What do you think the pros really make? I have no clue at all. I'm guessing KVD is most likely at the top but how well does he do? I'm sure it's an incredible amount though. I also realize there are many or maybe most that are "Contributors" and some in-between.What do they make as well? Must be somebody out there "In the know" or maybe just some good speculation. No I'm not considering a pro career either(However it is fun to dream). Quite happy doing exactly what I'm doing without the threat of starving out on a pro circuit. Just interested.

Bored, thinking bout fishing cuz I can't.

I dont know how much they make, but I'd like to know how they can flip new $60,000 boats every year.

I saw a list of the highest paid athletes in their respected sports recently and if I remember correctly KVD made just under a million last year including winnings and endorsements. Of course there is guys on the other end of the spectrum too, just breaking even or maybe losing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6391391

Not near enough. I have always said KVD could walk through any busy mall in the U.S. and I bet less than 5-10% of the people there have a clue who he is. Bass fishing is not really that big a deal outside our own circle of fellow bass anglers. hard to get rich fishing. I would assume KVD and a few others live comfortably but I doubt many are "rich". Plenty of guys on the pro trails still paying their own way, buying their own boats and scraping to get by.

I'd bet anywhere outside of Texas .00000001 % of the population would recognize KVD in public.

Most of the pros are like us scraping to pay bills ,the only difference is they get to fish every day and we dont ! lol

I'd take that bet for anywhere IN America.

The ones with enough name recognition usually parlay that into some business ventures and probably do alright for themselves. Most I am sure do it to try and stay ahead and also to do what they love...

there was an issue of Bassmaster 2 or 3 years ago that had figures in it. I still have it but its packed away in my closet somewhere. Every single one of them made more in sponsorship dollars than actual tournament winnings. The year they printed that article, Skeet Reese was at the top with (these aren't exact, but are accurate to the 100,000 mark lol) 600,000 in sponsorships, and swindle and Van Dam were a close second and third (thats not necessarily cash though, thats in equipment as well).

The Guys That have sucesfully built there Brand KVD,Reese,Ike,Swindle, Jones Ect. do fairly well. Most Scrape By Check to Check.

I had an Elite series Pro say that you could win one and just almost break even for the season.

If so many are just scraping by or breaking even, then I dare say many come from some sort of money to begin with. Scraping by and breaking even surely can't last long. I wonder what scraping by is? I know what it means to me but Jerry Jones might be just scraping by right now too.

I think that Ike, Skeet, KVD, Swindle, Jones, Evers and such do well and dont worry about money. But most of the pro tour I would imagine or just getting by.

I do think one win a year puts the pros sitting pretty good in the money category.

As far as people noticing pros, outside the fishing worl circle, I would bet no one knows who these guys are.

Evan O'Brien does quite well.

He is known nationally and is the only pro angler to have his own set of groupies at every lake he fishes.

I have a suspicion that most guys realize that as a money making venture fishing is not a very good pathway.For the sensible ones the idea of fishing pro is just a dream or an ego thing.Most of us would do it for that reason regardless!

Right after KEvin won his second BassMasters Championship, the local TV station on Kalamazoo, MI had him downtown asking people if they knew who he was or if they knew his name. Guess what, 10 out of 10 didnt even know there was bass tournaments.