It seemed to end like all the other spring semesters. I put fishing aside for a while, just long enough to at least give myself a fighting chance to pass my finals. After a few weeks of frantic studying and bass-fishing withdrawals, I finally got the job done and walked out of the testing lab a free man.
Usually, after my truck rolls out of parking garage B on the University of Central Florida campus, I don't have a care in the world. All my focus and attention are set on how to catch the next bass – at least until the start of the fall semester.
This semester ended in very similar fashion. However, a reality hit me: At this time next year, I'll be making my first big push into working full-time as a professional angler. It’s crunch-time!
Dreaming isn’t Enough
I’m an optimist – I've always felt that anyone can achieve their dreams. I’m also a realist – I've always felt that though anyone can achieve their dreams, dreaming in itself is only part of the success equation.
If you take into account the realities of life and you make a plan to deal with those realities, I feel persistence will pay off in the long run. The realities I've to come to terms with after graduation are $24,000 worth of student-loan debt, a move to another state (probably Alabama), the purchase of a new boat and the acquisition of financing for my first year fishing either the EverStart, PAA or Bassmaster Open trails. Also, after 5 years living in a travel trailer, one of my biggest goals is to get into a house without wheels.
That’s all. It looks like I might need to start playing the lotto.
Making a Plan
It's such a cliché, but it's true: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
I find it hard to face the hurdles I'm presented with, but I've known for some time that I would have to deal with them. For instance, last year I made a plan to save money for my first year at the semi-pro level.
To do so, I opened a credit-union savings account in which I deposit all the winnings I make from tournament fishing. The opening of that account was probably one of the best things I could've done in preparation for the next big step in my career.
I've been doing pretty well as far as making money in tournaments and I've saved enough to pay the entry fees for almost all of the tournaments I plan to fish for my first year. However, I still have a long way to go to be able to pay for the expenses involved as well.
Unfortunately, I've had to withdraw some money from that account recently to pay for unexpected expenses, but I plan on paying myself back as soon as I return from guiding in Alaska this summer.
My biggest issue right now is that I don’t have enough opportunities to actually make enough money regionally, here in Florida, to save what I need to keep me afloat amidst the sea of financial burden I'll be faced with next year. Fishing the BFLs and the other local tournaments are great fun and they provide experience, but with today’s cost of living on the road, you just cannot make a living at them – at least not the kind of living I need to be making.
Going Back, Moving Forward
One thing I've thought a lot about is how to fish for a bigger paycheck and increase my experience at upper-level competition, all the while allowing me to keep focus on my studies. I've come to the conclusion that moving to the back of the boat and fishing tour-level events as a co-angler is my best move for my last year in school, and gives me the best opportunity to put a little extra money in that savings account.
This transition won’t be easy, since I'm used to fishing from the front deck, but I think it will be a cool change.
Even though finances are going to be a major source of stress in the coming year(s), I'm looking forward to making things work. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.
I’m not sure exactly what the next 2 years will bring, or how I will achieve my goals. What I do know is that I'm already on my way to achieving them simply by acknowledging those issues.
So next year, when the spring semester ends and my truck leaves the UCF parking garage, I hope thorough preparation will allow me to remain relatively stress-free and focus on the one thing I care about most – catching the next fish.
Miles "Sonar" Burghoff is a student at the University of Central Florida and an aspiring professional angler who writes a regular column for BassFan. To visit his website, click here.
