You’ll never guess how rich HE got from fishing

Who doesn’t dream of turning their hobby into a career? But also get rich with it? This angler did it! And by wealth we don’t mean the gold from fish scales, but a lot of money.

Kevin VanDam (57) was through fishing Multimillionaire. And he’s not the only one who made so much money catching fish. A ranking of anglers who became real goldfish through their hobby shows how you can become a millionaire through fishing. Your financial strategy is quite simple: catch fish successfully! They then land prize money after prize money as bycatch – in major fishing competitions!

This is how star anglers become millionaires

There was even a particularly lucrative fishing competition at the moment Prize money of 6.5 million euros awarded. But even lower prize money can quickly add up to millions.

If you want to get rich from fishing, the first thing you should do is choose the right type of fish. The sport of fishing is dominated – at least when it comes to the amount of prize money – by bass anglers! Hunting smallmouth bass has become something of a national sport in the USA. Many of the best bass anglers swim in the Money. Tournaments with very high prize money include: B. the “Bassmaster Classic” (Bass = perch).

Websites like BassFan.com keep records of anglers’ careers and their income. This results in a ranking.

BILD shows the four richest anglers in the world!

Platz 4: Greg Hackney

Angler Greg Hackney (51) is the only angler in history to become the Major League Fishing World Champion, win the Forest Wood Cup and be named Bassmaster Angler of the Year. In his Leisure time He also hunts deer, sometimes with a bow and arrow. According to BassFan.com, he is said to have already raked in $3.8 million through tournaments by July 2024, the equivalent of around 3.52 million euros.

3rd place: Aaron Martens

Aaron Martens († 49) is just ahead of Greg Hackney. The angler was named Bassmaster Angler of the Year several times, qualified for the “Bassmaster Classic” 20 times and came second four times. Tragic: In 2020 he suffered a seizure while fishing and died of a brain tumor a year and a half later. According to Netz, his last participation in a competition was in August 2021, about three months before his death. He earned around $3.84 million in his career, converted 3.55 million euros.

2nd place: David Dudley

David Dudley (49) earned even more prize money. The roofer from Lynchburg, Virginia, was active in several sports as a young boy. Among his Hobbies: Basketball, Baseball, Football. According to the online portal “Field and Stream”, he was kicked off his basketball team at the time. Reason: Instead of training, he went to a fishing competition. On his Instagram channel, he proudly writes that he has earned a whopping $4.9 million through competitions, converted 4.54 million euros. But the gap to first place is still immense!

1st place: Kevin VanDam

Kevin VanDam (57), known to fans as “KVD”, is considered the absolute king of prize money anglers. The man from Kalamazoo (Michigan) is a superstar on the scene. KVD began his career in 1990 at the age of 23. Two years later he was already Bassmaster Angler of the Year – THE Title among professional anglers – and as the youngest angler ever!

To date, he has won the title six more times and has won every important competition multiple times. In 2023 he retired as Professional athlete back to spend more time with his family. Nevertheless, he occasionally takes part in tournaments.

The former boat salesman certainly doesn’t have to go back to his old job: he earned $7.2 million, converted, from tournaments alone 6.67 million euros. He was also able to secure advertising contracts with Toyota, Oakley and Nitro Boats.

If there are sponsorship contracts in addition to the prize money, it’s not just the fish, but also that income amazing capital.