Profishing

[ReelMN]

I want to be a professional fisherman one day. Is there any advice on how to get there? Are there classes I need to take or books to read? Thanks for your help!
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[Bassmaster-ND]

Here's a nice article



[font "Verdana"][size 5]How to Become a
Bass Tournament Angler[/size][/font][font "Verdana"][size 2]
[/size][/font][font "Verdana"][size 2]By Ken Warren[/size][/font] [left][font "Verdana"][size 2]Have you ever thought about becoming a bass tournament fisherman? Ok, well if you fish for bass that is probably a dumb question. With all of the fishing shows we grew-up watching, and with the increasing TV coverage of pro tournaments it is fair to say, all bass fishermen have thought about competing. With some the daydream stops, however, when perceived reality hits home. One of the following things may stop you. Perhaps you don t have a boat, or maybe it is not what you think of as a tournament boat. Or it could be that entry fees seem too expensive. Also, daunting is the idea that some of the fishermen live on that body of water and I don t have a chance. Ok, well chances are that one of those ideas has stopped you if you have not given tournament fishing a try. Let s examine each of them and see if it is really a concern.

I don t have a boat. Ok, but owning a boat is not a requirement. You can still participate in one of two ways. You can enter a draw or pro-am tournament. These are essentially the same except for in a true draw everyone competes in the same class, while in a pro-am the boaters are not competing against the non-boaters. So you can sign-up as a non-boater and then you will be paired up with a boater before the tournament. There are usually plenty of boaters but occasionally there are too many non-boaters and that is a risk one has too take. If this occurs, unfortunately, some non-boaters can t fish. To reduce this some circuits will guarantee you a seat if you sign-up with a boater. Some will guarantee you a spot next time if you get bumped or try to ensure it does not happen twice in the same season. Even if you have a boat, going as a non-boater can be a great way to learn the ropes or become familiar with a new lake. Another option is find a friend who does have a boat and compete together on a team circuit. This way you know you have a seat and you also know your partner and how to get along with them.


I have a boat but it did not cost $25,000. Smaller boats are accepted as long as they meet the requirements. This varies with each circuit but normally includes things such as: no tiller steering, must have kill switch and live-well, and be a minimum of 16ft. Ask yourself would it be comfortable for two people to fish from for 8 or 9 hours? If the answer is, yes, then it is probably all right.

Entry fees are expensive. Well, expensive is a relative term. Some events cost a few hundred dollars to enter, but this is not were you start unless you have a lot of stupid money lying around. Some entries are as little as $10 to $20. These low fees can be found with some local clubs. Ask around at tackle stores to see what clubs are in the area. Normally, they have regular meetings and welcome new members and visitors. Pairing of boaters and non-boaters is usually done at the meetings so you can miss the pitfall mentioned before. Some trails are very affordable while at the same time offering good prizes and payouts. Remember, however, cheap fees equal small payouts so cheaper is not necessarily better, but as the fees go up so do the payouts and so does the amount of competition. So, you will have to decide for yourself where you are comfortable.

I don t have a chance against those guys. It is true some guys are hard to beat on a certain body of water. How did they get that way. They had to start somewhere and now most have moved on to higher payout tournaments. If you start at the club level or at the entry-level circuit with low fees then you should be able to be competitive after a few tournaments.

Ok, so how do I find tournaments? As was mentioned before ask around at the local tackle store. They should be able to point you to local clubs. You can find BASS Federation clubs on the web at http://www.bassmaster.com. Or if you are looking for a circuit try the American Bass Anglers Tournament Trail at http://www.americanbassanglers.com. This is the largest circuit out there for the weekend angler and a great place to get started. The entry fees are relatively low and they have a lot of good sponsors. There are over 600 tournaments in 75 districts across the US. With this size there should be one close to most everyone. With ABA you fish a draw tournaments in one or more districts and accumulate points as well as the payout and prizes. If you fish 5 tournaments and end up in the top 500 in points you are invited to their national championship. There you qualify for 1 of 3 fully rigged Triton boats valued at near $45,000 each. One is given away at a drawing to those who fished the 5 tournaments. Chances are around 1 in 1000. Not to bad for that kind of value.

Ok, so it should seem easier now and I hope this was helpful with putting tournament fishing in perspective. One last thing, it is not always about winning. The friendships you make and the good times you have before, after, and during the competition will last a long time and make you a better fisherman, win or lose. Please check the rules and requirements for each tournament as the guidelines stated here were simply that, guidelines. Each organization has some difference. The rules have to be enforced to ensure fair competition, so be sure you are familiar with them.[/size][/font][/left]
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[Dryrod]

[cool][#804000][size 2]Hi there Bassmaster-ND,[/size][/#804000]

[#804000][size 2]Wow what a report. Nice job done by Ken Warren explaining in detail what it takes to compete in a tournment.[/size][/#804000]
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[Bassmaster-ND]

Yes indeed, that is a great article.
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[no1angler]

Thanks for the help. I'll have to check out the bassmaster web site.
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[patches]

hi there bassmaster! thats cool, but to me alot of the competitions are done down country, why is it??? ya know to me, it would seem that

it would be good to do different places times KIND OF fish, how to fish it, also, just different areas and states other than the same ones all the time, NOW, WE HAVE TRUE NATIVES STILL HERE, RAINBOWS AND GREMAN BROWNS, IDONT SEE SHOWS WITH THEM ON IT, that would be different, yes i like bass fihin too,but ya dont see many trout shows toll. its good to have variety haha makes the world go round, ahha, but no matter what it is, as long as your fishin ahha but i see fishin in alaska, which i love, what beautiful country and i wish i was there, animals too, as well as huntin shows, see the ocean fishins on there, which is good too, and florida, south and notrth carolina, why dont somebody do smoethin different and come up here?? ahhaha that would to me be good to do smethin different nad a good place fer someone to start when no one has real tournaments to learn as well as professional ones. we have our general ones around our areas but nothin major. generally seems to me ya want ot git in a spotlight of somethin, do it where it would take off and do the area good as well as the tournament. when most people havent seen professional tournament before.does everybody good, hust think theres too many of the same thing down there, and i olove fishin huntin shows. ya see what i mean?? i,m a singer too, and when we go to different areas, and i have my way of singin it just adds to what we all love be it huntin fishin or singin. haha [][] actually we have lake champlain up here, that has walley trout, everythin you got down thru, we got, a beatiful lakes up in the north east kingdom, and nice lakes round here, but ya dont see anybody ever takin advantage of em or usin em this way. why?? i guess i,m an optomist haha, try to have a little bit fer everybody. haha see what i mean>??? haha but thats always a good way to start too think of different things others dont do, it might just be a hit, and a take off there bud. i did well. later[][]
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[patches]

and while i,m addin my .02 cents in, haha ya know some of the greatest things you,ll ever find, is walkin outside, and goin in your own backdorryard, where sone aint got what you got. do the LOOKIN THING!!! LOOK AROUND AND ENJOY AND SEE WHAT YOU GOT THAT OTHERS DONT. git yourself a video camara or a little polaroid, and really look thru it, you might just see somethin others dont. and never will. look with your SOUL NOT JUST YOUR EYES.[] also i consider myself to be an artist, this is why i tell ya to do this, but another good thing to do, is git yourself a video camara, and PRACTICE, PRACTICE DOIN YOUR OWN SHOW, ITS A GOOD WAY TO SEE YOURSELF AS FER AS HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT YOUR DOIN, HOW YOU WANT TO PORTRAY YOURSELF BE IT ON TV, OR JUST FER A RESUME< JUST LIKE YOU WERE GOIN FER A JOB. YOU CNA LEARN ALOT THAT WAY. I HAVE DONE THIS WHEN I MADE A VIDEOS OF MY SINGIN. AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU MAKE MISTAKES, THINGS YOU WANT OT CHANGE, EVEN THE AREAS YOU ARE IN AND HOW YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND OF WHERE YOU ARE, AS WELL AS THE FRONT, WITH YOU IN IT. THEY CAN LEARN YA AOLT, LIKE WHAT I WAS SAYIN, LOOK WITH YOUR HEART MIND SOUL. THRU THAT CAMARA. GIT ONE OF YOUR FRIEND OR PA OR SOMEBODY THAT REALLY KNOWS HOW TO RUN A VIDEO, IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY, TO TEACH YOU, MAYBE ONE OF YOUR TEACHERS EVEN IN THE DRAMA ROOMS I BET WOULD KNOW, HOOK UP WITH SOMEONE WHO LOVES TO DO IT TOO, MAYBE YOU,LL BECOME A HIT, AND PLAY YOUR VIDEOS FER PEOPLE, WORD OF MOUTH DOES WONDERS!! REMEMBER THAT TOO. THERES NO BETTER CRITICS THAN YOUR OWN TOWNS PEOPLE. AND THE MORE HELP YA MIGHT GIT. YA KNOW?? WHY NOT. YOUR SMART ENOUGH. YOU CAN DO ANYTHIN YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO. MEMBER THAT TOO. HAHA OR JUST PRACTICE YOURSELF BY BEIN IN IT AND OUT OF IT. THATS THE WONDERS OF THESE NEW TECHNICLE THINGS, THERE AMAZIN, SO WHEN YOU GIT OLDER, WITH PRACTICE TIME PATIENCE, YOU WILL BE,PROFESSIONAL, YOU,LL ALSO BE ABLE TO DO BOTH ENDS OF IT YOURSELCF. THE CAMARA AND BEIN IN THE LIGHT. YOU CAN NEVER LEARN TOO MUCH. REMEMBER THAT. THE MORE EXPIERIENCE YA GOT THE MORE POWER YOU GOT.[][][cool] LATER
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[patches]

I HAD DREAMS TO, AND ONCE IN A WHILE I STILL GIT UP AND SING AND STILL LOVE IT, ITS STILL IN MY BLOOD AS WELL AS HUNTIN AND FISHIN, AS I DO WHEN I CAN, COUASE THATS IN THE BLODD TOO, DONT EVER LET GO OF YOUR DREAMS, CAUSE THEY,LL KEEP YA GOIN IN LIFE, WHEN SOMETIMES NOTHIN ELSE WILL, AND YOU,LL HAVE THEM MEMORIES WHEN OTHERS JUST NEVER TRIED, OR HAD THE COURAGE AND GUTS TO DO EM, AND THEN THERE SORRY LATER ON THAT THEY DIDNT BECAUSE OF THINKIN WHAT OTHERS MIGHT THINK OR THOUGHT OF EM, THEY WILL END UP ENVYING YOU LATER IN LIFE CAUSE YOU DID HAVE THE COURAGE, SO HANG WITH IT THERE BOY! I GOT FAITH IN YA. DONT EVER STOP TRYIN, WHEN OTHERS TRY TO TELL YOU ITS WRONG, OR THEY DONT THINK YOU SHOULD YOU DO WHATS IN YOUR HEART, SOUL MIND TO DO, CAUSE IF YOU DONT FULFILL THEM DREAMS, OF JUST HAVIN DREAMS, AND FUN OF DOIN WHAT YA LOVE WHTER IT BE YOUR A PROFESSIONAL OR NOT, WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS JUST DOIN WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO, NOT HOW FER YOU TAKE IT, OR GIT, IT DONT MATTER AS LONG AS YOUR SATISFIED, OK NOT FER OTHERS, BUT FOR YOU, TO LIVE LIFE ON YOUR TERMS NOT THERES, BE AHHPPY AND JUST ENJOY WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO. THATS ALL LIFE IS ANYWAYS. OK
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[Bassmaster-ND]

Money makes the world go around! They do the tournaments in the areas with a lot of bass, BIG BASS, a lot of people, and last but not least, where they will make the most money. I think I would just about die if they had a bass tournament here in North Dakota. Between the outdoor channel and OLN they have a lot of trout shows, and any other fish thats swimming. Yes it would be nice if they went all across the US and fished some lakes in the states, but they only go where people want to see aka makes the most money.
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[tkishkape]

[][size 2] In all fairness, bass and trout are not the only fish in the lake....[/size]

[size 2]There are tournaments for other species as well... Catfish, crappie and walleye tournaments can be found locally as well![/size]

[size 2]If you like to fish and you're tired of fishing alone, check out your local baitshops and locate a club fishing for the species you'd like to fish for most! The comradie cannot be beat![/size]
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[patches]

HAHAHAHA AH WELL THEY HAD TO START SOMEWHERE DIDNT THEY, AND THEY STATED THERE, WELL THEY AINT GONNA KNOW TILL THEY TRY SOMEWHERES ELSE NEITHER ARE THYE. WHOS SUPPOSE TO BE THE BIG WHIG YA ASK?? AND WHY DOES HE THINK HES GOT ALL THE ANSWERS IN KNOWIN WHAT PEOPLE WANT IF HE DONT ASK THEM?? AND TRY NEW PLACES WHEN HE ASKS. MA ALWAYS SAID YA DONT KNOW LEST YA ASK.AND MY FISH ARE JUST AS GOOD AS HIS! HAAHHAHAHA HOW DO YA LIKE ME NOW! HAHAHAHA WHO DIED AND LEFT HIM BOSS>??HAHA[][]
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[bizpromo]

ReelMN

If you give me your mailing address, I'll send you a copy (FREE) of my booklet - HOW TO GET SPONSORED FOR TOURNAMENTS.

You just happened to ask the right question about becoming a pro-fisherman, obviously I can't give a copy to everybody.

It's my way of giving back to this site and the outdoorsmen (women) that keep the love of the outdoors alive.

Bass Wishes,
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[Bassmaster-ND]

I also would like to have a word with the big whig[]
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[patches]

hahaah where,s he at?? hahaha GONE FISHIN!!ahha hey guess what bud, 35 above and 40 yesterday! 2 days without below!!!!!!! ahha aint that good. then there sayin next week back down again []haha i,m gonana try to git out a little today! me and louie. he was so funny, yesterday, he was runnin back and forth on the end of his lead and jumpin in the snow stickin his head in the snow bank, ahha so cute. he,s a litle black and gold longhaired dashound, ahha and he gits dirty. ahha he loves it,ahha he sure aint no show dog. ahha could of been but no dog need to be one one of them finiky sissy dogs. hahha in my book, haha tell me they like it. ahha louie sure aint hes still a hound and uses that nose, ahha and the nose takes over the brain. haha he dont even hear me holloin to em when i tell him to come back that nose works so well. ahha at least jake did.ahha it nust be the full blood thing haha oh well hes fun and smart and spoiled rotton and a couch hound. ahha mommy and daddys baby. clearn thru. haha later[][] he does like squirells like jake did.ahha
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[patches]

i think thats rotten! haha got me goin haha it aint no different than my horse shows. i got some friends got some beautiful appaloosa,s and they take em clearn out to texas! seems though the more places they would go, the more they,d learn and learn everybodyelse too bout different kinds of fihin. still think that dude out ot git his head out of his--- and try it! haha later[]
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[tubeN2]

Hey there PotomacDawg, welcome to the site. Please take the time to register as it is free and you can benefit from some of the freebies going around that are available only to members. I have included a link down below. Pleas feel free to check it out.
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[lonehunter]

thanks for the information , i found it to be interesting !
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