Hale

SWEET! That number would be greatly appreciated!

Joe Thomas Ish Monroe

Heres a thought for the trounament side of it: Regular joe's, weekend warriors, etc WIN money at their events whereas the true pro EARNS his money at events. So with that said, finances EARNED would make you a professional and finances WON make you lucky.

We can all agree that George is definitely a professional....but come on George your street cred is fading by hanging with the likes of Don WWF...

yea cuz mez an idiut ands I goat noh edumaction so keepn her strait fourword helpz me ouht. i reely like that ud help meh ouht like that cuz noone never done notin like that bfour! I understood what you meant...hence the laughing smilies

Now that's funny!!!!

I wish I could claim it as my own but my grandfather had it on an old wooden sign on his porch when I was a kid. Just one of those things that stuck in my head and still makes me laugh!

You can adjust the trim tab on the lower unit. If its pulling to the right turn the trailing edge to the right. Its just a single bolt you can loosen and turn the tab.

I 100% agree with that! Buying your way into does not validate you as a pro! Just this week I was looking at entering the Bassmaster Opens for the 2008 season. I am/was considering doing it as a boater. If I entered this as a boater the tournament would consider me a pro. And im not even close to such a thing. So I could buy my way into this. Just by deciding to pay 1000+ entry fee and bringing my own boat instead of riding shotgun with someone else. It would be nice to see an actual pro get on here and see what his input is on the whole thing!

There is a thread about Jimmy Houston. I dont know what Brook's deal is, but to say Jimmy Houston didnt make a living this year on fishing is clearly wrong. He didnt make any money on the Elite Series, but is still doing very well for himslef just on endorsements and his TV show....again solely based on the fact that he is a professional.

senile and keith both of your guys are absolutley right and nobody should ever assume that another boat will get out of the way. By all means if there is a fish onboard, TM dead or whatever the situation maybe then sit where you are. I was meaning this in regards to someone just fishing the middle, drifting out in the middle not paying attention, etc. When I see another boat in the distance its 'yellow flag' time. I see that boat mover over closer to the shoreline its green flag again! Of course this being an area of water greater than 30 yards wide and no hazards are created by my wake (Im not such a d**k to put somoene in the rocks). As far as laws your right keith, and by no means am I saying its a bad or wrong law. But the law also say you cant overcome (pass)another vehicle by exceeding the speed limit...we all do it everyday and it hurts nobody. (please no discussions about speeders and how they kill people...it was a general point). The law also points out a boater is responsible for his/her own wake. There is definitely a line between inconvenience and irresponsibility.

Holy s**t I swear this forum is full of a bunch of little girls at times (no offense to the woman that are on here....but you know what I mean ;D). Okay I will say this sloooowwwly.....I did quote you Keith on saying the hunter was wrong. But I have no idea if you were in the middle of the canal that day...I wasnt there and I dont care. What I can say is that I fish over 250 days a year, atleast 200 of those in freshwater and I can tell you of the HUNDREDS of boats that sit in the middle of a high traffic canal. If the few of you on here that posted dont do that good for you. But someone who is reading this does do it. I was attempting to make a general point.

Im the same way, I just didnt want to say it! I have no problems chunking lead at someone, chasing them down, etc. Get me out in remote lake and Im bound to fire a shot across the bow. People making mistakes dont bother me, its the people who have elected themselves to be king turd and do what they want, when they want, in complete disregard to everyone around them. This doesnt just go for the waterways; it includes the roadways, the line at the bank, the movie theatre etc. Ahhhhh there was my tantrum for the day!

senile1 My comment was based on this quote directly out of this thread: I by no means was coming after you on that or anyone for that matter. Maybe he was in the wrong I wasnt there. I was jsut pointing out that we are sometimes quick to judge and point out others lack of good judgement when 'we' are making the same mistakes.

Thats comparing apple and oranges. Take Joe Thomas for example, we all know he is a pro - no argument there, but Im sure he is making a lot more money with Outdoor Channel (Angler on Tour, Ultimate Match Fishing Host, Sponsorship, etc) than he is on the Elite Series. BUT, those things would not be there for him if werent a professional athlete. Its no different for Jordan, Howie Long, John Madden, etc. After these posts my opinion is that anyone who can provide a living for his family with a fishing pole is a proffesional. Regardless if he is a guide, tournament fisher, product tester, tv host, etc. Now if he has two, three or four other proffesions it doesnt matter....can he provide for a family with just fishing? As I started this thread with the comment of my surfing, I can say that I was a pro at it in every aspect but one...I surfed two tours full-time, had salary paying sponsors, etc. But I could not provide a living for myself off the income. After expenses and taxes (sponsors dont pay for everything) I was bringing home maybe 25k at the end of the year. So I did have other 'jobs' going on to make things work out right. So my opinion on the pro thing now contradicts what I have lived through.

Im with Cajun. Im sick of watching a**holes pull down the ramp, then start getting everything ready...taking 10 minutes or more. Then its the same when pulling out. Ive spent most of my life in a boat wether it be for fishing or sporting and the first thing I was taught by my grandfather and dad was how to get your boat in and out QUICKLY! As far as people blowing by in a canal. I dont care for several reasons*. If its any bigger than 30 yards wide, whos cares its just a wake..10 seconds later the wake is gone. I would much rather have a wake then talk to some guy about how the day is going and what Im fishing with to catch anything. *Now if its really narrow and you plow by or get really close...I will deal with it accordingly! And its not so much as the inconvenience of a wake as its a putting my safety at risk. If I see a boat coming and he is letting off of it to be courteous I will wave him on by, again its a wake who cares. Doing this by ramps, docks, or people tied up to any type of structure is a completely different story. Its funny that we can point out the hunter was wrong for taking up that area, but I feel the same way when someone parks in the middle of a canal. Its not your water to claim as yours, you see a boat coming put your foot on the trolling motor, scoot out of the way and let him by.

He was talking about in once on a show and I dont remember exactly what he said, but it had something to do with his family and the rigors of the tour. Yeah, I went a little overboard on the last post...for some reason it just hit a button! And now we got someone calling Roger Clemens a 'fair' pro ;D ;D (The old man averaged 9 KO's per game and a 2.3 something era this year...better than fair huh?)

Not to get off subject here: Your occupation is listed on your 1040 forms. You personally list your occupation each year and it does make a difference to the IRS. Especially when they are comparing your income to write-offs, etc. bshaner: I have the answer to your question in my head....Im just getting down in words exactly how I want....Ill get back on that one.

That was kind of my point to all of this and why I wanted to see everyone elses view on it. I somewhat disagree with you though on the Pro Tours. For instance, anyone can go out and hit the three events at Bassmaster Opens and qualify for the next years Elite Series. Ranking in three events at: Kissimmee, Santee, and Wheeler is not really that difficult considering those are producing lakes and anyone can get some weight there (not underminding the competition). BASS has formatted their trails to be easy for anyone to enter and compete. Providing them the opportunity to become a 'PRO' without many years of hardship, abuse, and sacrifices. We did get off track on something that concerns me. The money issue: No other sport will allow an amatuer to recieve cash payouts and still be qualified to fish events as an amatuer status....dont go there when it comes to the Olympics or NCAA either. I think this sport needs a governing body that clearly outlines the guidelines and regulations of being a pro or amatuer. BASS and FLW are nothing but big business and have no concern in being a leading example of the sport (unless its for marketing purposes). Dont get me wrong, Im not bashing them either, I just see the need for some order!

same

Im on

I agree with the security issues of IE7, even though I still use it. Ive gotten use to shortcuts in IE that drive me crazy for being absent in other browsers (i.e. Ctrl+enter to add www. .com to any name in address bar)

I think your onto something here. The guy in this example would write off his fishing as a hobby (if the money is even accounted for to Uncle Sam). Where as guy number 2 is explcitely filling in regards to fishing being his primary source of income.

I dont think we are going to get a better answer than that!!!

Im sure it wont change your opinion, but this is a new feature in IE7 as well.