Ill say this. I am nine years ahead of you and looking to start my fishing career as a rookie on the FLW tour next year. Its a long road that you have to give yourself 100% to. Im not even there yet and its been a long road. To even attempt it early you are going to have to keep your commitments to a minimum and work as hard as you can to be in a pretty good financial position where you have a truck and can pay for a boat. All of these guys are dead on as well with the public speaking and marketing. Those are as important as catching fish. I recommend fishing in college also. That was the biggest thing that is helping me get where I want to go.

My advice, its one sport that you don't have to pursue after high school. I did it through high school and into college. Never did the college fishing thing just fished to pay rent. Nothing was easy and still isn't but I realized this is what I wanted to do. Fishing has away of working out most guys will tell you its about marketing others its winning. I can promise you one thing you better be able to do both, get lucky by putting yourself around the right people and when you fish you fish as much as possible. You will find out very quick if its right for you. Good luck

Depending on what you call pro...

If you want to fish the Elite or Tour Level make all the rich friends you can! Or figure out how to make a million bucks before you turn 20!

Simple as that! $$$$$$ is the answer!





Or you can be 'classified' as a pro and fish the Everstart or Bass Opens....it can be fun (cost ya only around 4K for a year with one series). Of course that doesn't include travel, boat, ect, ect, ect.....

That is where the $$$ comes back into play!


Marketing degree is good....but it's not the answer for everything....it still takes $$ to enter the tourneys....the marketing field isn't an over night money maker either. It will help with public speaking and selling yourself/product.

I don't mean to sound negative...just shooting you some quick facts. I too wanted to live the dream (got my marketing degree too)....but after finding out how much money it takes.....I realized this po'boy from East Texas is a long way from being wealthy! Make the best of what you are given....be proud and fish as hard as your money and time can manage!

Best of LUCK!

thanks guys!!!

Set realistic goals for yourself. If you absolutely, positively, 100% without a doubt want to fish professionally and this isn't something dreamt up last week, then start small. Just concentrate on learning at this point. When you have a good understanding in general and can produce the majority of the time when you go out, join a bass club or enter some small tournaments and see how you stack up to the pressure and can fish in adverse conditions. Gotta go up the ladder dude! On a side note, I love fishing tournaments, but it can definitely ruin what would otherwise have been just a fun day. Dragging an 8lber to the boat and watching the line snap on a fun day you'll laugh about later, but in a tourney, you'll be sick for a while. Go on youtube and watch Gerald Swindle's videos on fishing professionally. A couple of them are eye-openers. Best of luck to you friend!

thank you guys its a lot of help.

My dream have always been to fish for a living hey james if me and you can take your boat out here on tawak i can show you some stuff and im 15 been fishing since i was 3 tournament fishing since like 10 or 11. I am actually not playing football or doin athletics this year to try and further my fishing career

And james make yourself a resume i made one by myself in 7th grade and got all my sponsors by it i would love to get me one made by someone that makes them

My advice would be get your education, win some big tournaments, dont spend your lunch money on entry fees and approach your sponsors in a way that shows you make them more money at the end of a day instead of just wearing a jersey

Stay away from the girls at least until you are 30 if you really want to do this!!!

This will be the best advice you get on here if you take it to heart.

Or just get a girl that like to fish lol and james for real you should come over to my house sometime we could go to my dock and teach you some techniques might not catch anything but i could teach you alot

thx zach and yea we will have to plan that sometime.

Nope. Even worse. Solo if you are really serious.

alright guyss..i bought my first 3 jigs today...nevr used them b4 will see how they work lol

Ken A -
that's disappointing. You mean it's not all about who's the best fisherman?