COLUMN
PRO PERSPECTIVE
E
TOM
REDINGTON
A Road Map to Turning Pro
very year there’s a new crop of rookies on the FLW
Tour. Some turn out to be instant successes. Others
start slowly and steadily improve. And, unfortunately,
some do poorly and never make it.
As I’ve seen time and again over the years, there are sev-
eral factors that improve the odds of an aspiring angler hav-
ing success at the pro level.
Be a Smarter Co-angler
Most people think of co-angling and marshaling in pro
tourneys as the best ways to prepare for a tournament
career. Fishing out of the back of the boat can be very
informative and instructive. You’ll observe how pros utilize
their time, how they fish lakes that are dissimilar to the lakes
back home and how they make adjustments during the day.
However, pro fishing is more about finding fish than catching
fish. Once they locate fish, most experienced anglers can
catch them. Thus, catching a good bag of fish with a pro who
has a big school located in a corner of a pad field isn’t as valu-
able to the learning process as some anglers think.
The top pros regularly excel because they can locate bass
quickly on large bodies of water. If you’re thinking about fish-
ing as a co-angler, try to practice with a pro before the event
and pay attention to how he locates fish. Pay particular atten-
tion on days when your pro partner is struggling and has to
scramble to relocate biting fish.
Try Guiding
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Guiding is another great training regimen. Guiding is some-
what like tournament fishing in that no matter how well you
caught them yesterday, you’re expected to catch them again
today. Not only does this give you a taste of what tournament
pressure is like and help you develop ways to handle it, but
being on the water every day allows you to track how bass
respond to every variable Mother Nature throws your way.
Dealing with bad luck, mechanical problems and changing
weather trains guides to keep cool when things don’t go as
planned. Most pros will tell you that mental toughness and a
positive attitude are just as important as fishing skills.
Guiding helps with that.
Fish New Water
Becoming “a stick” on their local lakes is actually a pitfall
for many guides and aspiring pros. Combining angling skill
with lots of time on a particular body of water means an
angler often becomes one of the very best there. However,
while hammering big fish daily and challenging for the win in
every derby on your lake is good for self-confidence and the
bank account, it impedes your progress as an angler.
If you’re truly serious about becoming a national pro,
force yourself to fish new water. Fish new lakes – especially
lakes that are different than your own – every chance you
can. Or, if you’re on familiar waters, explore areas you don’t
normally fish, and try to figure out the bass that live there. If
you get to the point where you feel like you can spend 10
hours on any new lake and have a good idea of how to catch
a decent limit the next day, you’re well on your way to becom-
ing a pro.
At this point, it’s all about working your way up the tour-
ney ladder. Start at the club or T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing
League level and gradually move to the Costa FLW Series.
Like a baseball prospect moving up through the minor
leagues, your average results will let you know when it’s time
to take the next step.
Focus on Fishing
You might be wondering why I’ve made no mention of
sponsorships. In my opinion, it’s better to begin by focusing
on fishing. Use the products you have confidence in and that
work best for you. Once you start notching top finishes, con-
tact those companies you believe in and want to work with
and ask to start a partnership.
Results speak for themselves, and both you and potential
sponsors will know when your time has arrived.
FLWFISHING.COM I juLy 2017