Net take home after winning?

[Spot-a-saurus]

A top college athlete tops that in NIL

I love tournament bass fishing, but the fact that there are only a couple hundred guys doing this nation wide, and not all of them make great money, says it all about how lucrative the career path is. Some guys make it and I’m happy the dreamers still go after it and the tourney series themselves supply jobs for administration etc. In all honesty I would most likely talk my boys out of trying to take that path after watching some good friends take it themselves. Takes a special person to do this, not only talent wise, but the will to be on the water more than you are with your family at times.
Unless you can afford to haul your family around with you, it is at least a few months away from your family per year, a week to a couple weeks at a time. Not a bad gig for a single dude, but if you’ve got a wife and kids, I would say that’s the most demanding part of the job.

[Mcjenson]

the Fraiser family stores and gas stations are top notch , Micah didn't want to miss his children growing up in the hometown where they have deep roots he got them off the road and back home and to support the entire family they are great people I know you meant well but the just to run gas stations needed to be clarified in my mind all good

I meant no disrespect by that. Honestly running a top notch gas station for your community is more important than being a pro fisherman. I’m just saying if he was pulling in 500k a year fishing I doubt he’d go back running the family business.

As far as the guys saying “well look at their houses”, we have no idea what their situation is. Many guys have spouses that make good money, family money, or successful side businesses. Even the guys that have managed to sell themselves well through earning sponsorships, I would guess many of them would be far more successful if they just worked a traditional sales commission type job. Pro fishing is a great living for some, but horror stories are far more common than success stories, and that’s even at the elite level.

[june-bug]

I meant no disrespect by that. Honestly running a top notch gas station for your community is more important than being a pro fisherman. I’m just saying if he was pulling in 500k a year fishing I doubt he’d go back running the family business.

As far as the guys saying “well look at their houses”, we have no idea what their situation is. Many guys have spouses that make good money, family money, or successful side businesses. Even the guys that have managed to sell themselves well through earning sponsorships, I would guess many of them would be far more successful if they just worked a traditional sales commission type job. Pro fishing is a great living for some, but horror stories are far more common than success stories, and that’s even at the elite level.

What are some of the horror stories? I've heard of guys not making it and having to go back to working a real job etc. but that's just life.

[n2ratfishin]

Meanwhile some young hottie on Tik Tok is worth a couple million.

Count your blessings and enjoy the ride.

[BMCD]

U win the classic you wont have a problem with sponsors. Its well more than the 300k IMO.

[jcdogfish]

Seems like there would be a push to shorten these tournaments. Go to 6 or 8 tournaments per year. Maybe practice day on Friday and fish Saturday-Sunday. Anglers could be home a lot more, or family could travel with them a lot easier. Expenses would be reduced and a lot of them could have a job. Some could probably work for his main sponsor if all he needed off was 6 to 8 weeks off per year. With all the talk all the time about how hard it is to be away from family and all the expense involved I would think a circuit like this could be real good. You could even structure 12 tournaments per year around the country and allow anglers to pick the 6 or 8 they want to fish. Might help with fan burnout too. Some could be scheduled on lakes that are less friendly to FFS. Do we really need all the screaming weigh-ins, 10 guys on TV rambling on instead of covering the fishing. For me the hoopla surrounding tournaments is out of hand. Just cover the fishing and weigh the darn fish. And for someone that loves to nap while watching fishing, get rid of those commercials that knock you out of your recliner when they come on because they are so loud. Well, I gotta run,,they are having a sale on New Balance shoes and I don't want to miss that

[Dixie-Raven]

Seems like there would be a push to shorten these tournaments. Go to 6 or 8 tournaments per year. Maybe practice day on Friday and fish Saturday-Sunday. Anglers could be home a lot more, or family could travel with them a lot easier. Expenses would be reduced and a lot of them could have a job. Some could probably work for his main sponsor if all he needed off was 6 to 8 weeks off per year. With all the talk all the time about how hard it is to be away from family and all the expense involved I would think a circuit like this could be real good. You could even structure 12 tournaments per year around the country and allow anglers to pick the 6 or 8 they want to fish. Might help with fan burnout too. Some could be scheduled on lakes that are less friendly to FFS. Do we really need all the screaming weigh-ins, 10 guys on TV rambling on instead of covering the fishing. For me the hoopla surrounding tournaments is out of hand. Just cover the fishing and weigh the darn fish. And for someone that loves to nap while watching fishing, get rid of those commercials that knock you out of your recliner when they come on because they are so loud. Well, I gotta run,,they are having a sale on New Balance shoes and I don't want to miss that

I like your thinking!

[ttranger]

It can be worth a great deal more if you are marketable, have strong sponsors, and good business sense. Guys like Denny Brauer, who appeared on the Tonight Show after winning the Classic, had a large fan base and very good sponsors which allowed them to cash in on all these opportunities. He was a household name in the fishing world, but that level of success is a lot tougher for a young pro with no real reputation. You have to be relevant for 5 years before the general public really knows who you are.

[dwtaylor]

While I don't care for how much my checks are taxed, it is a blessing to pay taxes.

It sounds like money may have been tight for him prior to winning. This may be something that turns his career around. Good for him!

I do think the allure of being the classic champ is a lot less than it used to be. IMO the last guy to truly cash in on being classic champ was Jordan Lee. Does anyone really talk about Hank Cherry anymore?

[pavi69]

What are some of the horror stories? I've heard of guys not making it and having to go back to working a real job etc. but that's just life.

One comes to mind. Guys who fish BASS for 20+ years and need a go fund me the first time they have a medical incident because they can't afford insurance on their $1,000 a month Social Security check.

[ttranger]

One comes to mind. Guys who fish BASS for 20+ years and need a go fund me the first time they have a medical incident because they can't afford insurance on their $1,000 a month Social Security check.

While this is a sad story, there are many thousands of people across many occupations that are in the same situation. Everyone makes their own life decisions, and trying to be a "professional fisherman" is one of the riskiest choices you could make. The success rate is comparable to most other professional sports which is miniscule.

[Mark Perry]

U win the classic you wont have a problem with sponsors. Its well more than the 300k IMO.

I think that might have changed a bit. Unless he is working social media and maximizing his own brand it's not automatic to get paying sponsors over a win. Even a Classic win.

Pure Fishing dropped Hank Cherry after he won two Classics and supposedly had a big gand in developing the Stunna.

[Quillback]

It wasn’t long ago hamner said he pulled in 7k in sponsorships for his elite year. Foutz was worse than that. Micah Frazier just quit to run gas stations. It’s not great money for a lot of guys.

Depends where you live too. $300K for a family of four here in NWA would give you 2-3 years of living expenses, assuming house payments, couple of cars, bass boat, putting some aside from retirement and everything else. Someplace like the Bay area in CA, that's about a year of living.

I think these guys are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to tourney payouts. It's been $100k for a win for how long? But they don't seem to have a shortage of guys willing to fish, so why raise it?

[NitroZ7]

Depends where you live too. $300K for a family of four here in NWA would give you 2-3 years of living expenses, assuming house payments, couple of cars, bass boat, putting some aside from retirement and everything else. Someplace like the Bay area in CA, that's about a year of living.

I think these guys are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to tourney payouts. It's been $100k for a win for how long? But they don't seem to have a shortage of guys willing to fish, so why raise it?

Very true and when you factor in inflation, even the 100k is a lot lower payout than it was 4 years ago.

[RNKingCx19]

Maybe a good check nice few paydays. Popular guy around the fishing world. I hope they take care of the winnings.

[TNsmalliesfan]

Does BASS flip the lodging costs and food? When did BASS stop supplying boats for the classic? Seems everything these days in regards to big events has gone down hill? Am I right

[tcesni]

Meanwhile some young hottie on Tik Tok is worth a couple million.

Count your blessings and enjoy the ride.

While I’m reading this thread a commercial with Olivia Dunne (NIL) just came across my TV. I bet she makes more as a college student than 95% of pro bass anglers.

[Mark Perry]

Does BASS flip the lodging costs and food? When did BASS stop supplying boats for the classic? Seems everything these days in regards to big events has gone down hill? Am I right

BASS stopped supplying Classic boats years ago. The anglers requested to use their own boats.

[Mcjenson]

While I’m reading this thread a commercial with Olivia Dunne (NIL) just came across my TV. I bet she makes more as a college student than 95% of pro bass anglers.

100%. The female athletes make a killing in NIL money (if they are hot ). It wouldn't surprise me if she has made more annual income in the past few years than any pro angler.

[I.P. Freely]

Meanwhile some young hottie on Tik Tok is worth a couple million.

Count your blessings and enjoy the ride.

Yep, young, skinny, big boobs and a nice smile. Hard life lol