I have read many articles referencing the Elites as athletes. I have also heard Elites say they are athletes. I love competing in bass tournaments and love watching the Elites compete, but I would not call them athletes in any sense of the word. Is it just because they competing that they are called athletes or are they doing something that is athletic that I am not aware of? I understand that these guys can kill a fly off the wall with a cast, but aside from that what makes them athletic? Why are they called athletes? It kinda of bothers me.

I would have to agree with you.   They have unreal skills and talent but I would not consider them athletes.

I have wondered this for years. Why pro anglers are considered athletes. To me its the same as calling a golfer an athlete. Some would disagree. I do think this though, to be an athlete you have to be in good shape. I have seen some pro anglers in shape...of a beach ball.

Imho, they're no more than skilled workers, much like carpenters or tailors.

They have managed to make a living doing what many would consider a hobby. If my wife made a living competing in knitting contests, would that make her an athlete?

lol....

Imho, they're no more than skilled workers, much like carpenters or tailors.

X2..

Blue collar workers deal with every type of weather, and the same back pain you get from standing on bass boat all day fishing you get as a blue collar worker. Casting over and over again could be compared to a carpenter hammering nail after nail.

Depends, do you consider fishing a sport? An athlete is someone who trains to compete in a sport, so...

Depends, do you consider fishing a sport? An athlete is someone who trains to compete in a sport, so...

Nope. Do you consider throwing darts a sport? Some people make a living doing it, but I definitely wouldn't call them athletes.

They need some atheltic ability but I doubt if you can put them in the same catagory with football , basketball , hockey , or even baseball players.

I think some are athletic, but do not consider them athletes. I put them in that category with golfers, the DH and first baseman in baseball, prof dart players, and poker players. They all compete, may be able to run a mile, or lift weights, but are not athletes.

But I must say it doesn't bother me what people call them, what would bother me... is if I could not catch fish  ;D

Athletes is the wrong description IMO expert anglers is more accurate.

I wonder what Woo Daves 40 time is?

"expert anglers " works for me...

Daves 40... LOL

The better anglers definitely have some atheletic ability.  I'd love to see somebody with no coordination attempt a skip cast, even after practicing for a while.  To that extent, I would agree that most of them are athletes.  However, I wouldn't say that just because they fish the Elite series, they are automatically athletes.

Athletes is the wrong description IMO expert anglers is more accurate.

Agreed!

I think they are athletes. I think that anyone that can bare 8 hours a day for 4 days of standing, casting, driving, then head back out to go do it again the next week is an athlete. Look at Vandam or Skeet and watch how many pounds they drop from the beginning til the end of the season. It takes a toll on your body, mentally and physically. But, if you only consider a sport something that you have to run, jump, and make physical contact with and don't consider bowling, golfing, or nascar a sport then I guess they wouldn't be considered athletes in your eyes. But don't tell that to the guys that make the money playing these SPORTS! ;D

Sport is defined as:

sport

[ch8194] [ch8194]/sp[ch596]rt, spo[ch650]rt/ Show Spelled[spawrt, spohrt] Show IPA

noun

1.

an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

Define Athlete:

ath·lete

[ch8194] [ch8194]/[ch712]æ[ch952]lit/ Show Spelled[ath-leet] Show IPA

noun

a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

If you go by definitions then a professional fisherman is an Athlete. He is trained (and most are gifted) in an activity requiring skill, therefore he is an athlete.

I know a bunch of people who are athletes (play a sport), but are not athletic.  Then there are athletic people who can compete in about any sport they wish (Lebron James, Julius Peppers).  When I played baseball, we had pitchers that could throw 90mph but good lord their jump shot was terrible. lol

I have wondered this for years. Why pro anglers are considered athletes. To me its the same as calling a golfer an athlete. Some would disagree. I do think this though, to be an athlete you have to be in good shape. I have seen some pro anglers in shape...of a beach ball.

I don't think physical shape should matter.  Look at lineman,   and some baseball players have a few extra pounds.

imho anglers are athletes.  I've fished tournaments and know that several days of 12 hr practice fishing and then 3 to 4 days of actual tournament time is exhausting physically and mentally.

I have wondered this for years. Why pro anglers are considered athletes. To me its the same as calling a golfer an athlete. Some would disagree. I do think this though, to be an athlete you have to be in good shape. I have seen some pro anglers in shape...of a beach ball.

I don't think physical shape should matter. Look at lineman, and some baseball players have a few extra pounds.

imho anglers are athletes. I've fished tournaments and know that several days of 12 hr practice fishing and then 3 to 4 days of actual tournament time is exhausting physically and mentally.

X-2....

Football players in shape?  William "The Fridge" Perry!

Nuff said.

Athletes is the wrong description IMO expert anglers is more accurate.

I disagree...they are expert bass fisherman.  To me an expert angler catches anything, anywhere, anytime....i.e.  Larry Dahlberg.

Athletes or sport........not in my opinion.

I disagree...they are expert bass fisherman. To me an expert angler catches anything, anywhere, anytime....i.e. Larry Dahlberg.

A good angler can catch any kind of fish, anytime, any place with any equipment, no reason a good bassman can't do the same....  fish are fish.

And to be an "athlete" you also have to have some kind of scandal, drugs or be paid in the tens of millions.

Sport is defined as:

sport

[ch8194] [ch8194]/sp[ch596]rt, spo[ch650]rt/ Show Spelled[spawrt, spohrt] Show IPA

noun

1.

an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

Define Athlete:

ath·lete

[ch8194] [ch8194]/[ch712]æ[ch952]lit/ Show Spelled[ath-leet] Show IPA

noun

a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

If you go by definitions then a professional fisherman is an Athlete. He is trained (and most are gifted) in an activity requiring skill, therefore he is an athlete.

I'd say this pair of definitions speaks for itself. Like many have been saying, there are "athletes" that aren't necessarily "fit," but they are athletes or participants in a "sport" all the same.

Being very involved in wrestling for much of my life, the term "athletic" definitely has different standards for different individuals. I most certainly believe the more fit someone is the greater their individual opportunity is to be competitive in a fishing tournament. The relationship between psychological functioning and physiological capacity is positive. If someone can better handle physical stressors such as excessive heat or fatigue while still maintaining a high level of mental focus, I cannot see how it'd be argued that they wouldn't be more successful than otherwise at such a high tournament level.

All in all, the argument of "who's an athlete?" and "is this or that called a sport?" is continuous and goes well beyond competitive fishing.

However, when one considers the definition of the term "sport" and "athlete," I believe it would be terminologically correct to label those anglers as athletes.

JP

I wonder what Woo Daves 40 time is?

4.29...........at least this is what he was rumored to have done at the 1970 combine.

I wonder what Woo Daves 40 time is?

4.29...........at least this is what he was rumored to have done at the 1970 combine.

Crazy you picked that number. It's my birthday.