How old do you have to be to get a sponsor???

[The Bass Fisherman]

Okay, heres the deal. I want to know how old you have to be to get a sponsor, go into a tournament, and what a sponsor does. I'm new to this stuff, I have been fishing for a long time, but new to just this kind of fishing.... You can post and answers, PM me the answers, or YIM them to me. ;D

[Gatorbassman]

Being sponsored is a real job. You have to be able to sell, promote, represent and work for the company and product that sponsors you. If you can do that better than most of the other people that are trying to get sponsored then it shouldn't matter how old you are.

There are thousands of tournament anglers, guides, and fishermen trying to secure as many sponsors as they can. At eleven years old how are you going to be able to stand out above that croud?

[squid]

There isn't really an age limit here.  Like Fluke says, you have to stand out.  There are 2 - maybe 3 kids who have sponsors, but they earned them.   They go all over helping out their sponsors too.  I don't think their parents mind to much, since they are the ones who has to drive them around to all those locations.

But they are marketable...that is what you have to be.

In my line of work...we have 6 - 12 yr olds....lol  Gotta love MOTOCROSS...lol

[flyphisher #]

this is Kinda putting the wagon a few miles ahead of the horse, aint it??????

Lets be realistic, i know i will sound like a butthole, not gonna sugar coat anything.....and this goes for anyone else with sponsorship questions, illusions,delusions,and so forth....

Why do you feel you should be sponsored? Just because you have used zoom worms since you were 5 doesnt really make you a canidate for their pro staff....sorry. You cant drive, Cant legally operate a boat most places, Tournament participation is limited, cant legally work, = not much exposure for someone's product. Alot of trails wont let you fish as a co-angler even until you are 18.

At least wait until you are older and have some experience and something to bring to the table, that way you will not have already annoyed the people before you have made a name for yourself. just fishing all the time from 3yrs old to 11 isnt really a big deal and winning some bank fishing touneys when you were 8 and being the jr catfish rodeo champion at 7 years old are not legit things to list on your resume etc.

There are many forum members, myself included, that spend over 150 days a year and have been fishing seriously from anywhere to 10-15 yrs as far as the under 30 guys go and those that have been putting that time from 20 years to a lifetime either chasing trophy fish or chasing checks in tournaments. A few of us have been lucky enough to win pretty good money and have had or have decent sponsor deals. The majority of us though, getting sponsors isnt really an issue, and pretty humble about what we do, have done, and our abilty and are not expecting to get paid or given free stuff because "we like to fish, alot."

[helms83]

"What's mind blowing and sad" is your response to an 11 year-old. The kid never stated he wanted a sponsor or was looking for one. He was asking what a sponser does, are there age restrictions to tournaments/sponsorships, and how does one obtain a sponsership. He was just curious about how the whole "thing" worked.

[Gorgebassman]

"What's mind blowing and sad" is your response to an 11 year-old. The kid never stated he wanted a sponsor or was looking for one. He was asking what a sponser does, are there age restrictions to tournaments/sponsorships, and how does one obtain a sponsership. He was just curious about how the whole "thing" worked.

WHAT HE SAID!!!!!!

Heres my advise keep fishing your young have lots of time. Try to master every technique that you can. Study as much material as you can. Ask alot of questions and dont be bothered by negativity. There is a whole web of information out there on self promotion learn learn learn. GOOD LUCK!!!

[flyphisher #]

Edited out the last part :.Would not have known his age without looking at his profile, also states he had been fishing "a long time".kinda misleading....But other than that, how was i not telling him how things work, etc....I believe I explained that it wasnt just for him, it was the others that also come on here wanting to know how to get sponsors, etc. and yet they havent done anything to deserve sponsorship.

Basically elaborating more on what has already been said.

[Jigger1]

U dont have to be rude to the kid, he's 11. When I was his age I thought I was a master bass catcher too.

Bass Fisherman- Keep fishing, no age restrictions, you could just be a the next Michelle Wie of fishing!

[Cajun1977]

Edited out the last part :.Would not have known his age without looking at his profile, also states he had been fishing "a long time".kinda misleading....But other than that, how was i not telling him how things work, etc....I believe I explained that it wasnt just for him, it was the others that also come on here wanting to know how to get sponsors, etc. and yet they havent done anything to deserve sponsorship.

Basically elaborating more on what has already been said.

kid  keep up at what your doing and good things will come  your never to young to start thinking about these things if thats truly what you are intrested in.

flyfisher how are you gonna say its not for him,  excuse me  but who in the world are you,to me you sound like your jealous.   just cause hes not you  he cant go forward with something :    get over it dude  if this kid wants to do something  dont try and push him down, be a real man and offer him some assistance,or helpful criticism.

[flyphisher #]

Since when is reality rude???? just pointing out things no one else is pointing out. Then some of the same ones will go over to off-topic and whine about how kids are spoiled, unrealistic these days.....

What would I be jealous about?????? : I thought the same thing at eleven and I always got cut down to size, while it may have been uncalled for it happens all the time and if warn the younger kids my experiences of getting laughed at, ignored, etc He might keep at it and wait until the time is right. Fishing is one thing that everyone knows takes years of experience to get better.

Wasnt trying to be rude, just offering a realistic experience, really, with how the world works. Not only have I been in competitive fishing a while, but I was also involved in rodeo/horse show stuff for most of my life. Its hard to get sponsors unless you are a phenom or something, and if thats the case you will know, the sponsors will come to you..

[Catt]

The only limits are the ones you place on yourself  

Start out at the local level; my first sponsors (some still are) were local Tackle Shops, Grocery Stores, Mechanic Shops, Constructions Companies, Doctors, Lawyers, & friends.

I agree with flyphisher; be aware you will be humiliated in every way possible, what flyphisher said will be mild by comparison.

[squid]

If you end up getting sponsors and get humiliated in every way possible, and by other fishermen...JUST TELL THEM...."HEY, I ASKED AND THEY DELIVERED.  YOU JEALOUS?"  No, don't do that...lol.   Just tell them to ask, that is all you did.

[Banor]

Who says you have to be good at fishing to have a sponsor?  Who sas you have to fish 100 tournaments to "deserve" a sponsorship?

There are companies out there that will pay you to show off their logo everywhere you go.  It's called advertising.  

I was out practicing for a BFL last week and ran into quite a few FLW pro's on Lake Erie and St. Clair.  I ran into a Tylenol wrapped boat on nearly half of my spots I went to check.  The entire weekend all I could think about was Tylenol.  

I dont even know who the pro's were that had them (I dont follow who's sponsored by who, it's not an obsession for me like it is alot of people around here) and didnt even meet them, didnt check online to see if they were good before I bought tylenol.  I'll be darned though if I didnt buy a bottle of Tylenol the night before the BFL just incase.  

Tylenol sold a bottle of their product because of a wrapped boat that for me had no need for a high profile name association to sell the product.

Just one example.

B

[squid]

Good thing he showed up then huh? ;D ;D....lol

[Banor]

I wish he hadn't  I wanted to run to Erie during the BFL but there were FLW Tour boats all over.

B

[MattStrykul]

Age doesn't show talent. I have been rollerblading since I was 7, and doing competitions since I was 8. I skated every chance I had and won alot of competitions and knew alot of people. I was pretty well known, and still am in the rollerblading community all over America. I have been sponsored since I was about 11-12 years old, and I still am now. Rollerblading is a very bad industry and really the pro teams get free things, but a 40-50% discount aint too bad either.

Just have fun, learn as much as you can, and practice. Get to meeting people, talk to anyone and just get as much info as you can. Fish in tournaments, go to expo's, do whatever you can to just get out there man. I know you weren't asking how to get sponsored, but I know at your age I was definetly thinking about it, I'm sure you are to bud. Good luck to you my friend.

Matt Strykul

[BassHunter266]

Well if your young don't get discouraged, I'm 16 and i'm sponsored by Bass proshops, Ranger, kiloshield, westmarine, and minnkota, well those are my major ones but my first is Northlake Marine in Florida and McGee tires, you normally start small

but if you put a lot of work into bass fishing, and promoting your sponsors, then you will grow.  ;D

[dickenscpa]

Well if your young don't get discouraged, I'm 16 and i'm sponsored by Bass proshops, Ranger, kiloshield, westmarine, and minnkota, well those are my major ones but my first is Northlake Marine in Florida and McGee tires, you normally start small

but if you put a lot of work into bass fishing, and promoting your sponsors, then you will grow. ;D

Wow, I'm impressed. I'm sure you had to really work at getting those sponsors and a lot of work went into developing your skills and keeping those sponsors. I wish you and about 50 of your clones were the teenagers that lived around me.LOL! Seriously congrats, I bet your parents are proud. My son just turned 5, but I would be BEAMING if he displayed sound Christian values and a good work ethic when he's 16.

[BassHunter266]

Well if your young don't get discouraged, I'm 16 and i'm sponsored by Bass proshops, Ranger, kiloshield, westmarine, and minnkota, well those are my major ones but my first is Northlake Marine in Florida and McGee tires, you normally start small

but if you put a lot of work into bass fishing, and promoting your sponsors, then you will grow. ;D

Wow, I'm impressed. I'm sure you had to really work at getting those sponsors and a lot of work went into developing your skills and keeping those sponsors. I wish you and about 50 of your clones were the teenagers that lived around me.LOL! Seriously congrats, I bet your parents are proud. My son just turned 5, but I would be BEAMING if he displayed sound Christian values and a good work ethic when he's 16.

I thank you for the complement. I suggest that you enroll your child in a bass fishing club if there is any where you live, that's where

I got my first 2 sponsors, the things that your child can learn are incredible. I got my other sponsors when i went to state championships and other events, I own several sponsor shirts and recieve discounts and free stuff. I never thought I would get this

far in bass fishing.

[cbfishalot]

I just had to place my 2 cents into this topic.  First of all why do alot of major companies plaster there names all over the kids at the JR World Championships (because kids sell product and its great PR work).  Secondly,  alot of companies will only sponser anglers that do work and help with events that are kid based.  This is one of the things that set you apart from the other anglers tring to get the same sponsership.  These young anglers are the future of the sport that we love so much.  If we run all these kids away from the sport there will be less anglers in the future.  Less anglers in the future means less sells and less profit for the companies.  If you do some research I bet you would find that  most of the anglers in BASS and the FLW do or have done some kind of work that is youth based.  There is no need  for a Barry Bonds type in bass fishing.  If you have never done some type of event with the youth and fishing I encourge you to do so.  It is one of the most rewarding moments you'll have related to fishing.  Even more then the nuumber of tournaments you have placed in or won.

Just my 2 cents!!!

[The Bass Fisherman]

Since when is reality rude???? just pointing out things no one else is pointing out. Then some of the same ones will go over to off-topic and whine about how kids are spoiled, unrealistic these days.....

What would I be jealous about?????? : I thought the same thing at eleven and I always got cut down to size, while it may have been uncalled for it happens all the time and if warn the younger kids my experiences of getting laughed at, ignored, etc He might keep at it and wait until the time is right. Fishing is one thing that everyone knows takes years of experience to get better.

Wasnt trying to be rude, just offering a realistic experience, really, with how the world works. Not only have I been in competitive fishing a while, but I was also involved in rodeo/horse show stuff for most of my life. Its hard to get sponsors unless you are a phenom or something, and if thats the case you will know, the sponsors will come to you..

Okay. I've been fishing a long time, but I said I was new to THIS kind of fishing. I meant for bass that I was knew.