dee thomas
to be a real good tournament fishermen you have to be able to catch ‘em good on a day you didn’t pick, at the lake you’re told to be at, in the time allotment you’re given. it’s harder than you think.
it’s not like sunny practice days. You may have 40-mph wind gales, rain blowing sideways with all that rain blowin’ at you and getting in places you don’t want it and if you’re lucky enough to get bit, your hands are so cold you can’t set the hook. it’s just harder than you think to fish for a living.
Youneedtogenerateatradebeforeyoubecomea fishermanandthenyouhaveanoptiontofishorstillmakea living. thatistherealityofbassfishing. thatiswhatpeople needtomaketheirkidsawareof,it’snotjustpickingupyour fishingpoleandyou’regoingtomakealiving.
What do you think is the best way for a fisherman to balance his dreams of goin’ pro and his priorities?
You can’t live your dreams until you take care of your responsibilities. Your family’s safety and security are first and foremost, not your dream to be a
professional bass fisherman. it is a selfish individual that would chose pro bass fishing over his wife and family. That’s why i didn’t go back east and become a professional bass fisherman. i could have and my wife would’ve been for it. She had a good job; she was a store manager and we could have made it on her income; but it wasn’t her responsibility to fund the money to take care of the family. it was mine and i would of been a selfish man to ignore that.
What do you think is a realistic view of professional bass fishing?
There are a lot of pitfalls in bass fishing; but when you read it in the magazines and see it on television it is all portrayed as glitz and glamour. it ain’t all like that. You have to get your priorities in line, you have to learn how to live life and make a living; because if you don’t catch enough fish
to make a living, you’re not going to make it.
everybody wants to become a professional
bass fisherman. What happens is that
professional bass fishing reaches out ,
jerks them in and the next thing you
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