nickp wrote:In reference to the comments on pro's not getting $$$ Id tell you to read iacconelli's book. He goes in depth about sponsorship and his business plan. At the time he wrote the book, his main sponsor (the biggest decal on his jersey) ran his sponsor 50-65g's and the rest were $2500-10k a piece. With that comes sponsorship duties (fishing shows, product development, commercials and advertising). So it is entirely possible to be making $150-250k a year before you pay entries etc. Let alone royalties from endorsed product (industry standards from 2-15% of msrp of every product sold). This is where kvd has made his real fortune, with bps, nOT tournament winnings.
Yes, a front page angler can make this much money, but most guys don't make this much and they will not survive long without cashing big checks. I thought I remembered hearing that Megabass stepped up to pay $40,000 to Aaron to be in the center of his jersey when Aaron didn't have a title sponsor a few years back. When you add up the cost of a boat/motor (most pros don't have them completely paid for each year), entry fees, and travel expenses, there is not much left for anyone other than KVD. With the exception of a limited few, the rest of the anglers need to cash checks to survive. I don't pretend to know Aaron's exact expenses, but it's no money train out there unless you win a few of the major titles.