Could I Get Sponsored?

[J Francho]

No, there are circumstances when sponsorship is necessary. Did you read JT's article? I'm curious, is he looking to just get cheap baits, or is he interested in seeing this through.

[corn-on-the-rob]

No, there are circumstances when sponsorship is necessary. Did you read JT's article? I'm curious, is he looking to just get cheap baits, or is he interested in seeing this through.

 

When are they necessary? (honest question)

 

I guess we will have to find out, but I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt and try to help him as much as possible. 

[J Francho]

Do you think most rookie Elite pros just come up with the half million in expenses for a year on the tour? Sponsors handle that. Just curious what the purpose is.

[slonezp]

Am I missing something? I re-read and did not see anywhere where he mentions "needing" them. (I may have missed it, if so point it out)

What's the difference if he wants or needs it. He is asking for it and not working for it. Maybe a better approach would be to "work for free" as you suggested in your second paragraph. As they say the proof is in the pudding.

[corn-on-the-rob]

Do you think most rookie Elite pros just come up with the half million in expenses for a year on the tour? Sponsors handle that. Just curious what the purpose is.

 

Gotcha, well I was going along the lines of need meaning fishing competitively in the first place was necessary, but yea it is quite expensive at that level.

[J Francho]

You don't need sponsors to fish competitively, and you also don't need to fish competitively to get sponsors.

[buzzed bait]

get out there and "dominate" the BFLs and opens as you say you do locally and the available/wanting sponsors will find you.

[gardnerjigman]

get out there and "dominate" the BFLs and opens as you say you do locally and the available/wanting sponsors will find you.

X2

[JT Bagwell]

I always enjoy reading these threads in the morning. 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Just because they scroll some adds on their youtube videos doesn't make them sponsored. I have a jersery (from BR) that has about 14 different companies on it, I'm sponsored by none of them. 

 

Tackle companies love this.

 

To the OP, let your results show what you're worth. Getting noticed through your performance is a high compliment, strive for that. Also, IMO, "a few baits here and there" and the word "sponsorship" do not belong in the same sentence.

 

Keep fishing. Keep getting better. Work on your interpersonal skills. Eat your vitamins and say your prayers. (I grew up with Hulk Hogan LOL)

[bassdisaster]

Just thought I would reply, I still don't understand the negative comments. If I want to work hard for a company to get a very small amount of baits for free and a discount, what is wrong with that? You say I'm only asking because I want free stuff but the way I see it, when you have a job you get payed right? And when you get paid, you get paid in cash, so are you just in it for the money? Of course you are, you are working for some sort of payment, and that is what I want out of a sponsor. A mutually beneficial partnership.

[J Francho]

They aren't negative, they're comments meant to deflate your ego. You aren't that good yet, and you aren't that valuable to a company yet. Kids pimping products at shows tends to repel mature customers with money in their wallet. It isn't meant to be negative, it's just a fact of life. You have to earn it, and you haven't yet.

[HookdUP]

I feel bad for this kid ... Classic young bull old bull scenerio .... He probably did embellish on how he does in tournaments but sheesh .... It's like some of the guys here wanted to take out lost dreams of their own sponsorship on him .... Best thing I did to get any form of a sponsorship was hang around those who did have them or were reps ... I had to shine shoes so to speak in the beginning ... Do all of the things the reps etc didn't wanna do but had to to maintain there sponsorship ... The best thing for me at the time was I could buy some things discounted through those friends and still do ... Get every American shimano for half off that I want a few times a year ... I don't see any reason why you can't get there but be concerned with getting there and everything else will come to you... Kinda how the young guys are focused on getting ***** instead of money not understanding that if you get money you'll have everything else and not have to look for it .... Fish great and don't lose the good ones that bite ... Always doing that will get you everything and you'll never have to worry about it either

[Starchalopakis]

 Best thing I did to get any form of a sponsorship was hang around those who did have them or were reps .

 

Although I am not a sponsored fisherman and most likely never will be, this advice is priceless no matter what kind of job or career you are pursuing. Hang around the guys who have already "made it" so to speak in the world of sponsored fishing, and learn everything you can from them.

[slonezp]

I feel bad for this kid ... Classic young bull old bull scenerio .... He probably did embellish on how he does in tournaments but sheesh .... It's like some of the guys here wanted to take out lost dreams of their own sponsorship on him .... Best thing I did to get any form of a sponsorship was hang around those who did have them or were reps ... I had to shine shoes so to speak in the beginning ... Do all of the things the reps etc didn't wanna do but had to to maintain there sponsorship ... The best thing for me at the time was I could buy some things discounted through those friends and still do ... Get every American shimano for half off that I want a few times a year ... I don't see any reason why you can't get there but be concerned with getting there and everything else will come to you... Kinda how the young guys are focused on getting ***** instead of money not understanding that if you get money you'll have everything else and not have to look for it .... Fish great and don't lose the good ones that bite ... Always doing that will get you everything and you'll never have to worry about it either

Why do you feel bad for him? Maybe a better approach for him would have been not ask for "free stuff" There is no mention in the OP of seeking sponsorship with local businesses. These types of sponsorships may be more beneficial to him than So and So's bait company. More than likely they have more money to spend on advertising. I'd much rather have some of my entry fees paid for than some jigs at 1/2 price. Invite the business owner to the weigh in. When "Joe business owner" sees his company name on the side of a boat and on the fisherman's jersey and he sees how the fisherman interacts with his peers, he thinks money well spent. I wonder why the young guys get caught up in the bait and tackle sponsors. Who do you think is paying this guys way? You think he's getting paid with Frosted Flakes?

[J Francho]

I'd fish for frosted flakes. They're great!

[HookdUP]

I felt bad for him because I remember being young and confident ... Like a baby whos never fell so he will jump from any height ... ... We all do ....

[gulfcaptain]

If it were me back when I was 19 with the options now, this is what I would do.  I would look into a college with a fishing team.  I'd start there, represent my school, get a "marketing degree" while fishing my way through college.  This will get you to the next steps below.

 

Once in college and on the fishing team in the pursuit of your fishing career, look for businesses to sponsor your team.  This will get you in the door.  Good team results would lend to possibly helping you in some other events as an individual. Build  those relationships and partnerships with those companies.  If you're successful in the college tour, this could get you in the door to the Forest Wood Cup and national attention on a big stage to show your stuff.  You finish in the top 10 there, then the bigger guys are going to find you.  And then not only will you have the fishing skills but also the college degree and marketing skills those bigger companies will be looking for.  

 

One more bit of advice, be HUMBLE....confidence is great, cocky is not.  At 19 it's though to tell the difference at that age.  I learned the hard way in the charter fishing business.  Being young and knowing what was going on didn't always translate to the passengers.  I had to learn how to be more of a people person and do it in a teaching way.  Guys that are in their 40's and 50's who have been fishing longer then I had been alive didn't want to hear a cocky 19 yr old kid tell them what to do.  I had to humble myself down and approach it differently which then helped me become more professional and successful.  Good luck on your path.  I hope you hit the goal you are wanting.  But you have A LOT of hard work in front of you first.

[JT Bagwell]

I'd fish for frosted flakes. They're great!

 

I am seriously eating Frosted Flakes while reading this.  lol

[gulfcaptain]

I am seriously eating Frosted Flakes while reading this.  lol

I'm having Captain Crunch Berries.  But Frosted Flakes are good too.

[Rented Mule]

Here's some more advice. As far as looking into a college that has a fishing team, personally, I think that's silly. College is a huge step as far as financial & time considerations, pick a college based on what will carry you through life , not fishing. If the college has a fishing team , great, but it would be the last criteria on my list as far as choosing a school.

 

And as far as a " marketing degree", try googling the ten worst college degrees, and I'm sure marketing will be ranked right up there with Art History, Communications, Journalism, and religious studies or " sports medicine". You'll be fishing after college all right, but probably because you'll have a lot of spare time on your hands, & it'll probably be from the bank in a pair of leaky waders in the evenings, ' cause during the day, you'll be working at McDonalds.

 

If your going to go to college, go for petro / chem engineering, mathematics, electrical engineering/ bio-medical, software engineering or something along those lines where you can command close to 6 figures when graduating.

 

Then you can buy a big shiny boat and all the baits you want. You won't need any sponsors

 

I'm more than familiar with kids graduating with worthless degrees. I've got a family full of them.

[etommy28]

why are you telling some one what to study? I have a Degree in Communications, a minor in marketing and a masters in public admin. I also have a full time job i like very much...... doing none of the three.

[J Francho]

I'm a software engineer. My schooling background was in fish farming, lol.

[gulfcaptain]

Here's some more advice. As far as looking into a college that has a fishing team, personally, I think that's silly. College is a huge step as far as financial & time considerations, pick a college based on what will carry you through life , not fishing. If the college has a fishing team , great, but it would be the last criteria on my list as far as choosing a school.

 

And as far as a " marketing degree", try googling the ten worst college degrees, and I'm sure marketing will be ranked right up there with Art History, Communications, Journalism, and religious studies or " sports medicine". You'll be fishing after college all right, but probably because you'll have a lot of spare time on your hands, & it'll probably be from the bank in a pair of leaky waders in the evenings, ' cause during the day, you'll be working at McDonalds.

 

If your going to go to college, go for petro / chem engineering, mathematics, electrical engineering/ bio-medical, software engineering or something along those lines where you can command close to 6 figures when graduating.

 

Then you can buy a big shiny boat and all the baits you want. You won't need any sponsors

 

I'm more than familiar with kids graduating with worthless degrees. I've got a family full of them.

My advice was for the OP who wants to pursue a career in fishing.  Sorry if I was 19 I would go to a college I could afford #1 without going into debt and yes get on a fishing team (yep I'd look into this if I wanted to become a professional bass angler) and work my a$$ off though school to cover what my fishing scholarship couldn't cover.  If I'm going to market myself I think having a marketing background would be useful but so would Marine Biology honestly.  My goal wouldn't be to work a 9-5 job hoping I make 6 figures....it would be to make 6 figures fishing professionally working my a$$ off for my sponsors marketing their products or doing whatever is asked of me while doing what I worked so hard to achieve.  Would it be a pipe dream?  Probably, but if someone who is 19 has the drive and motivation to acomplish such a dream, I say go for it.  But yes, I would have a back up plan incase my pipe dream didn't work out.  But I would never shoot my childrens dreams down and never tell them they gratuated with a worthless degree.  If they have a worthless degree then I as a Father failed them by not instiling the common sense needed to be productive in the real world.

[buzzed bait]

I took his advice and googled it and just for the record, marketing not in the top 10 worst degrees....  in fact, it says it's the best value in 2015 according to Huffington Post Business.... 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/10/college-degrees-best-value_n_3414643.html

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/10/11/the-10-worst-college-majors/