishing is better than any day at work.

follow your dream dude, you can always get a real job! BTW atleast finish high school.

Amen to that!!! A college education doesn't guarantee squirt so just finish high school and chase the dream. I'm sure you're probably not planning on being a surgeon or a rocket scientist so fish, fish, fish... Gary Klein is a very successful pro angler and doesn't have a lick of college education. I wasted a lot of years in college as well as working in the 'corporate' world and it wasn't worth it. Set your goals and work toward achieving them.

Go to college and get a good job. Then you can fish the rest of your life and afford a nice boat.

i basicly told my baseball coach the same thing best choice ive made, fishin fixes any problem ive come by girls, stress, the works i guess thats why im addicted

Well if I had it to do all over again...I would have learned a trade, i.e. welder, carpenter, plumber, etc. Now don't mis-understand me...college is fine, for some people. But given how our economy is changing, how intellectual capital is shifting off-shore...as a backup career I would also learn a trade. Something always needs welding, something needs to be re-wired, broken pipes need to be fixed, holes in boats need to be repaired...well you get the idea.

College is fine...if you also have a backup plan as I mentioned above. The big company you might go to work for right out of college might go under...but you have your fall back skill to keep a roof over your head until you land your next job. Don't let anybody tell you that your college degree is any kind of a job guarantee...it's not.

I couldn't get a job for 2 years in my profession...but if I had a skill set like welder, plumber, etc. I could have had a job in 2 weeks...it might not have paid as much as my fancy corporate college degree job did...but I would have had an income to keep the bills paid while I looked for something else.

So go for what you are interested in...you only get a couple of shots at truly doing what you want and enjoy in life...