Here's my two cents...

I'm probably one of the older group on this site and have had a lot of different jobs and opportunities. First things first...you need to stay in school. Not that it will guarantee you success but it will certainly give you a well-roundedness that will likely be more appealing to employers as you take your first job or jobs. It doesn't sound like you are anything like me, but I just wanted to get through with school as quick as possible. Get it done and get your life underway!

Now as for fishing vs. non-fishing...
I've worked both the retail end as well as the the manufacturer's end and regardless of where I had been, I found my passion for fishing waning the longer I held those jobs. In short, the more you work in fishing the less you want to be fishing...at least that was my experience. Like someone else has already said, the better the fishing...the more you will have to work. Think about that...how lame would that be to have to go to work when the fish are on the bite??? It's really hard to take.

You are a young man with a good head on your shoulders. You've come to the right place for getting the advice on this issue. I would have to say that the majority of the people who currently have jobs in the fishing industry and who also have children at your age deciding on a career, would NOT encourage their children to follow in their footsteps. Just my guess.

Take the advice that everyone has given you and base your decision on what you FEEL is the best bet. You will never know until you do it.

One last thing, don't ever be afraid to try. You will achieve great things if you keep your faith in God and believe that he has a plan for you. The decisions that you make are Gods way of revealing what He has in store for you. Keep the faith young brother and make your decisions with confidence!

God Bless YOU!

Darin