Fishing as a career? Please Help

[Brandon Sigurdson]

Hi everyone let me start off by telling you that I love this website and all its members. It brings me a lot of joy when I cant actually be on the water. So thank you guys! 

Okay so I am 18 years old and just moved out on my own. Im working full time and haven't been able to do what I truly love very often. My passion is fishing I absolutely love it. Growing up I really had no one in my life who was into fishing so how i got into it is beyond me but somehow i got my self obsessed. All I do in the summer months (when im free) is fish. Im talking almost every day I would wake up at 5am to be on the water. If im not actually on the water im watching YouTube videos or reading as many articles and books that I can find on the subject. 

If I had to pick a specific target it would have to be bluegill but pan fish in general are what im really into. To be honest though all fish interest me and I hope to one day catch every type of freshwater fish in america. 

So what im reaching out to you guys for is some ideas of careers based around fishing. I'm talking anything as long as it has to do with something with fishing. I want to one day do what i truly love as a career. I have thought about trying to become a guide but I'm not in the state where i want to be for that and do not have the experience yet. I also have thought about going the other route and going to school to further help my goal of having a career in fishing. Maybe a fisheries biologist? 

I am open to any ideas. College or no college it doesn't matter. I am willing to work very very hard. 

I appreciate any feedback and thank you guys so much! 

Tight lines and good luck out there! 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Brandon,

I've been thinking about you and your question. Let me share something I read with you - sadly, something that came a little late in life to have a major impact on me.

In 1957, the graduating business class of a major university was directed to create life and financial goals for themselves, as part of their graduation commencement. 40 years later, when most of this class was of retirement age, they were again polled to find out how things had been going for them.

The majority of them (about 93%, as I recall) had achieved their goals. They were financially well set in their retirement years. They had also gone on to achieve great things, beyond their earliy aspirations. Some were wealthy, some captains of industry or philanthropists, while others were statesmen and persons of influence.

The point is this: set goals NOW and see them through. Get a notebook, a pencil and start writing - dont stop until your hand is numb. This is called a "whitepaper" exercise, or "brainstorming." Do not hinder yourself, or fail to write everything down. Most of all, DO NOT talk yourself out of anything that comes to mind. This is designed to open your mind, so let it flow. It may take a week or more... go with it.

Then, cull through all the writing and filter down to your core values and key desires. Then devise a year-to-year, 5 year and 10 year plan to get there.

I do this now when an important undetaking is upon me. But, I wish someone would have advised me to do this at 18, looking at my life ahead (a good kick in the pansts would have helped, too).

Today, all I can do is share it and hope you will take it seriously.

"Success is 10% inspiration. and 90% Perspiration" - Thomas Edison  

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

HEY BRANDON, SEEMS you have a following on here now and the fellas are trying to help ya.Jim , Mike , and David are all vvvvvvvvery knowing fisherman , in my estimation anyway.
   Don't know how I can add anything to what has been said already except , you seem like a very determined young man and that can only help in your search for the ultimate job .

   One fella ya might want to contact also is the site founder , Dr. Bruce Condello . I"m sure he has lllllllllllots of contacts in most fields you might venture into with regards to fish....
    KEEP THE FAITH AND DREAMS ALIVE BRANDON!

[Brandon Sigurdson]

Thank you David I am very grateful for all your guys feedback. This is giving me a lot of hope and determination. Thanks for the suggestion of talking to Bruce. I will defiantly try that. Thank you again!

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

BRANDON PPPLEASE JUST CALL ME TOOTY !!!! PEOPLE GET ME mixed up with the other David on here who actually knows something !!!!!!!!!

[Brandon Sigurdson]

Hahaha alright will do. Thanks Tooty!

[Leo Nguyen]

Looks like everyone covered all the basis here. Just understands that you don't have have to be a guide to enjoy life on the water, and more of it. It's about establishing a job that will enable you to be on the water more often, as well as living in a location where the waters are abundant of aquatic life for you to reach daily. Think about this:

1. Mike spend more time on the water than most of us, and he's not a fishing guide.

2. Jeffrey Abney is not a fishing guide, yet, he spends plenty of before-and-after work hours on the water.

3. Bruce Condello, one of the two masters of the site, is a dentist for heaven sake, yet, spend quality time to nurture, experiment, and catch titanic fishes of all sorts during his off hours as a fishery biologist.

4. You got Walt Foreman, Tony Livingston, and various pond owners and management personnel that spend quality time in/on the waters to catch what they love: epic monstrous fishes.

5. ..and there are too many additional examples.

Since you are truly young, the word of advice to you is, strive hard, establish your life with great schooling, a job that you love, build up a solid financial background, and enjoy life later. Don't be distracted by trivial things/desires now that will completely hinder your ability to be stable and fortuitous later, to guaranty you the fishing lifestyle later. It's your decision in life, and we'll be there rooting for you.

Oh, just a word of warning. Once you have a family, all bets are off for a long..long..time. You'll be lucky if you can hit the water that often. Fortunately, Patrick "Bullworm" is favored by the water and fish gods. He enjoy his family, and hitting water more often than the most of us ;-)

[LedHed]

If your creative - there's lure making or rod wrapping. You can make as much as you want if you are willing to put the time/effort into it.

Pouring and tying jigs can be lucrative, especially if you can offer custom tyes & jigs that work. Plastics is another road....

Check out jigcraft.com - lots of people doing different lures.

[Walt Foreman]

I would not personally recommend anyone attempt to make a living building custom rods.  This is a topic that comes up frequently on a forum for custom builders that I'm a part of, and the consensus is always that it's extremely difficult to make a living at rod building.  Generally the only builders who do are the ones who make glorified factory rods that they produce in bulk at a much lower price than what a truly custom rod can be had for.  And to make money doing that one would really need a factory as the profit margin on those rods is pretty small.  For what it's worth...

[Tony Livingston]

Well..........I have resisted posting up until now, as I don't wish to dampen the enthusiasm of youth, especially in regards to outdoor types of careers. But if we're tossing our opinions into the ring, I guess I'll give mine a fling along with everybody else.

There's an old saying that comes up a lot when these types of discussions are aired: "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life"....again, it's just my opinion, but I happen to feel that's a load of excrement from a male bovine...perhaps it is possible, but work is just that...work. It still requires discipline, dedication,  and sweat...either physically, mentally, or both. Attitude and work ethic will play a huge role in whether or not one is truly happy with their choice of vocation.

Along those lines let me add one more thing, this one a little closer to my own heart. Turning a hobby into a vocation, has an unpleasant way of taking the "shine" off the finish......wanting to do it is one thing, having to do it, is quite another indeed.

Not trying to dissuade you in any way, just sharing some life experiences.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

'yeah - anyone who sells it as easy hasn't done it. "...discipline, dedication,  and sweat."

Yessir.

But if youre goona do SOMETHING, anyway, might as well go for it.

[Leo Nguyen]

*Humbly bow down to your wisdom* You nailed it hard there master.

I thought I would have been a medical doctor ever since I was in 7th grade and throughout the first 3 years of university, which was my dream vocation for the rest of my life, until road blocks altered my course. Now, I'm a scientist, working in the world of environmental affairs, and loving it, yet, my passion also immersed in fishing and fishery biology, among other hobbies.

Like the world of acting, quite a few follow their dream careers, yet, only a very small percentage succeed. I have many friends and associates pursuing the "fishing guide" career, and only 1 out of a huge number actually enjoy the long hours, no vacation break, and suffering in the red for over a decade before achieving enough profit from the rough roads before they call it, "adequately happy life".

However, if one does have a the physical and mental prowess to pursue without ceasing, eventually, one will reach that goal. Never give up, never surrender, and pursue with everything you got, relentlessly and fiercely.

[Chris Roberts]

I think I enjoy fishing to much to make it a career.  That probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but let me explain.  My career is in IT.  I used to love playing with/on computers and decided to make a career of it.  Some days I still enjoy my job, but most of the time it's a pain.  

I would not want to look at fishing that way.  I never thought I'd dislike working on computers, but about all I do at home is get on and check a few forums.  Then I put it away and look for something else to do.

There are exceptions to the rule, but I think most people look for something else to do when they're done working.  It's usually not the same thing they were doing while they were at work either.