Sorry, didn't mean for this post to be taken that way

[BJ Laster]

Read my response below...I am sorry for the post.

BJ

 

[Jim Brone]

Oh yeah. Things can get a lot worse.

The disappointment you are feeling is part of the road to success. The determining factor will be the next test to see if you will get a job soon,take care of the business at hand and then get back on track with the tournaments. You can't really skip any steps along the way. Think of how hard it must have been for anyone who has worked their way into professional status. Parents,bosses and wives aren't exactly loaded with enthusiasm about letting us go fishing for a living while they're making sacrifices for us.

Just my opinion. But again, it could be a lot worse.

 

[Julio Santana]

Yes, they can. As a banker / loan officer, trust me, It can get much worse. Many of the very very successful people I've worked with and seen have told me that they've made and lost fortunes several times over and been bankrupt several times. It's not about "Once you are there..." It's the getting there and how many times you are willing to get knocked down and defiantly stand back up. That's what it's all about.

 

[Staci Matheis]

BJ -



First, you gotta do your part..... Get yourself a job. Any job. Even if it's working for your mother's friend.



Then..... Once you've done that..... Come back and let us know.....

 

[Larry Harp]

If it was easy....EVERYBODY would do it.



Harpo

 

[Steve Rizza]

BJ,if the biggest thing you have to worry about it scraping up some tourney money,then you got it made.Things can get worse,very worse(is that an actual word?).

Wait till you get a wife,and kids,and mortgage,and car payments,and pension fund,and insurance,and phone bills,and taxes,and hospital bills,and college,and food,and clothes,

and..and ..and..God..I wish I was seventeen years old again......

 

[Bob G.]

Things can get a lot worse!!!



Bob G.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Microsoft AND Wallyworld..... LOL!!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Let me tell you what Bobby Murray told me last night....In short he said that no one should even think about professionally fishing until they get a college education. He was emphatic about that. Your concentration should be to stay on top of any new techniques and products and fish as your financial situation allows THEN and only then after college should you consider the possibility of a career in fishing. I agree 110% with him. He said that he was just fishing through college knowing full well that as soon as he graduated he was going to get drafted for Vietnam. After he graduated he hit the trail hard waiting for his draft notice when he hit it big and won the classic. He said that his life went 180 degrees after that. He hasn't competitivly fished for 20 years and it is his education that got him sucess.



It's ok to keep your head in the clouds as long as your feet are on the ground. Get a job...get an education...and the rest will come if you want it bad enough.



Uncle TOXIC

 

[Rich Stern]

BJ, there are a few things I will guarantee will pay dividends every day of your life, if you focus on them. They will make everything you do later easier and better:



1. Education. As much as you can stand for as long as you can stand it.



2. Experience. This is a life long thing, so just get used to it.



3. Helping the people you care about. Someday, you might need the same from them. Even if you never do need help, you'll still feel good about helping.



You are way too young to worry about lost opportunities, because they are not lost yet. You have many ahead of you. You have to pay your dues first. I don't know anyone who was very successful at something who didn't work long and hard to put themselves in a position to achieve great things.

 

[Tom Jones]

"Patience Grasshopper! When you can take the pebble from my hand, only then will you be ready."



Only us old farts will remember that one!

Don't be in such a hurry, BJ !

Good things come to those who wait.



Dr. Tom

 

[Mike Levesque]

BJ,

Tox, Rich S., Harpo, Loansharkx, Me!, Jr, well, everyone, kind of hit it on the head. And the words from Bobby Murray, are so true. Patience is the key, although I remember being your age, patience was NOT my strong suit at that time. Get the job, any job, then ease your way into competitive fishing. Say you end up fishing the Pro Tourneys someday, as a living, remember, there is no retirement age when it comes to fishing, just look at Roland Martin this week.

You have your whole lifetime to fish those tournaments. Make mom happy, get yourself employed, pay your own way towards equipment,etc., pay your way into tournaments. Think she wouldn't be happy and supportive of a son who's gone out and found employment, socked away a little every week for his entry fee fund, and has the best of both worlds? You'd have a happy and proud mom, and have entry fee money put away. Anyway, please don't take this the wrong way, it's just meant as support and well wishes from a fellow NTOWS member. Hang in there BJ, egMike ...p.s.-

This in no way means to forget about education, too!

You become a successful pro fisherman, who's going to run the business and financial end of it for you? Get that education too!

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

I know you may not want to hear it BJ, but everyone who has responded to your post are right, and have your best interest at heart.



Bill

 

[C C]

BJ, The best advice I can offer is that the best thing you can do right now is to get a job and do what ever it takes to please your mother. The rest will come all in good time and you will appreciate it much more because you worked for it.



Cass

Mother of a 17 year old son

 

[Greg Meyer]

Whether you are fishing from a "mini" or a 21' Bambler... They are the same fish... So, be in a hurry to live your dream...but to get to your goal you need to learn the "read" the fish, the water, the weather... all of it together... That you can and should do whenever you have the opportunity...



I fish 20-25 Walleye tournaments a year... And, I spend a few dozen more days out there on the water for "fun"... I know I am learning more every day... So, don't look at the "not fishing the way I want"... fish and learn from the way you are fishing...



If you have the "fire" it will stay with you... If you have the "fire" you will...



I have young friends (I'm now almost 60...wow!) that are 20... 30... and 40 (young ends there...LOL) that are fishing tournaments and they all talk about the "learning curve" that never ends...



Just like the old "don't work harder...work smarter" advice, to get ahead you don't need to fish harder... yiou need to fish smarter... Go to school and use your time fishing to learn about the fish and fish all you can... You will learn a lot from local club tournaments... In fact, I think you can learn more faster in a BASS Federation club fishing as an AM than any other way. From the back of the boat you get to see how other guys do or don't succeed and why... And, in local clubs the good guys usually share info... At the higher levels you are pretty much on your own... So, take the opportunities that you can create to learn and benefit from them...

 

[Travis Smith]

Im going to tell you what my Dad tells me so take it for what its worth. ( I would listen to it 100% because its true).



Get your priorities straight. You may not be able to fish this one tourny this year but who cares? I know I would but there will be more. You might have to wait till next year. Get yor finances straigtened out and go from there. Get the job put some money in the bank get an education and then FISH ON dude.





T.S.

 

[fatrap]

Lots of tournamnents in your future BJ. If you can't get a job make one. Mow lawns, put a notice on the local bulletin board TEEN for Hire. I taught auto detailing one year and the students that took the class got jobs detailing semi's, car's etc. They made some good money. Right now your first job is school. As a teacher I see young guys everyday that want everything right now, BUT don't want to work for it. Think things out, it'll get a lot better.

fatrap

 

[BJ Laster]

Thanks for all the advice. I agree with all of you 100% on education and all. First of all I didn't write this as a self pity thing or "oh look there is poor BJ who doesn't have a job"...etc. I wrote it just because I was discouraged, getting a job doesn't bother me one bit. I am looking forward to it actually. I have a business mind and for education I decided last year I wanted to get a MBA (Master of Business Administration). The reason I haven't got a job yet is because we are leaving next week for Crested Butte CO for a trip with some friends. When I get back I will start appying and stuff. In fact I know two places that are hiring, and they need someone just to work mon-fri which allows me to go to my smaller tournaments that don't require me to be there fri. night.



First of all I didn't mean for this post to go in the wrong direction like it did...and I am REALLY sorry about that. I can't quite figure it out how to put it in words of why I posted in the first place.



I realize I can't just let a job come to me and I have to go out and do it. I have a business mind (so my mom says), it is also my dream to start my own business (hint the MBA).



Again I apologize for this post.

 

[Larry Harp]

You don't have to apologize. Heck, that's what friends are for, to listen to your problems and then tell you how crazy you are and then tell you our own problems. You're lucky to have so many friends. Hang in there buddy everything is going to work out fine.



Harpo

 

[Staci Matheis]

Two Big Thumbs Up to ya, BJ!

WA-A-A-AY UP!!

 

[Mike Levesque]

No need to apologize, BJ.....

And I'll echo Me!'s thumbs up to you.

Enjoy that trip and of course you got a bunch of us pullin' for ya for your future successes on and off the water.egMike

 

[Travis Smith]

Its alright BJ.



Im just gunna tell you again...GIT-R-DONE man....lol.









T.S.