by JD on February 8, 2009
JD,
Ive loved fishing since i was first introduced to it at the age of three by my grandmother(RIP). I am 24 years old now and my whole life I have dreamed of becoming a pro angler.
I have had this dream forever but i don’t have the knowledge or resources to began my journey as a angler. So could you please help me out on how to get started as angler. Thank you and good luck fishing.
–Andre
Andre,
Well, I would start with your local bass club — there’s usually one or more clubs in “bassy” parts of the country. Start fishing the smaller tournaments — they’ll be less expensive to start with and you can get a whole lot of experience there.
Then, once you’ve had some success, graduate to the next level. In a lot of cases, future pros get their start by fishing as “co-anglers” (aka back seaters) until they finish enough times in the top 25 to move on.
To get onto one of the two big bass tours — the Wal Mart FLW Tour and the Bassmasters Tour, you’ll have to win enough times in their lower levels to qualify. Once there, you’ll have to have some solid financial backing from sponsors because it costs quite a bit of $$ to be on tour. Keep in mind that very few of the touring pros are making the big dough.
But, if you have the fire and want to dedicate yourself, I’m sure you’ll do well. Check out my FLW Touring pal Big Fred Contaoi’s website for a glimpse into the life: http://www.bigfredfishing.com
by JD on February 7, 2009
Our man, Big Fred Contaoi is currently flying under the radar, gearing up for his third run at the Wal Mart FLW Tour which kicks off Feb. 12.
Big boy will be knocking heads with some of the best bassers on the planet at Lake Guntersville in Huntsville, AL, where the current forecasts are calling for cold conditions and bass that are in a pre-spawn/winter type of mode. The lake is one of the better largemouth producers in the region and it sometimes takes a 25-pound sacks here every day to win. Of course, in the cold all bets are off and the smaller populations of smallies and spotts may come into play.
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by JD on November 8, 2008
A little more than a year after his strong 15th place finish in the FLW Series event at Clear Lake, Big Fred Contaoi returned to his home lake and, along with partner Tommy C., made it a clean sweep at the one day US Angler’s Choice tourney today by winning the thing outright — and taking big fish.
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by JD on October 18, 2008
Our man Big Fred Contaoi helped lead the Orange County Choppers Team to a strong 4th place finish in the PAA Corporate Cup in Florence, Alabama last week.
The event featured 42 teams picked from the cream of the crop of the FLW Tour and Bass Elite anglers, so Contaoi’s gang beat out some of the biggest names in the sport of bass fishing!
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Twenty-four year-old professional bass angler, Michael Bennett of Lincoln, CA mopped up the field at the Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s Forrest Wood Cup over the weekend and won a cool $1 million for his efforts.
Read the whole story HERE
by JD on December 3, 2005
“There’s a lot of big bass in this lake, Chief,” says guide, TV personality and FLW tournament pro Big Fred Contaoi of the Orange County Choppers fishing team after I set yet another fat largemouth free. “A lot of bass and not many people – a good combination in my book.”
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