Yeah just have fun for now!!

No but really....there are unlimitted possibilities in front of you.
The fishing industry as a career is WORK....and although it may be fun at first it is still work...and work sucks!

As stated previously try and find a career that will allow you the most amount of time to do what you love. Teaching is a very good choice. Heck get a biology/science degree and teach biology, science, marine biology etc...
Then you can even make some more money by guiding or working the boats in the summer. Or just spend the whole summer and all your days off fishing.
One thing that sucks about school is that in the attempt to prepare us for the real world, they neglect to tell us that all the holidays we were getting off....are not the same holidays that employers give you!
And to add to that if/when you have children you will have the same days off as them.


OK so now for my own experiences...my dad was able to retire at 37. Got his pilots license when he was 14 and was in the Air Force at 17....B-52 Pilot.
Loved to fish and needed to be by a base for the benefits. Wanted retirement weather and excellent fishing so So Cal and Florida were the choices. Ended up checking out San Diego, Long Beach, and Port Hueneme.....settled on Hueneme for the small town charm.
Bought the Bait and Tackle shop at the pier as a way to spend his days. Would fish mornings and evenings after work on the pier with me in tow.

Being in Hueneme I was fortunate. I fished the pier daily and learned from all the "old" locals and being by the harbor I had no less than 5 Sportboat Captains on my Block!
First time I started going out on the boats was when I was 5(super young pinhead) I stayed on the boats working up to a deckhand doing everything from long range to working the bait boats. In High School 2 of my friends dropped out to work full time on the boats. One got his captains license shortly thereafter. Both had families early on as well....but they are both divorced now. I myself was on my way to college but my first son interupted things and I had to start working to support a family...not on the boats though.

Time of my life on the boats as I had spent literally YEARS on the water and learned alot from the guys I worked with/for. ALOT of what i learned was their mistakes and shortcomings and what NOT to do...now years later with a wife a house(which I bought when I was 23) and 3 boys I like to wind down and relax on the water with no hassles. I have owned 3 boats...and now am a Kayak guy.

Luckily I was able to work my way up rather fast in the Tech industry to where I'm out now. I only work a couple days(nights to be exact) for a Semiconductor company and draw fulltime pay/benefits.
That leaves me with Monday-Friday to fish all day(minus shuttling the kids to school)...and Saturday and Sunday mornings after work.

Once the kidos are in school fulltime(still have the 4yr old to go) I will start working on a degree so I can start teaching...why? So I can have a job(I consider teaching to be my "retirement") that will allow me to spend the maximum amount of time on the water with my sons.



SUMMARY:
As you get older time above all else becomes the main factor in what you can and cannot do. Time is precious in this busy day and age. Many "Do Not Have Time" to spend fishing...as fishing is a somewhat time consuming endeavor.
My suggestions
A. Chose a career that will allow you the time.
B. Chose a location to live/work with endless fishing possibilities(it amazes me when I see how far away some of the "locals/regulars" live.) This will allow you more time on the water and less time traveling...once it becomes a hassle/time consuming to get to the water...your time on it will start to dwindle.

A+B=Enjoying a life of fishing..where it is your LIFESTYLE and not just a hobby.

MJ aka Mr Mugu