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...

There are tournament trails that cater to Pro anglers by making certain rules about entry fees as the way of defining what a Pro angler is. This rule allows the Pro to enter an Amateur/Semi Pro tournament; however does not insure a win for the Pro; I compare this to a Nextel Cup driver in a Busch race. Is it fair to the Amateur/Semi Pro angler? Personally it doesn't bother me because I both beaten and have been beaten by these anglers.

As far the comments about buying your way into the Pro rankings let's examine farther earthworms post. Since hurricanes Katrina/Rita there are thousands of new construction companies but just because some one can swing a hammer does not make him a carpenter.

Oh by the way the IRS could care less what you put under occupation on your tax forms, their only concern is your gross income and the percentage your paid towards income tax.  

the way i look at it is pro= paycheck

amateur well not much money but i can catch a lot of fish all across the usa and it cost me the support in fun. i'm a professional salesman because thats what i get paid to do! doesn't matter if i work for the largest firm or for a company that has only 2 stores. same as fishing doesn't matter what or who as long as i am making my living from fishing. be it fishing small torneys across usa or fishing the flw. guides are hired to take customers to fish,therefore they are professional fisherman. people selling fishing tackle ;boats or anything else fishing related are salesman! just my 2 cents   zimmy  8-)

Since hurricanes Katrina/Rita there are thousands of new construction companies but just because some one can swing a hammer does not make him a carpenter.

100% accurate

Zimmy, how much money? The $10.00 lunker pool is a far cry from the 250K at MegaBucks. I'd hardly consider anything under 50K 1st place payout as Pro level money. However, I'm not classifying a "Pro" by the events he fishes based on the purse.

I would classify the trail he fishes as "Pro" level though if and only if it is a credible cicuit. Now there is this talk about paying a Pro entry fee. If you make competitive Bass fishing your career and do it on a weekly basis fishing the tour and following it around the country, you do the speaking engagements, videos, shows etc you are a Pro Tournament Angler. If you are a guy who works a regular job as a contractor during the week and fishes a couple of tournaments throughout the year on the Pro side....you are a contractor who fishes an occassional Pro tournament, You are not a Professional Tournament Fisherman!

If entering a tournament under the Pro side of it makes you a Pro(in your mind) for that tournament, we can debate this till the end of time, call yourselves whatever you want to be called. But consider your group of peers.....the guys fishing the Elite 50 events are not among them, they are the true Pro's.

Catt, You are right, the tax man only wants his money, just like the tournament organizer. My point about the IRS is that the guy claiming taxes must classify himself as something. I'd guess most are truthful and if they are contractors, that is likely the classification they likely put down. There are more write offs on a yearly basis.

In my opinion, it is absurd that anyone can with a straight face consider themselves a Pro based on the amount of money they spend to enter an event. I'm not talking about the FLW or BASS events. I'm talking about all of these other cicuits who feel it necessary to make up some definition of what a Pro classification is. You might be a Pro to them because they cash your checks however, methinks that you have to earn the right to fish in the more credible, elite competitions and they are not open to you merely because you can pay the fee. To be a Professional in any trade or craft, there is a degree of skill that you need to have that exceeds the skill of the masses. It sets you apart from the common man. There are only a handful of guys who have that ability and they are truly the Pro's.

Professional by definition

A: participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs <a professional golfer>

B: having a particular profession as a permanent career <a professional soldier>

C: engaged in by persons receiving financial return <professional football>

It appears by the definition everyone is correct

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.

HEY EARTHWORM

WE CAN ALL KEEP GOING AROUND AN AROUND ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND THERE IS PROBALLY MORE THAN ONE RIGHT AN WRONG ANSWER. SO LETS JUST GO FISHING (PRO OR AMATUER)  

The things that make a pro, a pro, is not seen  or asked about on the entry form.

I agree that their are guys who can pay the money and are not pros.  Whos arguing that point?

Byron Velvick did not go thru a season of qualifing events to earn the pro spot.  He got lucky and happened to be in the right spot at the right time with the needed money to fill needed spots for 2006.

Now for the 2007 season of the Elite, you had to qualify for, and Byron failed badly.

By the rules of lesser trails, and these lesser trails come from all walks of life, the rules of most define a pro by their past 12 months of entry fees.   He is considered a pro by what he fished, and what he paid.    Its not our fault he gambled and went pro is it?

Why the need for such a rule?   Its gives the true amatuers a chance to compete with like skilled anglers.  Not jack potters or pros.

I recognize the BASS Elite series and the FLW tour as the only two pro trails out there, the rest in my book are semi pro trails used for qualifing and stepping stones.

To protect our "LITTLE" trails in Tx, we have thousands of guys who have BASS and FLW experience.    I don't know about others, but having Kelly Jordan,  T. Omari, Brooks Rogers, Richard McCarty, and 100 other pros from the Fork area would be no fun watching these guys win most events in our areas when they are for amatuers.   Or the other half of the guides who are fishing a BFL or BASS weekend series.

Thus the little statement on 95% of all entry forms around the country.   It keeps our amatuer tourneys open to amatuers only.

Notice not one entry form I posted said $5500.00,   they are less than that, they are talking pro to semi pro tours, and again, it just ensures that an amatuer trail is just that.    

I am sorry that the entry forms don't have the questions to clearify the moniker that yall seek for approval of who is pro or is not pro material.

You can start a thread that is called,    " What makes a pro a true Professional?" and all the character points mentioned would be valid as for "What makes you a Pro?"

But as it stands now, the only way for a Tournament Director to know if all his contestants are amatuers is the little blurb on entry fees paid in the last 12 months.

hookem

matt

Matt, I hear you.

What makes a pro a true Professional This statement is pretty much how I interpreted the original post. I've been in the industry for about 15years as a writer, custom tackle shop owner and thru competition. I've cashed checks and done well on smaller cicuits. I run around for my sponsors, I do seminars, TV, write articles and books and even shoot videos and I guided in NY. I however, despite earning an income from the things I do in the industry, wouldn't consider myself a Pro.

Agreed about Velvick!

What makes you a Pro is when you are characterized by your subordinates as conforming to the technical & ethical standards of your profession. This is accomplished by exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace.