re: How much skill do professional fishermen really have?

From the BASS side I've been fortunate to have spent time on the water with KVD, Skeet Reese, Bobby Lane, Chris Lane & a few others.....they way these guys can break down a lake/reservoir/river system is just eye-opening from using their electronics to things that they notice that the average good angler misses. Add in their precision casting & lure placement it's uncanny. I consider myself to be a decent angler though & I'm an uncoordinated doofus compared to these guys

The saltwater tournament guys fishing the big Billfish tournaments for hundreds of thousands are equally amazing.....as well as the pro's fishing the big fly-fishing tournaments for tarpon, bonefish, permit etc. There's a reason these guys make a living doing what they do. I have great deal of respect for them