The Brandon Palaniuks and Jacob Wheelers of the world don’t necessarily have to worry about timing. They’re going to get theirs, whether it’s an early schedule, a late schedule, a diverse schedule, or some mix of all of the above. The true talents of our sport can catch fish in the middle of a parking lot mud puddle during a December cold front full moon while standing on one foot.
But assuming you’re not one of those generational talents – and you still want to fish as a career – what should you do?
Unfortunately, the incredible difficulty of qualifying for either of the top-tier circuits means that if that’s your dream, and you get the golden ticket, you kind of have to take it. There are lots of great sticks in the Opens and on the former FLW Tour who can’t pull it together consistently enough to make that leap. In other words, if you’ve decided you’re going, and you get the call-up, there’s probably nothing I can do to convince you otherwise. Nevertheless, think about timing and its implications.
Right now, gas is approaching or even exceeding $5 a gallon throughout much of the US. As far as I know, to fish any qualifying circuit, you need to put gas in both a boat and something to pull it with. That takes money. Lots of money. Especially if you’re going to fish eight or nine qualifiers. So let’s say you’re a 22-year-old hotshot, ready to take on the world, unfortunately not a trust-funder but smart enough not to go into major debt to chase the dream. Is 2023 the year that you try to make it happen? If you go balls to the wall in that direction, and it doesn’t, does that foreclose the possibility that you’ll be able to try in future years when you might be better financially situated and perhaps even a more seasoned angler?
Consider, too, the schedule that’s in front of you? Does it play to your strengths, seasonally and geographically? We’ve seen guys qualify through the Opens in years where a division had two river derbies (for example, some combination of the Sabine, the Arkansas, and the Red) and then maybe a wild card tournament, like a super-tough Lewisville. It could be a case of the cream rising to the top, but it could also be a situation where a very particular skill set (and perhaps a dash of luck) win out. It’s almost a better proof of concept to qualify from a division that’s outside of your comfort zone, or outside of your region if you want to go to the next level. It shows that you’re not just living on home cooking and a timely dash of luck.
Unfortunately, the waiting list – not just to get to the tour level, but to the qualifiers for the tour level – is long. No one wants to wait. No one wants to give up a chance to “go pro” or “live their dream.” That’s why every year we see anglers who could have made a career out of fishing if they’d just waited a bit grab for that brass ring too soon and flame out in a hurry. It’s not a sport like baseball or football or basketball where your body is a ticking time clock, yet no one wants to get sprayed by anyone else’s rooster tail.
