Vandam has made 4.57 million in win earnings and the word is he has made more than that from sponsors...!

Please make a list of the fishermen that have gotten rich at fishing. And just for fun lets define rich as 10 times you're career earning so about 10,000,000 or more. As previously stated 3 years ago KVD earned around 400,000 in endorsement money that year, lets deduct the 100,000 in expenses and that leaves 300,000. A nice income but certainly not rich. Now lets keep in mind he is the best and everyone else fishing for a living is second best or less. KVD has earned a very respectful amount of money but he stands alone at the top and no one is even close. All that said I bet he wouldn't trade it for the greatest white collared job in the world if it meant he wouldn't be fishing. LIVING OUT YOU'RE DREAM, PRICELESS!

Boyd Duckett has a very successful business and that's how he makes the money to go fishing. Anything he wins is secondary, and now he's got his own branded products. I know Charley Hartley has a sign making business in Ohio and uses that to help him fish the Elites, but every year is a challenge for him. Most of these guys are just getting by. But, they are doing what they love, and that's important to them.

I don't see it any different than gambling? How much of purse comes from sponsor money vs. the entry fees? Everyone throws in the pot, series takes the juice for expenses, and then a few get paid. Less than zero sum gain, total out of pocket of all anglers is more in a tournament then goes back in the pockets total. Just like Vegas.

Not 1/4 of what professional football and baseball players make and that is JUST WRONG. Then again you have to figure in entry fees that are not cheap, lodging, gas and maintenance of their rigs and not all the tackle is given to them by sponsors.

The playing field has changed, but most of the top 25 guys get a free boat to use, some get 2, and get a salary from the boat/motor manufacturer. At the end of the year they got bonuses for how they finished the year, if they made the classic, if they won the classic and so on. (I work for Skeeter Boats for a few years)

They also have sponsor products that would occasionally involve money, but mostly just the products. When you see a KVD Strike King bait....he is getting paid....Rojas Frog, same deal, but most are fishing for a very small FUND from the fishing industry until they win it big and get the money from the Classic.

Alton Jones is a perfect example.......I don't know the factual numbers, but he won enough money to do it for 20 years, but when he won the Classic is when he made the money.....Gary Klein for another.....never won it big but has made it a great career by staying toward the top.......

Just a little insight from my past experiences.....

TM

I wonder how many of them flip their boat and truck yearly and pay very little on them. That would be a bigtime savings. Not to mention selling off your unused gear could bring in some. There's no way they just have all the old rods and reels they used before the latest/greatest came out sitting in their garages.

I have heard a few say under loose lip conditions, if they had a job that paid 30/40,000 a year they would go back home. yikes!

Heard one of the pros say one day " trying to feed your family on tournament winnings is like trying to feed them from the lottery, your're going to starve". They have to build thier "Brand"

Yes I agree poker is like that at the casino....but what about sports? Do football player pay to play? Baseball?

I suppose people will say fishing isn't a sport!?

Unless the pros start making a "living" we won't see this sport grow. Just my opinion.

How can we let the "kids" dream to be BASS Pros when the Pros can't pay bills? No glory in that....The dream will dissapear with the next generation. We all grew up with Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Roland Martin, Shaw Grisby, even KVD as a young man....now we see less and less make it to that level as the years go on.

I guess that is my point bringing back the Grass Roots....allowing the "normal" person a way to dream about the GREAT LIFE of a tourning pro....not what we see now days. $$$$

Actually, Steve wore black turtle necks by a japanese designer that were $300 a pop if I remember correctly. He also got a new Mercedes every 2-3 months. Just finished his biography, interesting story but what an absolute a@#$hole.

Interesting idea.... how to you plan on a system working like that, financially?

I think they make about a hundred dollars. Maybe a little more.

no, pro football and baseball players don't have a HUGE entry fee that is mainly used to pay their salary. football and baseball have sponsors and spectators that pay their salary.