Kicker I agree with some of your sentiment, but you brought up a related issue that I just had to shed light on. Years ago, while serving in the military I started fishing competitively and was very successful on the local level early on. This led me to have ambitions of becoming a professional angler. This is where I met a guy who is now one of the top Elite pros. I was consistently beating him back then which makes me reflect on what could have been every time I see him on TV, magazines, or tackle displays. At that time I had a new wife, a new baby, and was basically halfway thru a successful career with a decent retirement. I was literally one signature away from getting out of the Army and throwing all those years away. I quickly learned this was all going to come at a price. I almost lost my new wife due to the time spent on the water which was required of me to get there. After talking with a few people in the industry and learning of how difficult it is financially, and of how long it takes to get there, I quickly chose my family and career over those aspirations.
In an earlier post I mentioned I personally knew a couple elite pros (and another FLW pro). I won't mention their names to protect the guilty. The aforementioned person is one of the top pros the other is down the ladder a few rungs. They have many of the same sponsors but that is where the similarities end. Having the same sponsors some may believe they get the same perks from them, not necessarily true. In any professional sport, the higher you finish the more publicity you get, but there are other things a person must possess. Companies do not give a full sponsorships to one-hit-wonders. It's where you finish consistently, image, professionalism, attitude, and a few other things. If you have the "complete package", a pro can expect to receive more from his sponsors, but their expectations of you increases as well. Sponsors require you to give them publicity not only from their name/logo on the side of the boat and mentioning their name at weigh-ins that airs on national TV but from actually using their product and appearances at boat, tackle, and outdoor shows, TV commercials, magazine ads etc... It is nothing more than a product advertisement game. Advertisements on TV are extremely expensive. Sponsoring a fishing pro is relatively cheap in comparison. Whether on or off the water, the top pros usually have the cameras on them during the tourneys for extended periods of time, and at times for a much longer period of time than a 15-30 second TV commercial. Near all equipment sponsorships, to include top boat and truck sponsorships usually range from company cost, discounted prices, to free depending on who the angler is. Entry fees may also be paid in full or partial, again depending on the angler. The bigger the company name the bigger the perks. Take KVD for instance, he is not only a great angler but also a giant media draw no matter where he is. I would bet that there isn't a bass angler in the world that doesn't know his name or recognize his face. For this reason he could finish last in every tourney and still have full sponsorships with any company. He was in a slump for a few years but still maintained ALL his sponsors. Another case in point is a fairly recent Classic winner in the field that still places well in the top 50 and an occasional top 12. I bet 5 out of 10 people could not call him by name if he was standing in front of them. He has sponsors but not many, which is possibly because he has a bad reputation among his peers because of attitude. I believe if he could change that one single thing, his sponsorships would change along with it! There are many other well-known anglers who haven't won a tourney in years but still maintain great sponsors because of their image and the fan following they have (Skeet Reese, Gary Klein, Boyd Duckett). On the flip side, there are those elite anglers that don't usually do well and don't have great sponsorships. These are the guys who have their own businesses or are independently wealthy and pay their own way. As mentioned many pros guide on their home lakes to help pay their bills. Out of the 109 or so Elites, 60-70 of them struggle from year to year to stay. Many are not married, have no kids to feed, some even still live with mom. They choose that lifestyle to be able to afford to compete on that level.
Being a professional in this sport isn’t an easy game or lifestyle, they have to remember sponsorships is what pays the bills. Being a jerk on the water to fans and other fisherman, especially when there is a high likelihood it will be caught on camera, can cost them those sponsorships and eventually their livelihood!!
Just so you don't think I am BSing--I'm in the picture.
