Quote Originally Posted by gatoloco View Post
that is why i think that pro fishing is not what it used to be. they have state of the art and unless you are sponsored can you really afford it. 85k for a boat, 10k for rod and reels, 20k for electronics.
Yes, you have no problems competing with these so called "pro's". Just ask the 20 year old that won the National Walleye Tour event last year in North Dakota! Or my partner and I in 2016 when we finished the MWT with a combined score that put us in 13th out of nearly 300 competitors fishing from the smallest boat with the smallest motor in the fleet! Or the top 15 finishes we had in 2017 out of two different boats. In many cases, we were one fish away from winning events.

I took 3rd place in an event 6 years ago out of a boat that the big motor wouldn't even start! Everyone took their big motors and ran 10 miles to the holy grail. My partner and I fished within 400 yards of the dock. My dad an I won a steelhead tournament one year fishing from the bank.

In other words, don't be intimidated by someone just because they appear to have the money. The reality is that many of these so called "pro's" are what we like to call BOAT POOR! They might "appear" to be making all kinds of money however, that really isn't the case. Yes, they might get a discount on a boat but they have to purchase a new one every two years! They get discounts on equipment but they still have to purchase them. Many of the sell out and will promote a product they don't even utilize. They have Yeti on the side of their boats but actually use an igloo cooler. They promote berkley but are running Rapala baits. Trust me when I tell you that the vast majority of the guys you see that you think are getting all this stuff for nothing are blowing smoke. There are a select few that do but the vast majority of them do not.