Pro Bass Fisherman

[rollyourboat]

So as a tennis player I know that pros and mostly bigger names have access to finer things. They get custom racquets, grades/materials of graphite for their racquet and fine tune their specs as well as other things like strings, handles, shoes, etc. I've been fishing for a while now too and I can't help but wonder.... What are some perks of being a professional in bass fishing? I've never heard or seen an article on it. I'm not talking about getting sponsors and getting free or discounted stuff. But I'm talking more about do you guys think they get custom colors for baits that no one else does? Or have a specific action and power made for a certain rod that the public can't buy? Or even the fishing line itself is something different? I'm not trying to start a conspiracy here but I am genuinely curious because in just about every sport it's the case. Athletes have access to better and higher end equipment that's been fine tuned just for them unlike the rest of us and I find it hard to believe that the reel I pick up at a sporting goods store, is the "exact" same as a pro fishing for $150000 who is sponsored. Not to mention if anyone has every watched pros closely on live TV, a lot of times obviously they are using prototypes but they also have certain colors that we never see hit the market. Just want to hear some your thoughts.

[Tim Kelly]

Fishing isn't like sports like tennis. You can be the world's best tennis player and you will win nearly all the time. You can be Kevin Van Dam and not win for years. The gear pros use is generally worse than most of the guys looking at these forums use as they're using stuff that they're selling to a mass market. We can muck about for years agonising over which blank, reel seat and guide we want, just for us. Fishing professionally is far less about the gear than the knowledge and the decision making.

[edwelch1]

Eh, I don't see it being that much different for fishing than other sports.

Custom pro gear in other sports, like your tennis racket example, usually isn't a pro getting access to better equipment in terms of materials, it's usually pros getting access to existing equipment that has minor tweaks for their own subjective personal tastes. Most NHL players are using production sticks and skates; if they have anything custom made, it's usually for custom fit, like custom skates for oddly shaped feet, not better materials/performance. Some might be using stuff that will be the next year model, but the gap to the consumer market gear is never a huge one.

If there is a material/product that a company is developing that is objectively better than what's currently on the consumer market, they're generally trying to get that into full production sooner rather than later so that they can start making money off of it. There's absolutely no financial incentive for companies in any sport to withhold better technology from the general public just for the sake of pros having something special...especially in the fishing community, where gear junkies are so prevalent and willing to be easily separated from their money for even just subjectively "better" equipment. Why only give it to your pros, and not make much money (if at all), when you can have your pro advertise the product to the general public that will then go and buy it?

There is likely some R&D early access for pros care about those types of connections with their sponsors, but otherwise the companies aren't going to spend extra time and money producing something special for a pro (that they give to the pro for free), that they aren't planning on selling to the public ASAP.

[uljersey]

Fishing isn't like sports like tennis. You can be the world's best tennis player and you will win nearly all the time. You can be Kevin Van Dam and not win for years. The gear pros use is generally worse than most of the guys looking at these forums use as they're using stuff that they're selling to a mass market. We can muck about for years agonising over which blank, reel seat and guide we want, just for us. Fishing professionally is far less about the gear than the knowledge and the decision making.

This pretty much sums it up. ^^^^^^

If you suck at fishing with a Zebco 33 mounted on an Ugly Stick, chances are you'll still suck at it if you have a Shimano mounted on a Loomis. It aint the arrow, it's the indian. I appreciate nice gear as much as the next guy, but it borders on comical when some insinuate that their rod is so sensitive they can read the date on a quarter 30' down on the bottom of the lake by dragging a jig across it Maybe so, but can you catch fish when most people can't ? That's what separates the pros from the Joes. I see the same thing in my field ... guys have these massive Snap On toolboxes loaded to hilt with everything and they have zero skills, while some have a beater box filled with a mix of everything and they're freaking brilliant with their hands. It's just the way it is.

[M Perry]

You definitely can get access to custom colors and even modified lures. Rods and reels are a bit harder as its not cost effective to do smaller quantity runs of those. You can get access to prototypes that have different actions and features than final production model but those will be in very small quantities.

You also can have access to design a lure or color pattern a d get it in production.

[CheezusCrust]

Lots of pros jerk a vision 110 when the cameras aren't on them.And they switch back to whatever jerkbait their sponsors throw at them when they are in the spotlight.

[BRONZEBACK32]

I can give you the best golf clubs in the world, but will it make you win the masters?

No, but it will help IMO.

If I was a Pro, I would want the best tackle and gear available....

Those that are sponsored usually get gear for free, they get to be the first to test gear and even have rods with their names
on them that they create with the sponsor, they get early access to baits/boats/line/trucks, it just depends on the sponser.

[Johnny A]

This is timely, as I watched the MLF tourney on Lake Eufala this past week and watched Bret Hite using Evergreen America rods. Up until last year, he had JDM sticks on his deck. That’s not to say he doesn’t have JDM models in his boat. If you want to engage in tackle conspiracy theories, you could say he was using JDM models wrapped like USDM models but that would probably defeat the purpose.
I’m sure if you were willing to pay for a 10,000 piece run of candy cane pumpkinseed worms, you could probably find somebody to do it.

[hoohoorjoo]

I know folks who will do custom color runs of a lot less than 10,000 pieces.

[Johnny A]

I know folks who will do custom color runs of a lot less than 10,000 pieces.

Yeah, I know ...