If you love the rush of competition of fishing bass tournaments, the dream of becoming a professional angler has probably crossed your mind. Traveling from lake to lake and chasing fish sounds like the perfect life. Of course, it's not always as glamorous as it seems. The grind is real, but there's nothing quite like it for those who chase it.
For Bridgford Foods pro Bryan Partak, that dream is still alive and well. He's fishing the Bassmaster EQs in an attempt to earn a spot on the Bassmaster Elite Series. His path to this point has been anything but easy, and it's taken years of hard work and a fair share of twists. But Partak isn't done chasing the dream.
The Early Years
Like many anglers, Partak's tournament journey began from the back deck fishing as a co-angler.
"I started fishing the BFLs as a teenager and then went to Western Illinois University. We didn't have a college fishing team, but I was watching ESPNU one day and saw that Southern Illinois University finished second in a college fishing event," he recalled. "I was like, 'What the heck am I doing here?' and transferred there to fish for their team."
It was one of the peak eras of college fishing, and pro angler Justin Lucas, then the emcee for those events, became an early influence. Lucas, who had a successful co-angler career, offered Partak and his teammate Richard Dunham some advice.
"Justin gave us a reality check about professional fishing," Partak said. "He told us it's a tough way to make a living, but said we were doing the right thing getting our degree. He also told us that fishing the FLW Tour as a co-angler would give us the best training if we wanted to go for it."
Taking that advice to heart, Partak joined the FLW Tour as a co-angler and found success right away. He qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup in all three seasons and began traveling and practicing with future Bridgford teammate Matt Stefan. Along the way, he met and fished with two other anglers who would later join the Bridgford team, Luke Clausen and Randy Blaukat.
The Next Step
When the FLW Tour discontinued its co-angler program, Partak pivoted and started to fish local team events while working in boat sales. It was there that fate stepped in, in the form of Al Bridgford of Bridgford Foods.
"He stored his boat at our dealership, and I helped him like I would any customer by spooling his reels. He was a really nice guy, and I had no idea who he was until someone told me after he left," Partak said. "A lot was happening behind the scenes that I didn't know about then. The next time he came in, we talked, and he said if I got a boat and started fishing bigger tournaments, I should call him because he was starting a fishing team."
Two years later, Partak made that call and represented Bridgford at the U.S. Open as an amateur, and a few years after that, when he bought a new boat, he reached out again.
"He said he couldn't believe it took me four or five years," Partak laughed. "But he said he's a man of his word. I started fishing the Toyota Series for three years before jumping to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit while representing Bridgford."
Bassmaster Opens and Beyond
After fishing the Pro Circuit in 2023, Partak found himself at a crossroads. Another major sponsor had backed out, and he was busy working selling insurance while trying to figure out his next move. His final event that season was in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he again crossed paths with Al Bridgford, who encouraged him to try fishing the Bassmaster Opens.
The nine-event schedule was daunting, especially while juggling a full-time job. Then came another twist, the chance to join Bridgford Foods full-time as Business Development Manager.
"I travel the country for trade shows and sales calls for grocery store chains and Walmart, our biggest customer," he said. "I also work to create new sales opportunities and strengthen our current partnerships. Plus, I help some of our route salesmen and work with the convenience store side of the business."
Partak competes in tournaments between travel and the workload, representing Bridgford Foods on the water. Now 37, he's fishing his second full season in the Bassmaster Opens, where his performance this year earned him a spot in the Bassmaster EQs.
Partak’s dream of becoming a professional angler is not unique, but the story and the striving to make it happen are. The route he has taken to get to this point is admirable. Along the way, he’s encountered many ups and downs, and with a little bit of fate and years of hard work, Partak is right where he wants to be.
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