When would you tell someone they’re ready to go pro?
Anytime you can hang in the top-15, every tournament, one of these days you’re going to jump up and grab the apple. If you can’t finish in the top-15, you may be wasting your time. I am always in awe if I come in from a day on the water and I am less than 15th, because I did the best I could do. If you exhaust yourself doing the best you can do and you come in and you’re in 50th place, so be it … that’s where you belong.
What advice do you have for anglers that
are considering going back
East to fish full-time
now?
If you really
want to become a
professional bass
fisherman, if it is really
your dream, you need
to get an education, get
started in your career and
get something to fall back
on. There is no demand
for a pro fisherman in the
trades. You won’t see
any “now hiring” signs in the paper or shop windows. You need to protect yourself and your future family. That is why I made a living for 32-years as the Produce Manager for Safeway, for the security of my family.
What do you suggest is a responsible way to go about chasing the dream of bass fishing?
I watched a friend do this. He put $2,000 a year into a fishing fund. This was a comfortable amount that the family could afford and it covered his gas, travel expenses and entry fees. If he got money from sponsors or wins, that was extra, but from the family money he took his budget and when it was gone, it was gone. If it was depleted before the year was over, he was done fishing. If he won more, he added to it. At the end of the year he started with $2,000 again and anything extra he put back into the family. He was putting money back into the family fund every year. He couldn’t afford not to fish.
What do you think about the tournament scene now?
I think the tournaments could do a major turnaround and stabilize but we need the West Coast guys to step up and support one organization. If we did, we would have a circuit second to none and guys would be coming from all over to get in on it.
Why do you think tournament circuits are struggling, now?
The reason why pro team tournaments aren’t successful is that we have too many “professional, amateur” tournaments. I am not against these kinds of tournaments grooming fisherman for the next level. I am against the amount of payback they can win in a tournament. The entry and payout should be at an amateur level in an amateur tournament. How can you call it amateurs when they’re winning cars, boats and that kind of money? More guys would move up to pro level tournaments if the paybacks iin amateur tournaments weren’t at a pro level prize. Amateur anglers should get a capped-amateur level payback.
When would you suggest a “rookie/am” team move to a pro team?
If you are fishing in an “amateur” league
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