I've given it a lot of thought, and I've decided once and for all that I have to give it a shot. I've had success at the club and Federation levels, and I've put myself in the position to take the leap. I'm retiring from the Army in October, and I'm ready to start chasing the dream that I put on hold for the past 20 years. I've registered to fish a Bassmaster Open this summer as a coangler in order to get a feel for the format. Next year, I will fish all three of the Central Opens and all three of the Southern Opens as a pro. I'd like to fish the Northern Opens as well, so I can maximize my opportunities to qualify for the Classic/Elites, but I'm not sure that I have the budget for it. 

I wish you nothing but 25lb + bags and that you don't lose one fish . 

 

 

Good luck.  Nothing like chasing your dreams, hopefully it all works out.

You should fish the FLW's as well.  Why not try to get into both.  If you win at the top levels in the FLW Costa's series the pay isn't bad, and if you happen to win the championship then you get to fish the Forest Wood Cup.  Go big or go home.  Do both, go all in and give um hell.

Go for it man! A 20 year dream is definitely worth pursing, and sounds like you'll have the time to do it! Wish you all the luck, and remember... Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good! lol

 

GJM

First of all Thank You for your service. I wish you the best of luck. 

Stop by once in a while and let us know how, when and what you did where. 

You are a lucky man to have the chance and means to chase your dream. 

 

Mike

10 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

You should fish the FLW's as well.  Why not try to get into both.  If you win at the top levels in the FLW Costa's series the pay isn't bad, and if you happen to win the championship then you get to fish the Forest Wood Cup.  Go big or go home.  Do both, go all in and give um hell.

It's a budget issue. I can't afford to do both. I'm a life member of B.A.S.S., so that's the route I'm taking. I may end up fishing FLW in the future, but I'm starting with B.A.S.S.

Thanks for your service bud. That being said watch out for my guy Steve Mui in the Northern Opens .  Also this legend is right up your alley http://legendmarine.com/tactical. The Anglers Choice tournaments are a great option for tournaments and a way to win a legend boat. I know two guys that have one them. One being Steve Mui as a co-angler. 

Just budget your money it can get expensive out there and you've got to want it. Just loving to fish isn't enough you've got to have blood in your eyes. You've got to eat sleep and breathe it and remember everyone has the same rods reels baits etc. Just keep it simple fish what you're confident in. Try not to stress over the little things if you jump off a fish just throw right back in there don't freak out.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! 

I hope to be fishing against you in 10 years lol. So good luck go out there and show em how we do it on bassresource! I set a 10 year goal to fish the elite series a few months ago so let me know how it goes!

i wish you much luck in pursuing your dreams man!!  sounds like a ton of fun to me.

and let me echo the above and say thank you for your service!!

Dont want to be a downer but just keep in mind it cost a minimum of a 100,000 a year to fish at the top level

I am so glad you decided to follow your dream, so many guys dream about it but never try to achieve it.

18 hours ago, Wbeadlescomb said:

Dont want to be a downer but just keep in mind it cost a minimum of a 100,000 a year to fish at the top level

I'm not sure where you came up with that figure, but you can rest assured that I have done due diligence prior to making this decision. My Army pension will more than cover the costs of entry fees into the six Bassmaster Opens that I plan to fish plus expenses such as gas, motel rooms, tackle, and my boat payment and insurance. I guess you could say that I'm taxpayer sponsored.

I'm talking about the elite series 45,000 in entry fees plus travel hotel rooms food insurance maintenance gear etc

I think that's awesome!

Ya gonna wear a Bassresource patch on your jersey?

I'll probably reserve a spot somewhere for a Bass Resource logo.

The best of luck too you . I think it would be a blast . Fish with confidence,  dont be intimidated and cash some checks .