Professional fishing only for the tough!

[fishinwrench]

There are some terribly deluded opinions being shared here.   I lived it for 7 years, and have been close personal friends with a bunch of professional fishermen (the REAL thing) for over 20 years, including 3 Classic champions.  

It's a genuine GRIND.  If any OAF members think they "work harder" than even a semi-successful Pro bass fisherman.....The fact that you are here reading and posting on this forum regularly, proves that wrong.

    No ya don't, not even close.  

[top_dollar]

30 minutes ago, DADAKOTA said:

To understand the financial, mental and physical demands of a full time tourney angler, one would need to step into their shoes for a season.  The body takes a beating on those long boat rides and standing on the TM for hours on end.  Then you figure all the drive time, maintenance and upkeep on all the equipment, boats, vehicle, etc.  Then all the time spent getting and keeping sponsors happy.   Then you still need to keep the family happy.   

They don't even have to get out of their boats to fish, nor do they have to get wet.  They never have to walk down a bank on foot, or drag a canoe through a riffle.  They just simply stand there, looking down at the graph and cast all day long.  They are independently wealthy, and fish out of rigs that most people can only dream of.  Pro bass fisherman are simply the most entitled group of anglers that exist.  They are by no reasonable metric "tough".  Any regular person can do what they do for 10 hours a day 4-5 days a week.  If standing on the front deck of a bass boat catching 2# bass is wearing you out, then folks need to get in better shape.  

[fishinwrench]

2 minutes ago, top_dollar said:

They don't even have to get out of their boats to fish, nor do they have to get wet.  They never have to walk down a bank on foot, or drag a canoe through a riffle.  They just simply stand there, looking down at the graph and cast all day long.  They are independently wealthy, and fish out of rigs that most people can only dream of.  Pro bass fisherman are simply the most entitled group of anglers that exist.  They are by no reasonable metric "tough".  Any regular person can do what they do for 10 hours a day 4-5 days a week.  If standing on the front deck of a bass boat catching 2# bass is wearing you out, then folks need to get in better shape.  

Above is my official vote for....................... Most Ignorant Post Of The Year on OAF.   

[FishnDave]

I don't think I could do more than maybe just a couple of their hooksets a day without injuring my back!

[fishinwrench]

11 minutes ago, FishnDave said:

I don't think I could do more than maybe just a couple of their hooksets a day without injuring my back!

Oh your hook setting muscles will be toned up just fine after wrestling all those chainsaws, bow saws, rocks, and concrete blocks. 👍 

[Mitch f]

Looking at those Livescopes all day sure makes a feller tired! 😂

[BilletHead]

14 minutes ago, FishnDave said:

I don't think I could do more than maybe just a couple of their hooksets a day without injuring my back!

              You have to set the hook so hard you cross their eyes. Either yank them in the boat so quickly if they are small to a position that they are flopping on the floor. Unhook and toss back. Big ones are netted and measured to see if they can replace the big ones in the live well. If it's bigger it gets a marker put through the lips. A smaller one is taken out and pull marker out of its lips and tossed back. Repeat, repeat and repeat again until the end of the Bonafide tourney. Then to the weigh in where fish is paraded around in a water filled bag to be weighed and measured again. All fish released alive and maybe beat up some but a long way from its home.  

 

[pjlures]

It seems that some think being a pro fisherman is a piece of cake.  I'm kind of rethinking my post. I think I'll put being a guide as worst. They have to be tough as nails. 

At times you have put up with bratty people and their bratty kids. Got to find fish and catch them in all conditions. Bait the hook. Untangle the line. Clean out back lashes. Dodge flying Hooks. Stepped on rods. Rods and reels going over the side. Keep a whole tackle store in your boat and a smile on your face. 

 Now that has to be a fun job!

I know guys that love it. I admire them for it.  

 

 

[tjm]

Sounds like they are overworked so the laws need to be changed  for the anglers safety and the fishes, tournaments should be restricted to eight hour max days with enforced breaks. So that the anglers don't have to repeat the same work over and over they should follow the same regulations that real people have to and either release every fish immediately or count it toward their limit. As soon as the angler has kept a limit that angler should return to the weigh station and he will be related from that day's work upon completion of weigh in. Allow anglers to compete in another tourney only after they have had a minimum of three days rest and are cleared for work by a responsible person.  Practice days should be limited to five hours on the water so that the angler does not become overtired or injure himself. Probably transportation between ponds and games should be provided for each angler so that they arrive safely and are not fatigued on game day.

Don't these poor people have Union representatives??? Where is Jimmy Hoffa when he's needed?

[BilletHead]

27 minutes ago, pjlures said:

It seems that some think being a pro fisherman is a piece of cake.  I'm kind of rethinking my post. I think I'll put being a guide as worst. They have to be tough as nails. 

At times you have put up with bratty people and their bratty kids. Got to find fish and catch them in all conditions. Bait the hook. Untangle the line. Clean out back lashes. Dodge flying Hooks. Stepped on rods. Rods and reels going over the side. Keep a whole tackle store in your boat and a smile on your face. 

 Now that has to be a fun job!

I know guys that love it. I admire them for it.  

 

 

                         No man it was a good post. We just don't see everything the same way as others. I like to fly fish and don't care what I catch with the long stick, fairy rod or whatever you call it. I get grief from guys here on this site.  Some don't get it and I get into some dangerous situations at times flyfishing in dicey spots. Wife and I have gone many miles and fished many places that those guys with nice hotels and nice boat ramps and high dollar boats and on and on would not do.  Do what you like and like what you do. I compete with no one but myself. One thing for sure we can agree on is what all of us will do to catch fish or a certain fish or a type of fish.