I am 21, and I have been borderline obsessed with fishing since a young boy. In the 10 years I have been fishing, I have came a long way. I have learned more about fishing than I have learned about certain subjects in school. I could fish all day everyday, and someday hope to(RETIREMENT!!!) My question is, what age is a good age to start tournament fishing. Up in Noprtheastern Massachusetts, bass fishing isn't so big. I live on the atlantic coast, so Striper fishing is big. I am not aware of any bass fishing clubs or organizations, but would like to tournament fish later in life after college when I have the money to purchase a bass boat and better gear. A lot of kids I work with golf, and they ask me to go play rounds with them, but it just doesn;t interest me. I am a fisherman at heart, and tournament fishign would be my equivalent to golf tourneys.

I know for a fact there are many tourney anglers on this page, so any advice to a young kid hoping to fish them someday. When I am out of school I am co0ntemplating moving somewhere down south where fishing is more respected and honored than up north.

May I suggest you suscribe to Bass Times and Bassmaster Magazine plus Bassin?  Great publicatios and you can read about the national junior bass tournaments.

If you do not know about the junior bass tournaments then post a query on this forum asking about them.

We have had at least one teenager fish the last one and he got his photo in Bass Times.

You will probably have to join a B.A.S.S. or FLW (TBF) affiliated fishing club and then work your way up the ladder into the circuit over a number of years to qualify.

It is very difficult to make the tournament trail.  My friend missed the Classic two years ago by one ounce and he has never made it back that close.

I know you want to fish as a pro but you need your education and a college degree (or be independently wealthy) to fish as a pro.  You need a good career as a base and then try your luck, a little at a time, in your club and Region and state tournaments.

If you constantly make the 6-Man teams or win your Region and state tournaments then you can progress into the pro network.

We have a lot of young guys on this site who can out-fish any of us on any given day.  So just read the posts and ask questions and get that education and then try your luck.

And try your luck BEFORE YOU GET MARRIED!

I would highly reccommend becoming a co-angler next year,in the BFL or BASS weekend series.This is a great way to learn alot about tournament fishing.Check out FLW's website for some info and also check out some of the articles on this site.Good Luck CJ

Click on the link below and scroll down to Mass. There is a list of some of the bass clubs in your state.

The only advice I can give to you....

When you join a club, don't expect to go in and whoop everyone's butt. Chances are that most of the folks have been fishing since you were just a baby, and maybe even before you were born. Pay attention to each person you fish with in the club. Learn from them, and master what the top anglers in the club do.

In the club I belong to, most of the vetern members know good spots on each lake we fish. Most of them also only utilize a few techniques, but they have mastered those few very well. From this I have learned to find and use good lake maps so that when the boat owners ask me for input I can say where I would like to go. And I will also have a good idea of what to throw according to the calender period, and conditions, and feel confident in throwing those lures because the more I fish, the more versatial I become.

Does that make sense? I was up at 4 am today, at the lake by 5 am, and just got home at 8pm. Im tired!  Same thing tomorrow too.

And always remember to have fun!

http://bassresource.com/bassfish/bass_fishing_clubs.html

May I suggest you suscribe to Bass Times and Bassmaster Magazine plus Bassin? Great publicatios and you can read about the national junior bass tournaments.

If you do not know about the junior bass tournaments then post a query on this forum asking about them.

We have had at least one teenager fish the last one and he got his photo in Bass Times.

You will probably have to join a B.A.S.S. or FLW (TBF) affiliated fishing club and then work your way up the ladder into the circuit over a number of years to qualify.

It is very difficult to make the tournament trail. My friend missed the Classic two years ago by one ounce and he has never made it back that close.

I know you want to fish as a pro but you need your education and a college degree (or be independently wealthy) to fish as a pro. You need a good career as a base and then try your luck, a little at a time, in your club and Region and state tournaments.

If you constantly make the 6-Man teams or win your Region and state tournaments then you can progress into the pro network.

We have a lot of young guys on this site who can out-fish any of us on any given day. So just read the posts and ask questions and get that education and then try your luck.

And try your luck BEFORE YOU GET MARRIED!

And try your luck BEFORE YOU GET MARRIED!   I must be one of those smart old men then cuz i dont ever see the marriage thing happing  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D