Eric,

Thank you for your very unique inquiry; and, for coming to me for direction!

With your age; your current full realization of your Bass-fishing abilities; and an obviously intense desire for advancement in the sport; I'd feel honored, to be able to give you an idea of where to go (closer to home) for a chance to advance your knowledge of the sport ~ without breaking your bank.

Like a wise man once said: "A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step".

First: Learn all you can about Bass. Read, read, and then; read some more!
The public library (and probably the one at the college, as well) is loaded with books and periodicals, advising all who read them: the "how-to's," the "where-to's," and the "when-to's"; about fishing for Bass. Gain a good insight on the basics of fishing for Bass. Online, there are hundreds of additional sources. You've found and used a pretty darned good one, already; "Bass On Hook .Com". Check out some of the current & archived articles, written by the professional anglers, there. Some of the old, "Pro's Q & A's," are pretty useful resources as well.

Second: Time to put what you've learned, to use; on and around the water. Use the firsthand knowledge of those that already know some of the ins & outs of the game. There are a thousand different ways to do that. But, allow me to recommend one, that will really give you a jump-start! Join a local Bass Club. No matter where you live in the US; there's a club to fit your budget, located near to you. A, B.A.S.S.-Affiliated Club is a pretty good spot to start. Club Tournaments are a great way to hone your skills (and pretty inexpensive by comparison). Watch & learn the various techniques, of every man you fish with in the club. You can learn one thing from every one of them ~ Good or bad! Use the good, and learn to avoid the bad techniques! Some will work for you, and some won't. But, you won't know which is which; until you use them yourself! When you get good enough at it; someone is sure to invite you to join them, at an Open Tournament or two. It's a chance to "play for pay"! It's the next, obvious, step up the ladder! It's a whole different kind of tournament environment ~ scary, and fun at the same time!

Third: After you've had a chance to try out, and really learn the basics of tournament fishing; then, you can seriously consider being a "CO-angler" in one of the national tournament circuits. There, you'll be able to further advance your knowledge, by learning firsthand, the techniques that the "Pro's" use. Applications are available for all of the tournament circuits, online, at or near the end of the calendar year, for the upcoming year's tournaments. That's when you'll really begin to pay, to play the game. If you've patiently followed the first two steps, and learned your lessons well; you're just a hop, skip, and a jump, away from the "big game."

I've taken the liberty of adding the mailing, phone, and email address of the 2005 President, of the Oklahoma BASS Federation. I'm sure that he'll be more than happy, to steer you toward one or more Federation Affiliated Bass Clubs in your immediate area.

I hope that this information I've given you today, helps you out, at least a little!

Good Luck in your quest, and Good Fishin' !

Good Fishin'!

Dennis Bryant
the Fishin' Professor
FishinProfessor@BassOnHook.com
BassOnHook.com Pro Staff