so, you want to be a tournament redfish angler

I’m sure many of you who scour the lakes, ponds, bayous, bays, and waterways of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts for reds have, at least once, thought about the prospect of fishing for reds on the big time stage.

Let me just say this about that.

Don’t!

That’s right, don’t even think about it unless you are a little crazed or perhaps enjoy physical and mental torture such as you have never experienced before. I have followed the redfish tours (ALL of ‘em) for over seventeen years now and I confess that I often consider the fact that my mental faculties must be off to some degree. But, you must first realize that I am also a former linebacker who thought it was great fun to get hit head on by a 250 pound fullback running at full steam. After all the ringing stopped in my head I would always find something rather humorous about the whole situation.

Anyway, I tell you that little story so maybe you can understand that those of us out here chasing after reds in a tournament format are, well, not normal. I suspect we all have a little of that “bent” character in our makeup.
Here are 20 things to think of if you do decide to give it a go:

1. Your boat will break
2. Your rods will break
3. Your reels will break
4. Your casting platform will break
5. Your trolling motor will break
6. Your remotes will fail
7. Your pumps will fail
8. Your power head will break
9. Your lower unit will break
10. Your prop will break
11. Your back will hurt
12. Your legs will hurt
13. You will run in seas you previously thought impossible
14. You will run in weather that IS impossible
15. Your foul weather gear will smell worse than a junior high locker room
16. Your family and friends will seek counseling for you
17. Your banker will deny all further loans
18. Your wallet will break
19. Your spirit will break
20. The redfish will forsake you!

Still thinking about it? Not dissuaded as yet?
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Good! You’ll do. Come on in. The water is just fine. And we are all really normal people out here – no, really, we are…..Mwahahahahahahaha