American fisherman Dustin Connell found fame after participating in numerous Bassmaster tournaments since 2014. He won the 2015 Bassmaster Southern Open and has also competed in several other events in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida.
Apart from these events, Connell also operates a YouTube channel where he teaches viewers about fishing and documents his journey. He has established himself as one of the most competitive and popular anglers at the current time. Today, let's get to know the talented fisherman by going through Dustin Connell's biography.
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Early Life, Family, And Education
Dustin Connell was born in Clanton, Alabama, on July 16, 1990. He was raised by his supportive parents and grew up alongside his older brother, James Connell. Connell's brother and mother were the ones who taught young Dustin to fish. He used to follow his sibling to lakes and ponds to fish every chance he got. Well, Dustin is still thankful for his parents.
Dustin Connell's mother and brother, James Connell were the ones who taught him how to fish. Image Source: Dustin's Instagram.
The Alabama-native completed his high school studies in 2008 from Chilton County High School. He then attended the University of Alabama, where he studied marketing. He chose marketing as the degree program helped him find and work with sponsors as a pro angler.
Dustin Connell Career
Dustin Connell has enjoyed much success in recent years. However, his journey to fame and success was not smooth sailing. The angler was only twelve when he first fished his bass tournament with his brother. The duo reportedly placed second and won $100. This event garnered Dustin's attention and got him hooked on tournament fishing.
Furthermore, Connell continued to fish in tournaments with his big brother and hoped to do it professionally. But not having a boat to access was a major hindrance to this plan. As a result, 15-year-old Dustin used to work at a metal fabrication shop earning $7 per hour. He was also fishing in tournaments at the time.
A few years after graduating from the University of Alabama, Dustin Connell had to take up a construction job in Salem, North Carolina. But in 2015, he left the job after ten months to follow up on his dream of becoming a professional angler. While many of his peers and family members were worried about the drastic change, Connell was adamant about this step and has gained immense success from that move.
Dustin Connell's first competition after leaving his job was the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #2 in Prattville, Alabama. He won the tournament and pocketed a considerable sum of money. Connell participated in Bass Pro Shops events in the following years and competed in numerous Bassmaster competitions, and won many of them.
The professional angler has not only won the above-mentioned tournaments, but he has also pocketed a considerable amount from these events. And much of Dustin Connell's net worth includes the sum he has earned for winning and participating in the fishing competitions.
Dustin Connell Net Worth And Earnings
As stated above, Dustin Connell has earned a significant amount as prize money. According to the official website of Bassmaster, his career winnings are $310,626. Connell's fortune also includes his earnings from YouTube and sponsors. So, let's take a look at how Dustin has managed to amass such wealth.
Income From Competitions And Sponsors
As mentioned above, Dustin has competed in several tournaments and has earned thousands for participating and winning a few of them. His first professional event was the 2014 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #1 in Lake Tohopekaliga. He could not win and did not receive any compensation.
The following year, Connell won the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #2 in Alabama. He pocketed $53,015, including $7,765 as cash winnings, $250 as a cash bonus, and $45,000 also as merchandise bonus. He has since participated in several other competitions, and the table below shows the amount he received in them.
| Tournaments | Cash Winnings | Cash Bonus | Total Amount |
| 2016 Bass Pro Shops Southern Open #2 | $2,983 | - | $2,983 |
| 2017 Bassmaster Elite at Cherokee Lake | $10,000 | - | $10,000 |
| 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Ross Barnett | $100,000 | $500 | $100,500 |
| 2017 Advance Auto Parts Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair | $10,000 | - | $10,000 |
| 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship | - | $24,000 | $24,000 |
| 2018 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Martin | $10,500 | - | $10,500 |
| 2018 Berkley Bassmaster Elite at Lake Oahe presented by Abu Garcia | $10,000 | - | $10,000 |
| 2018 Bass Pro Shops Central Open #4 at Logan Martin | $3,795 | - | $3,795 |
| 2018Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship | - | $11,000 | $11,000 |
As seen above, the American angler has won several thousand as prize money. He pocketed a total sum of $310,626 from the Bassmaster competitions, but, according to BassFan, as of March 1, 2021, Dustin Connell's career earnings were $447,988. And with him competing in numerous other events in the coming days, there is no doubt that his fortune will continue to increase in the coming days.
Furthermore, as one of the top fishermen in the current scene, Dustin is sponsored by multiple companies. One of his top sponsors is the Favorite USA which provides fishing rods for the angler. He is also supported by Googan Baits, Lowrance, Realtree Fishing, AFTCO, Power-Pole, and many others. Connell must have been paid significantly from all the sponsorship deals from these companies.
Income From YouTube And Other Sources
Apart from fishing tournaments and sponsors, Dustin Connell also earns a considerable sum from his YouTube channels. He operates DC Fishing, where he shares his fishing trips and tricks with his fans. The channel currently has 35K subscribers and has garnered more than a million views overall. He also runs Reel Small Town, a vlogging channel with his wife, which has 3.74K subscribers.
Dustin Connell's net worth includes the earnings from his two YouTube channel, DC Fishing and Reel Small Town. Image Source: Dustin's Instagram.
As per Social Blade, the estimated yearly earnings from Connell's channel, DC Fishing, is between $562 and $9K. On the other hand, his vlogging channel has estimated earnings of $40 to $633 per year. Since he runs both of the channels, Dustin's earnings from them have helped raise his total fortune.
Additionally, the Bassmaster Southern Open champion also offers a day tour fishing with him. According to his official website, those interested can book Dustin as a guide and learn fishing from the professional himself. There are three types of guide fees to book the Alabama-native, which are given below:
- Full-Day (9 hours - 2 Anglers) - $1,500
- Full-Day (9 hours - 1 Anglers) - $1,000
- Electronics Trip (3 hours) - $500
Since he has garnered a massive following over the years, the Bass Pro Tour Angler must have guided many fans and taught them some fishing techniques. Not only has this venture helped him meet new fishermen, but Dustin Connell's net worth must have also benefitted from the amount he received from it.
Relationship And Love Life
As for the pro angler's love life, he is a married man. Dustin Connell's wife is Victoria Connell, whom he got married to on November 10, 2019. The pair had been dating for quite some time before finally exchanging vows. The Connell couple is yet to welcome a little one in the family; however, there no doubt that their future children will inherit their beautiful looks and talents.
Dustin Connell married his long-term girlfriend, Victoria Connell, on November 10, 2019. Image Source: Dustin's Instagram.
Only a few months after their marriage, Dustin Connell's wife, Victoria, revealed that the lovely duo found land for their dream home. Victoria shared the happy news via her Instagram. The house is now complete, and as per their YouTube channel, the pair have already moved in there. With these new milestones, who knows, Dustin and Victoria might announce the addition of a new member to their family.
Trivia
- Dustin Connell bought his first boat at the age of 16. He paid $4,000 in credit, all of which came from his tournament earnings.
- While they are opponents in events, Dustin, Jacob Wheeler, and Mark Daniels Jr. share a close bond and travel together.
- He has 76.6K followers on Instagram.
