Becoming a Professional Angler
Posted: Saturday, January 07, 2012
by steven vonbrandt
The Bass College
There are very few guys that make it in the pro ranks and make a living fishing, and in todays economy, it is even harder.
Most professional athletes in any sport start out very young, and only a handful make it to the top levels of their sport.
It starts with entering the Junior Tournaments and B.A.S.S. Federated club, and fishing every chance you get with adults who have done this for years.
Now that the FLW has High School and College programs, this is a very important thing to be involved in as well. Practicing your casting and fish landing skills every chance you get and using the highest quality equipment you can get regardless of what brands you choose is important to learn properly.
When a young anglers starts out they think that if they just win a lot of tournaments, sponsors will just notice them and want them, and that is a big misconception.
Sure, if you won almost every minor tournament you entered, including a few mid levels and a major, you would be much more marketable than somebody who wins nothing, but not as marketable as a guy who just grinds it out and places in the top 20 and maybe gets a win once in a while, who has a better resume' and develops better communication skills before and while they are getting to that level. You can't just start doing it, then after fishing for a while and you maybe win one, say, Ok Now Ill start talking to sponsors. Good Luck.
Why?
Because companies are looking for a person who is loyal to their products, believes in them, knows about their company, and does more than just win at times wearing their Jersey. Like it or not, this is sales! If you don't want to be in sales, or a salesman in one way or another, then you picked the wrong sport to be a professional in.
Most professional anglers make only a small part of their income from actual tournament winnings, and most professional anglers, even top names, have never won a major event. Sales is what this is about. A company wants to know what you can do for them other than wear a Jersey. They want an angler who can present themselves well, write a tip or article without a hundred grammatical errors in them, and be able to speak on video giving instructions, and on the stage. Somebody with confidence in not only their ability to fish and win, but somebody who has confidence in themselves and what they are saying and promoting. These are the things that we here at The Bass College are helping select young anglers achieve.
The Bass College has restructured their Pro Staff programs into different parts and it will give the young anglers who are in the Junior Pro Staff, (that is, under 18, and not yet fishing any major events), a platform to build a real resume' and show and demonstrate leadership skills and promotional ability, by running the Junior forums, helping young anglers with questions, participating in the Ask A Pro section or a Specialty section such as swimbaits, and running a chat room,making videos, writing tips, short articles, in the Junior forums where they can critique and help them develop and then bring those skills back to the main forums.
The PRO STAFF is to be an ELITE staff, who promote the site at a high level and it requires a real committment, and requires fishing a tour such as Evertstart or FLW or Bass as a co-angler or Pro and directing the other administrative and Junior Staff and being involved in the forums on a regular basis, as well as doing short tips, articles and videos throughout they year, and recruiting new members and sponsors for the site.
The Junior Pro Staff are working towards that level, and the Staff and Technical staff provide support for them and the site.
In order to be able to promote the Juniors that we feel have potential the proper way, we need to establish the right things on a resume' before and during the time we are working on the actual fishing, and on the water training we provide, by actually going with you on the water where you will be competing and offering advice, locations and tips for you to succeed.
This is something no other place does, and why The Bass College is special.
We help with these things online and on the water, and as you approach the point of getting ready to enter the higher level events, and turn 18, we need to be vigilant about what you have done and are doing if we want the best chance to get you sponsored by other companies, to help with not only baits and discounts on products, but boats, and even entry fees at times, so you need to stay in contact and participate in the programs we have.
If this is what you are looking for The Bass College can help you do this, but the effort that we put out for you is expected in return. This wont happen without a lot of effort on your part as this draws near.
Now is the time to step up and make a move or step off and just have fun fishing. It's up to you!! This is no different than when college entrance exams come around or SAT's, and you want to get into a great college, well you don't get in with C's and D's and by not participating in any clubs or being involved in various programs, it takes planning in advance.This is the same deal. Call Tom Wolverton and talk about what we can do for you if you are willing to work. Time is short.
There is more help available on this topic and other tournament tactics at The Bass College site at http://thebasscollege.com
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