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Advice on Becoming a Bass Fisherman
By Chad  Brauer

Bass fishing is one of those sports that can be participated in at many levels, and at all of them the underlying enjoyment is the same. Catching bass is what we all love to do, whether we do it for a living or go a couple times a year. I do get asked quite often for tips on making bass fishing a career. Here is some of the advice I give them:

1. If you want to make a career out of it, be fully aware of what is involved in the sport. Everyone is aware of the fishing aspect of the sport, but there are other factors that should be considered as well. It is difficult to make a good living solely from tournament winnings. There are few good enough to consistently win that much annually. I would not feel comfortable basing my income primarily on tourney winnings. That is where the business side of things comes into play. To me the business end involves several facets including promotions, sales, product development, public speaking, and teaching. This can create some steady dependable income but does require a great deal of work. The better prepared you are for this, the more valuable you are to the companies for which you work.

2. Be aware of the lifestyle the sport requires. There is obviously lots of travelling involved, so being away from home is inevitable. If a person fishes 15 tournaments a year, they would be gone a minimum of 120 days just for those tournaments. Most of us fish more tournaments than that per year. Now add in promotions and you can be on the road over 250 days a year. This requires a very understanding and supportive family.

3. For younger folks thinking about fishing for a living, give some serious thought to taking your education beyond high school. Companies do look at your educational career when considering sponsorship. Your education also gives you something to fall back on if for some reason a fishing career does not work out.