THE BUSINESS NEWS OF FISHING.
Issue #172
1. Stat of the Day
PRESENTED BY: Sunline
2. Money Matters
PRESENTED BY: Big Bite Baits
How Much Does A Professional Fisherman Make?
As of Jun 8, 2022, the average annual pay for a Professional Fisherman in the United States is $44,054 a year according to estimates by ZipRecruiter.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.18 an hour. This is the equivalent of $847/week or $3,671/month. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $101,000 and as low as $13,000, the majority of Professional Fisherman salaries currently range between $27,000 (25th percentile) to $52,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $76,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Professional Fisherman varies greatly (by as much as $25,000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience. Obviously all of these numbers are estimates and likely aren't specified to professional bass tournament fishing. So what is the average salary of a touring pro on a major tournament trail? We will likely never have an exact answer as there are too many factors to consider. Sponsorship deals, winnings, and performance bonuses are all factors that can make the earnings vary from year to year for an individual angler.
3. Behind the Scenes
Suzuki Teams Up With Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Suzuki Marine USA, LLC announced that it has finalized a new partnership to be 'The Official Outboard Motor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' — forming a unique and exclusive relationship between a leading outboard motor brand and the 2021 Super Bowl Champions. As part of the agreement, both organizations will collaborate on a one-of-a-kind community event that will launch annually this fall.
The partnership will feature a variety of marketing activities and promotional opportunities for Suzuki Marine on local, regional and national levels, connecting the excitement of being on the water with the unparalleled draw of NFL football.
"This is a strong marketing partnership for us and makes great business sense for Suzuki on multiple levels," said Suzuki Marine USA President Max Yamamoto. "Through this connection, Suzuki Marine will be a key player on the biggest sports stage in the United States, reaching millions of people across Florida, throughout the nation and even around the world. We're confident this association will increase our brand awareness and further strengthen our already solid reputation as a leading innovator in outboard power for boats of all types and sizes," added Yamamoto.
"We are excited to partner with Suzuki Marine - an industry leader and a proven winner with nine marine industry Innovation Awards over the years," said Brian Ford, Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer. "Suzuki Marine has demonstrated strong support for the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida as a whole since relocating its national headquarters to Tampa in 2021. Boating is a signature activity that defines the Florida lifestyle and we look forward to collaborating with Suzuki Marine, our first-ever outboard motor partner, to create memorable moments on and off the water throughout Tampa Bay area over the next few years."
"We are thrilled to be working with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and are excited for what is sure to be an exciting 2022 NFL season," added George "Gus" Blakely, Suzuki Marine Executive Vice President. "This connection is going to raise our marketing efforts and brand awareness to new levels. If there are two things that Floridians are passionate about, it's spending time on their boats and rooting for their Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This new partnership will form a solid bridge between the two, and will present Suzuki Marine in a new light to a whole new audience."
4. Anglers Tribune
Quick Fixes For A Broken Rod Tip
Breaking a rod tip on the water out of neglect is never fun, but it’s something that has happened to all of us. Bryan Head, National Sales Manager for Denali Fishing offers a quick solution so that you can repair your rod tip on the water. 
“Breaking even a couple inches off a rod tip can change the action of the entire rod,” Head allowed. “But if you’re on the water and need to use that rod, carrying a couple key things can keep you in the game.” The necessary components to a quick fix include: Lighter, needle-nose pliers, chunk of hot glue, and an assorted pack of rod tips. 
“There are a number of companies that make packages of assorted rod tips available at any tackle store. Take the appropriate rod tip and jam a 1/2” of hardened hot glue inside the cylinder of the eye and use a lighter to heat it up. Then all you have to do is position the new eye in line with the rest of the guides and wait 10 minutes.” 
Head said that super glue can be used in place of hot glue, but the margin for error is much less when sliding the eye on the rod tip. 
5. Baits Not Being Talked About
Handcrafted by MLF Pro angler and Bass Master Classic Champion Cliff Pace, the Black Label Cliff Pace 300 Deep Diving Crankbait is perfect for fishing points, channel drops, shell beds, brush piles, flooded timber, rock piles, and any offshore cover you can find. Built with a fast-diving custom Lexan spoon-shaped bill, this flat-sided deep-diver offers subtle action and a tight vibration that does not pull overly hard, making it easier to fish all day without wearing yourself out. Backed by two razor-sharp Mustad TG76 black nickel treble hooks, anglers will benefit from positive hooksets and seamless hook penetration. Featuring a unique lead tuning button at the lip for straight and balanced retrieves, the old-school balsa wood construction provides extreme buoyancy to allow the 300DD to rise quickly to the surface and free itself from snags. From the initial carving to the final clear coat, each Black Label Crankbait is hand-sealed, hand-painted, and hand-cleared using a 45-step process that ensures the highest level of quality and performance. Finished with amazingly detailed airbrush colorways and painted eyes, the Black Label Cliff Pace 300 Deep Diving Crankbait is designed with summertime offshore cranking in mind! Check out the full lineup here.
6. What We're Watching & Listening To
PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu
Hallman Is Back With Fire, Fishing, And Magic
Bradley Hallman is back with a new video featuring a lot of fishing, a little fire, and even a magic show from Table Rock Lake! See the full video here.
7. Jersey Watch
PRESENTED BY: Denali
Ryan Salzman
Photo Courtesy Major League Fishing
Recent Bass Pro Tour champion Ryan Salzman's sponsorship lineup includes HARDCORE, YO-ZURI, Mercury, Lowrance, True Bass, Wetumpka Marine Electronics, Phoenix Boats, Power-Pole, Dobyns Rods, T-H Marine, and Reaction Innovations just to name a few.
8. Recommendations
Humminbird Lakemaster Plus
The Lakemaster Plus Digital Charts are a new family of map card that provides all of the features that you’ve come to love from the original Lakemaster Humminbird Digital Charts, but now allows for aerial image overlay on high-definition waters. Coverage area and lake lists remain the same and both are compatible with most Humminbird GPS models, including ONIX and ION units.
Using high-quality aerial photography, the Lakemaster Plus Digital Charts offer the ability to view the entry and exits of creek channels, see how far a reef or weed line extends, pick out shallow water rock piles, steep drop-offs, and other features of the lake you’ve been missing from traditional maps. The Lakemaster Plus Digital Charts give you the freedom to choose how you want to view aerial imagery.
Satellite Only: This layer shows only aerial imagery and no other map information
Satellite + Land: This layer shoes the Lakemaster map and the aerial imagery that extends around the body of water.
Satellite + Contours: This layer shoes the aerial imagery just the Lakemaster contours, so you can still pick out those features in the water while viewing your depth.
Each map card edition covers some of the most popular bodies of water in the region and the PLUS series also gives you access to all of the Lakemaster features, including the following:

-IPilot link compatible
-Easy-to-read contours
-Depth highlight range
-Water level offset
-Shallow water highlight
-Scrollable lake list

Check out the full lineup here.
9. Best for Last
PRESENTED BY: AFTCO
Key Worm Hook Styles You Must Have
Which worm hook style would be best for you to use? This article will help you choose the best worm hook styles. Soft plastic lures come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, and it can be a challenge to know what hook will work for each plastic shape or size. Gamakatsu has four primary worm hook styles that will have you covered for any soft plastic. One or two packs of each of these styles will have you covered for any soft plastic fishing situation. Also, we suggest buying 1-2 sizes of that hook style in each of these styles so that you can fish small and large plastics. As an example, if you choose a round bend style to fish a 7” worm a 3/0 size hook would be a good choice for that size. Also, if you have a 5/0 size in that same style you will be covered to fish 10” worms easily. Learn more about the four key styles, and become a better soft plastic fisherman here.
How do you get your mapping for your electronics?
Purchase SD Card from manufacturer
Digital Download
Issue #172
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