Earlier this week I was surfing around Bassmaster.com and read Greg Hackney’s column about college bass fishing and how colleges need coaches.
Kudos go to my good friend and fellow Strike King Pro Team member Hack for addressing an important issue. I’ve been astounded by the growth and interest among collegiate anglers and the enthusiasm they bring to our sport.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting several of these young anglers at Bassmaster events and have gotten to know quite of few of the Michigan anglers. I’ve been a huge supporter of the Michigan College Bass Circuit that has drawn collegians from throughout this region and offered my advice in a number of areas.
But there’s more to mentoring than teaching young people how to find and catch bass.
Collegians need to be reminded what college can do for them in other ways than providing a platform and a path to a professional angling career and stardom.
I’m concerned that some college anglers get caught up in the same euphoria that overcomes so many college football players. Think about all the college players in Division 1 who get scholarships and dream of playing professionally and how many actually make it to the NFL. What’s sad is that many of those took meaningless classes or never got the credits.
I’m certainly not trying to dampen anyone’s dreams or ambitions. We’ve already seen some collegiate anglers make it into the Bassmaster Elite Series.
But just remember that the educational aspects of a college degree and experience you gain fishing with a team will benefit you later in life – be it as a bass pro or some other career.
Even if you don’t pursue or make it as a touring pro, those experiences can guide you into an equally rewarding career in the outdoor industry. I’ve known a lot of pro anglers who moved onto good careers working for manufacturers and in the media.
For example, I recently met one man who fished through the Bassmaster collegiate program, got his degree in resort management and now is a manager at Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake. He’s still fishing tournaments, but it isn’t the focus of his career.
He recognized that his success as a college student was equal to, if not more important than, his success as an angler.
Should you be one who gets the chance to fish professionally after graduation, the knowledge you gain will benefit you immensely.
Degrees that include business management, marketing and public speaking are every bit as essential to being financially successful as a pro angler and serve you well in other walks of life. Anglers who are astute businessmen, are comfortable dealing with the public and know how to market themselves are the ones who get the best sponsorships. That’s a fact of life.
Those are some the elements I and other anglers emphasize most at the Pro Angler Resource that teaches prospective pros how to conduct business on a professional level. There’s so much more to becoming a successful pro angler than being a good drop shotter or crankbaiter.
Becoming a member of collegiate bass fishing team mentored by veteran anglers affords young anglers tremendous opportunities, but don’t forget that the best and most valuable part of that is getting a solid education. That can carry you to great success regardless of which path of life you choose.
Keep that in perspective and remember that it’s all about the attitude!Kevin VanDam’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.