need some info to help high school fisherman

[Flysmallie]

17 minutes ago, dtrs5kprs said:

Tough to make a 20 mile run in 2 footers in a 16' tracker with a 40 horse (been there). 

I started fishing tournaments in high school in a 1977 Ranger. Then onto a 1989 Champion and then to a 1995 Champion. I don't remember winning any more than I did when I was in the Ranger. I did burn a lot more fuel though.   And of course I looked cooler. 

I do like these High Schools that are taking this on. It's nice to see these kids have to opportunity to represent their schools while doing something they love. At my daughters high school I have seen some kids that have never been exposed to fishing become fishermen and fisherwomen. That's the real winner in my books. I wish, like in other sports, they would take the element of equipment out of the equation. Then we would know who the real champions are. But I will support it as long as they are doing it. 

 

[dtrs5kprs]

10 minutes ago, shrapnel said:

What about boat wraps?  Hunert dollar jerseys?  Sponsor logos in the carpet?  Fancy Tow vehicles?  Drones for aerial shots?  I don't see how these kids can catch a single fish.

Most of them at least check the jersey box. I get that, it's a team thing.

I think it's a neat opportunity, wish I'd had it 25 years ago. Just trying to be realistic about some aspects. There are others besides the boat thing.

[fishinwrench]

Fishing is a wonderful thing, I love it and live it with every cell in my body. But I'm unclear on what competitive fishing is supposed to teach or instill in young boys and girls.  Is it about coping and overcoming the outdoor elements (being hot, being cold, being wet and cold) or is it about mind control, networking and the proper use of head games? 

You can't say that it's about independence and tackling something on their own..... because everything is being done for them.   And you can't say that it's about giving them something to do besides smoke dope and drink.... because nothing will make them want a bong hit and a shot of whiskey like a hard butt whoppin' in a fishing tournament.

I'm just not sure if I am in support of the whole thing.  And I can't beat back the thought that the roots of it all lie in the soil of manufacturers pimping products.

[bfishn]

30 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

Fishing is a wonderful thing, I love it and live it with every cell in my body. But I'm unclear on what competitive fishing is supposed to teach or instill in young boys and girls.  Is it about coping and overcoming the outdoor elements (being hot, being cold, being wet and cold) or is it about mind control, networking and the proper use of head games? 

You can't say that it's about independence and tackling something on their own..... because everything is being done for them.   And you can't say that it's about giving them something to do besides smoke dope and drink.... because nothing will make them want a bong hit and a shot of whiskey like a hard butt whoppin' in a fishing tournament.

I'm just not sure if I am in support of the whole thing.  And I can't beat back the thought that the roots of it all lie in the soil of manufacturers pimping products.

My feelings exactly Wrench. It's not too unlike rounding up the kids to see who can beat the neighborhood stray dog the hardest (without killing it). Winner gets an Xbox.

[Mitch f]

1 minute ago, bfishn said:

My feelings exactly Wrench. It's not too unlike rounding up the kids to see who can beat the neighborhood stray dog the hardest (without killing it). Winner gets an Xbox.

Wow

[dtrs5kprs]

19 minutes ago, Mitch f said:

Wow

Had more words for that than I did. Hope this doesn't get off the rails.

[Champ188]

I see some good points made here ... other than beating dogs, which if I came across someone doing, one of us would get our butt whupped coz there would be a fight for sure.

Is every kid on the level with the field? Not by a long shot. But that's true in any sport.

High school golf ... some kids have better clubs than others. Some of their fathers/mothers started them playing at a very young age while others may not have taken it up until the past year or so.

High school football/basketball/baseball ... some schools have better facilities in which to train and better coaches to teach them what it takes to win. Some kids are just more talented than others.

Again, it might not be fair for one kid to be fishing from a Ranger Z-521 (even if they stole it from Vernon ) while another is fishing from a 14-foot JohnnyCraft with a 25-horse smoke blower on the back. But by gosh, LIFE isn't fair and the sooner these kids learn that, the better. I was fortunate to play on a championship football team in my senior year of high school, but before that I played on a lesser team that lost a lot of games. Guess what? I developed more character and work ethic from losing than I ever did from winning.

All in all, I see this high school fishing deal as a good thing, especially if the team "coaches" ensure that sportsmanship, respect and character are at the forefront.

[fishinwrench]

27 minutes ago, dtrs5kprs said:

Had more words for that than I did. Hope this doesn't get off the rails.

Well?    If I'm wrong correct me.  Is there a valid point that I'm missing? What's next?   Should we put them in race cars? Space shuttles?   Cliff jumping? Anything that they show the slightest interest in, let's hook 'em up with it. 

There's currently 40 bass pro's in every town, and only a small handful of them across the country are making a good living at it.  The rest are twice divorced and heavy in debt.  It's a swell intention and I know it's feel-good-fun for the grownups involved but.....

[dtrs5kprs]

6 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

Well?    If I'm wrong correct me.  Is there a valid point that I'm missing? What's next?   Should we put them in race cars? Space shuttles?   Cliff jumping? Anything that they show the slightest interest in, let's hook 'em up with it. 

There's currently 40 bass pro's in every town, and only a small handful of them across the country are making a good living at it.  The rest are twice divorced and heavy in debt.  It's a swell intention and I know it's feel-good-fun for the grownups involved but.....

That was more about the dog beating deal. You and I share some of the same concerns, though maybe for different reasons, and expressed differently. 

[Champ188]

I certainly agree that we don't need to be selling these kids on the idea of becoming bass pros. As Wrench pointed out, there's 40 jersey-clad wannabes in every town who, if not already divorced with 3 kids, soon will be after burying their family in debt.

Another thing is that there are some murmurings from pretty reliable sources that FLW is about to go under.  We've seen a migration in recent years of top FLW pros joing the Bassmaster Elite Series, and just last week, Mercury Marine announced that it is dropping sponsorship of all FLW circuits. So one can read between the lines that there will be only one circuit (plus Major League Fishing) in the very near future.

So, while appearing glamorous to impressionable youngsters, the opportunities to make a living as a tournament pro are slim and getting slimmer.