Fishing Jerseys

[Justin38]

Ok so I got a question on fishing jerseys,

So do all the guys at the club and team tournaments really have all those sponsors that are on their jerseys or are most of them just promoting brands they like in hopes of sponsorship one day?

The reason I ask is Im about to move up from team tournaments to BASS opens and FLW coastas, And i read somewhere in the rules that you have to have the FLW logo in a certain place on your shirt, Now I don't have any sponsors yet except contingency stuff like Power Pole Captains cash but I would like to start trying to acquire sponsors, so is that what all of you guys do put your favorite lure co on your jersey to promote it even though you are not sponsored by them yet?

[ratherbfishin1]

Have you heard of national pro staff?  You can go on there and get sponsors pretty easily apparently.  I have not done it because I have not yet started fishing tourneys (next year hopefully) but it is generally smaller brands.  I wouldn't think they would do it with hopes of getting a sponsorship because that kind of repels other brands, for example if I wore lews hoping to get a sponsorship Shimano might not be willing to sponsor me even though I would still rather have Shimano than no one.  But I don't completely know, like I said I don't have any yet but I hope to next year.

[TOXIC]

Most reputable jersey manufacturers require permission from the sponsor to put their logo on a jersey.  That can be in the form of an email or in some cases actually sending the preferred logo in the format they can use.  Lately many of the jersey companies will put whoever you want on a jersey if they have the logo in their files.  Since I work shows more than tournaments anymore, I have jerseys for whomever I am working the show for.  The Rep Group I work for have many products we represent and that jersey is provided by them.  IMHO you don't put a product on a jersey you do not represent.  

 

 

[Justin38]

See that makes sense to me, thats why I have never owned a jersey.

I dont know how some of these guys get sponsors if they never win a tournament, Ive been fishing Bass Champs for 3 years and never seen some of them even make a top 20

[TOXIC]

4 minutes ago, Justin38 said:

See that makes sense to me, thats why I have never owned a jersey.

I dont know how some of these guys get sponsors if they never win a tournament, Ive been fishing Bass Champs for 3 years and never seen some of them even make a top 20

Don't be fooled, getting quality sponsors isn't about catching fish, it's about moving product.  Some do it by fishing tournament results but there are many, many more that do it by being good salesmen.  Also remember most every company has a multi-level sponsorship program.  

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, ratherbfishin1 said:

Have you heard of national pro staff?

Ugh.

[Justin38]

Whats wrong with NPS?

Just curious

[ratherbfishin1]

Just now, TOXIC said:

Don't be fooled, getting quality sponsors isn't about catching fish, it's about moving product.  Some do it by fishing tournament results but there are many, many more that do it by being good salesmen.  Also remember most every company has a multi-level sponsorship program.  

Exactly^^^

 

They don't care if you catch fish, they don't care if you even know how to fish, as long as you can promote their products and sell them. A lot of people get sponsors through social media and that is why you see pictures of just a rod sitting on someones casting deck or something like that.

 

1 minute ago, J Francho said:

Ugh.

Why do you say that?  Is there something wrong with them?  I don't now much about them I have just heard about them before.

[J Francho]

Sign up, tell me how it turns out.

[Justin38]

I take it you have, can you tell me what went wrong?

a little insight might save someone else from making a mistake

[TOXIC]

Well, I can give a good review based on my experience.  First, I'm a member because some of my sponsors required it.  Second, I functioned as the Pro-Staff Director for one of my sponsors while they were hunting for someone to fill that job full time.  The good and the bad.....

 

Last time I checked, they have a no cost membership which allows you you get content such as articles written by members who are pro staff with the companies that are part of the site and you can follow those members for new content.  You can ask questions and get replies directly from them.  As I understand it, there are other levels of participation that cost.  They have a function where for a fee, you are allowed to submit resumes to companies looking for Pro Staff positions.  The basis of the fee is that when you apply, your resume gets directly to the person who is making the decision.  Assuming everything is on the up and up, that's a positive.  I got a lot of resumes and we did put some on staff.  Keep in mind you are paying with no guarantee that you will be chosen, that's the downside and I saw a lot of really bad resumes but I was, at the time, the decision maker.  Now you just reminded me, it's been a while since I've been on the site and need to go check it out again to see what, if anything, has changed.  

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Justin38 said:

I take it you have, can you tell me what went wrong?

I didn't use them, but used Experts Exchange, through the company that sponsored me.  Much of what TOXIC says is similar.  It's a coupon code for passing a course, or a pay to play "sponsorship."  A lot of people I saw were acting like they sponsored by 20 companies, when really they were getting an industry pro deal.  That isn't pro staff or sponsorship, in my mind.

[RichF]

1 hour ago, Justin38 said:

Whats wrong with NPS?

Just curious

I thought it was a pretty neat idea so I signed up.  I'm not really a fan anymore.  I think it's a great deal for the companies involved but not so much for the anglers.  You pay to put your "resume" in front of some companies in hopes they'll add you to their pro staff (pro staff isn't sponsorship in my mind).  If you get accepted, you'll get a discount on their products (which from what I've seen isn't that great) in return for social media advertising.  I don't think there is anything wrong with it, especially if you really like a companies products.  My problem with it is now the market is flooded with thousands of anglers (a lot of young'ins) calling themselves pros, trying to push, push, push products (most of which aren't that good).  The more I think about it, I really see the whole thing as companies "buying" their customer base.  Give someone a "Pro Staff" title and make them buy your stuff while simultaneously making you advertise for them.  It's win win for the company.  The same angler pays you for product then advertises for you. 

 

Let me clear, I would totally do this for companies I really like.  But I would also recognize that just because I have a pro staff deal, that doesn't mean I'm sponsored or am a professional.    

 

[ratherbfishin1]

3 minutes ago, RichF said:

I thought it was a pretty neat idea so I signed up.  I'm not really a fan anymore.  I think it's a great deal for the companies involved but not so much for the anglers.  You pay to put your "resume" in front of some companies in hopes they'll add you to their pro staff (pro staff isn't sponsorship in my mind).  If you get accepted, you'll get a discount on their products (which from what I've seen isn't that great) in return for social media advertising.  I don't think there is anything wrong with it, especially if you really like a companies products.  My problem with it is now the market is flooded with thousands of anglers (a lot of young'ins) calling themselves pros, trying to push, push, push products (most of which aren't that good).  The more I think about it, I really see the whole thing as companies "buying" their customer base.  Give someone a "Pro Staff" title and make them buy your stuff while simultaneously making you advertise for them.  It's win win for the company.  The same angler pays you for product then advertises for you. 

 

Let me clear, I would totally do this for companies I really like.  But I would also recognize that just because I have a pro staff deal, that doesn't mean I'm sponsored or am a professional.    

 

Thats what I was thinking, one kid on youtube was like I get 30% off the rods... well I'm pretty sure they mark up the rods more than 30% so your still the costumer. It's one thing if it St. Croix or G. Loomis or something but I wouldn't pay half price for some of those brands I've never heard of in my life, much less 70%.  Just my opinion.

[RichF]

29 minutes ago, ratherbfishin1 said:

Thats what I was thinking, one kid on youtube was like I get 30% off the rods... well I'm pretty sure they mark up the rods more than 30% so your still the costumer. It's one thing if it St. Croix or G. Loomis or something but I wouldn't pay half price for some of those brands I've never heard of in my life, much less 70%.  Just my opinion.

I tend to agree.  But to be clear, I'm not saying that all the stuff being sold on NPS isn't quality or worth the price tag.  I haven't used most of those companies products so I have no business formulating an opinion on them.  I got to say though, that kind of marketing is pretty brilliant.  It gets me to open my wallet more than I'd like to admit.

[J Francho]

Just fish.  Do your thing.  If you're good, the right people will notice.  Don't be blatant, or self promotional.  Just fish. 

[Mike L]

16 hours ago, J Francho said:

Just fish.  Do your thing.  If you're good, the right people will notice.  Don't be blatant, or self promotional.  Just fish. 

When I had sponsors I wore what they wanted because I earned what they gave me.

 

Now I wear a jersey because it's comfortable and well made with a high uv protection. 

I designed different American flag patterns to put on it because that's what I want to promote. 

 

Good enough for me. 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

7 hours ago, Mike L said:

When I had sponsors I wore what they wanted because I earned what they gave me.

 

Now I wear a jersey because it's comfortable and well made with a high uv protection. 

I designed different American flag patterns to put on it because that's what I want to promote. 

 

Good enough for me. 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

God bless the USA

[J Francho]

I'm going to be picky here, but the flag should not be used as a costume or athletic uniform.  Only military, police, or firefighters may display the flag on their clothing.

Section 8, part d.

 

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title4/html/USCODE-2011-title4-chap1.htm

 

 

[Mike L]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

I'm going to be picky here, but the flag should not be used as a costume or athletic uniform.  Only military, police, or firefighters may display the flag on their clothing.

Section 8, part d.

 

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title4/html/USCODE-2011-title4-chap1.htm

 

 

Ok

Didn't know that 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[J Francho]

33 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Didn't know that

Many do not.  I will say, I find a stylized portrayal of the flag on a shirt far more acceptable than seeing the union planted on a butt cheek of someone's shorts on the 4th.