JD,
Ive loved fishing since i was first introduced to it at the age of three by my grandmother(RIP). I am 24 years old now and my whole life I have dreamed of becoming a pro angler.

I have had this dream forever but i don’t have the knowledge or resources to began my journey as a angler. So could you please help me out on how to get started as angler. Thank you and good luck fishing.

–Andre

Andre,

Well, I would start with your local bass club — there’s usually one or more clubs in “bassy” parts of the country. Start fishing the smaller tournaments — they’ll be less expensive to start with and you can get a whole lot of experience there.

Then, once you’ve had some success, graduate to the next level. In a lot of cases, future pros get their start by fishing as “co-anglers” (aka back seaters) until they finish enough times in the top 25 to move on.

To get onto one of the two big bass tours — the Wal Mart FLW Tour and the Bassmasters Tour, you’ll have to win enough times in their lower levels to qualify. Once there, you’ll have to have some solid financial backing from sponsors because it costs quite a bit of $$ to be on tour. Keep in mind that very few of the touring pros are making the big dough.

But, if you have the fire and want to dedicate yourself, I’m sure you’ll do well. Check out my FLW Touring pal Big Fred Contaoi’s website for a glimpse into the life: http://www.bigfredfishing.com