Should you approach the fishing industry for sponsorship?
First, let's look at it from the lure manufacturer's standpoint. Just think of your favorite lure manufacturer for a minute. Now imagine that you work at their plant. One of your jobs may be sorting through the hundreds of emails and letters daily from anglers seeking sponsorship via products and cash. In those communications, you will also find donation requests from - fishing clubs, non-profit organizations, company friends, etc.
Can you imagine having that job?
After a few days of employment, wouldn't all the resumes start to look the same? How about all the product or financial donations requests? Wouldn't they all start to look the same too? Of course, they would. How would you know which one to support or sponsor?
Don't think I made this example up - I didn't. The fishing industry, whether it is manufacturers of lures, lines, rods, reels, boats, motors, sunglasses, hooks, tackle boxes, etc., is inundated every single day with hundreds, maybe thousands, of sponsorship requests.
And have you ever heard of the old saying, "It's not what you know. It's who you know?" Some sponsorship deals are landed that way, too - the good 'ol boy network. Not much you can do about that.
As you can see, approaching the fishing industry for sponsorship looks like an uphill battle - and it is. That's why I recommend avoiding companies in the fishing industry early on in your fishing career. If you are fortunate enough to get some sort of sponsorship from within the industry, it'll more than likely end up being a small discount on purchased products. Even though that may save you a little money, it won't help with your most significant expense - tournament entry fees.
Let me put it this way. Pretend you sell advertising for your local newspaper and present ad rates to a local tire company. In reply to your advertising rates, they respond with - "Can we give you some tires at a discount in exchange for the ad?" Don't laugh. Many anglers do precisely that. They exchange small discounts on a product to advertise a particular fishing company so they can say they're sponsored. Crazy.
So, what's an aspiring tournament angler to do for sponsorship?
Outside the fishing industry, you'll find companies with advertising, marketing, and promoting needs. When you think of your "sponsorship offer" as an "advertising/marketing/promoting" avenue, you'll see the possibilities of landing cash for your entry fees.
That's what I did and still recommend.
Look outside the fishing industry for cash sponsorship and stay away from the fishing industry initially. You'll find a lot less rejection.
Scott is the Author of "How To Get Sponsored For Fishing Tournaments."
