Kozak

I'll be heading off to college next year and yeah I actually somewhat based my choices on whether or not they had a Bass Club ;D My two top choices are Texas A&M and NC State U, currently waiting to hear back from them, fingers are crossed to the point where they may be molded together permantly I'm from MA though, up in the NorthEast so I don't know if that will have a effect on whether I get accepted or not, I'm hoping not. It's going to be a little more expensive than a in-state school if I get in, but I figured, either go big or go home. It's kind of cold here in MA so I'd rather not stay home. Where ever I end up I'm looking to major in fisheries/conservation and a minor in business, eventually become a pro bass angler but work with a fishing company in marketing/retail in between becoming a pro and college.

I didn't think CBAA had anything to do with the championship in Arkansas? Wasn't it CollegeBass AKA Smashmouth? www.collegebass.com ??? I'm already applying to a few schools that have clubs in place but if I end up getting into one that doesn't, they say they're very easy to start.

wish I lived closer... it's like a 4-5 hour drive from here

what about rainy days during the cooler weather? Any specific method people prefer? EDIT: nevermind. I'll answer my own question after fishing a rainy fall day today 8-) well "Kozak0085", what I would do is try tossing a bait that stands out against the color of the sky. I'll tend to go with BLACK. Buzzbaits work very well during drizzle and spinnerbaits and senkos while the rain is a bit heavier

if you take the UL make sure you play the fish until they're too tired to do anything, which could take a whole lot of minutes.

Spinnerbaits, Fluke-type baits (zoom, bassassin, mann's hardnose all work great), senkos (wacky or texas) and buzzbaits

I'm a bass fisherman and I spot/pattern. You can put me in front of any pond or lake and most likely I will be able to catch some bass. At the same time, I do have my sweet spots that I will try, but I'll also look at the conditions and find the pattern. If the wind's blowing against a shoreline, I'm going to go fish that shoreline and save my sweet spot for another time.

I'm also from MA, and I agree. The state record is a little over 15lbs but I can't see that being broken anytime soon, biggest bass I've ever seen was my own 8lber. Along with the 8lber;I've caught quite a few 5's this year, a 6, and a 7. But yeah, it depends on the area/climate because that changes the growing season and the type of forage the bass have to eat. Around here, the water ices over for about 3-4 months out of the year and the bass become basically dormant, not really growing.

thanks a lot everyone, I'll take it all to heart hachiesting I'm sending you a PM

thank you Sam, that was all very helpful. I am currently a Senior in High School. So I already have taken my SATs & gotten good scored, been on the high honor roll since middle school and it's staying that way this year. and I already have a truck that should last me for a while so that's one payment that's done Like you said, I may end up finding a girl and settling down, honestly, I really would rather spend my life bass fishing for a job right now, than settle down. I love the ladies, and kids are cool to, but I wouldn't want to put them through the hassle of me always being gone. Perhaps I'd come back after years of pro-angling and fine a wife then, perhaps adopt a child if we're too old or something. what I'll probably do straight out of college is find somewhere where I can get a fishing-related job, with BPS or something of that sort and do fishing on the side. Eventually when I have enough money I'll buy a bass boat and step it up from there. thanks again and Robby, I'm 90% sure I read that somewhere, here's their site, collegebass.com . I don't know if the colleges have to pay something to register, I dont think they do. ESPN has a bunch of sponors in on it and it's very good publicity for them, so I believe the food and hotel are deffinately free thanks again

haha good to see there's others like me, I see it as; there's going to be a need for a new generation of bass anglers and I'd like to be one of them when the time comes thanks Robby for the advice, I know not to go to college just for the fishing. I dont know if you've heard of CollegeBass (Smash-Mouth) but it's sponsored by ESPN and Under Armor, they also have a yearly championship, it was just last weekend. Each registered college sends their top 2 anglers and it's all expense paid. VA-Tech won this year's championship. I could start a fishing team at whichever college I go to but the fact that my first choices already have one in tact is just a plus. Depending on where I go, I as well will see if I have enough time to join a local club thanks again

Hey everyone, This is my first post but I figured there's more fishing brains here than anyother forum on the net, so I've came to you in search of advice. Alright, I'm in my Senior year of High School and am getting ready to apply to about 6 colleges. I'm going in to major in buisness and wildlife conservation, with the dream of one day bass fishing full time as a sponsored bass angler. I feel like it's my calling, but I'm only 17. This is where I need advice. I come from a not-so-rich family where money can't really be tossed around with buying boats and such. Would trying to start tournaments straight out of college be a okay thing to try? or do you think I should get a job with a fishing company first and make some money before putting it on the line? The main reason I'd like to try and jump into tournaments (they wouldn't be big money ones at first) is because I feel that if I settle down and get a decent job with a fishing company, I'll never 'get back up' and go for my dream. I understand the sacrifices and hard work it would take to become a professional bass angler, but I'm willing to do both of those, as I have my entire life. I've gotten straight A's all through school and that's came from very hard work and making sacrifices (quitting football at one point for instance). Right now I'm hoping to get into either Texas A&M, Texas Tech U, or NC State U. Those are my top choices and all of them have competitive bass teams, I think they could even give me a taste of what tournament fishing is like. I live in the Northeast right now (MA) and bass fishing isn't huge around here, so I've never had the chance to join a club. I hope someone can offer some advice. I'm basically wondering how to get started fresh out of college. thanks -MarkK