13 year old angler gets Pro Staff position

[fishfordollars]

We have a 13 year old son of one of our members that began fishing with his dad two years ago.

He is:

Very well spoken

Well dressed

Extremely polite

Very shy(To the point you have to drag a sentence out of him)

Nonpromoting

May 2008 he fished his way to 3rd place in our monthly club tournament

Was recognized by BassProShops, Garland, Texas  at the Battle of the Texas Bass Club state championship on Lake Ray Hubbard in March of this year. They called him up in front of the crowd and presented him with a new rod/reel combo

Is one of the best young fishermen I have ever seen

Has been offered and accepted a position as a pro staff member by one of the largest rod manufacturers in the country

This was announced at our weighin Sunday morning and it could not happen to a nicer child. He has no resume, just let his rod do the talking. He is a fishing machine. As soon as I have permission I will post the announcement.

I posted this so a few of the young guys can see that if you do it right it will come to you.

[preach4bass]

Great post ffd.  I can't wait until you can post the official announcement.

[Bobby]

I have 10 year old who is also a pro staffer for a major rod company. Kids can fish these days when they are taught right

[Grey Wolf]

This just goes to show you what you do on the water is a lot more important then a resume.

[MillerTime]

sounds like amazing potential! get him to start talking and he might take the fishing world by storm!

[vicdotcom]

What a great opportunity to learn and teach other kids about the art of fishing!

Vic

[Daiwa]

Right now would be the time for me to have a sponsorship.

[The_Natural]

I was a Quantum Pro-Staffer at 14, albeit they didn't know how old I was (I omitted that from my cover letter).  Anyway, it sure was a lot easier to get sponsored back then.  The junior side of bass fishing wasn't even thought up yet.  A well written letter was all you needed.  

[Chad.]

Pfft i wish i'd get sponsored especially at that age.

[shotgunlew]

Pfft i wish i'd get sponsored especially at that age.

+1

[fishfordollars]

Update. The 13 year old angler and his father are meeting today with the rod manufacturer to finalize his participation with the company. He is also fishing the junior bassmasters tournament later this year. I spoke with his father Saturday at our monthly club tournament and hopefully the notice will be released shortly. What a great opportunity for a super young fisherman.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Tell me it's not Airrus (e21)......

Be careful FFD, many pro-staff positions these days are merely another sales ploy to suck in the kids who crave a name on their back.  Be very weary.  The above name is a perfect example.  They PUSH a big pro-staff which essentially is a "sale"  The "pro-staffers get 20% off,.......sticky and tricky and certainly not a true pro staff position as they were once known.

St Croix on the other hand,......they don't mess around.  They will outfit the jr angler with a "pkg" of rods, a full sweep of technique specific stuff BUT.....they expect a lot in return, as a real pro-staff position should.  They are allowing you a foot in the door, a chance to prove yourself to other potential sponsors.  A recommendation from them after completing a yr on the pro staff will actually get you somewhere, it has a value.  The company above, quite the opposite, you will be viewed as an easy mark.

2 very different worlds,.....same title.

Just be wary, that's all I'm saying.

[Bass XL]

Tell me it's not Airrus (e21)......

Be careful FFD, many pro-staff positions these days are merely another sales ploy to suck in the kids who crave a name on their back. Be very weary. The above name is a perfect example. They PUSH a big pro-staff which essentially is a "sale" The "pro-staffers get 20% off,.......sticky and tricky and certainly not a true pro staff position as they were once known.

Hmmm. Their is a little more to it than a 20% off discount. In my opinion, Airrus treats their pro-staff pretty good. Or at least that's how they treat me.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

That was the offer put up by Ken a while back (last yr?)

Basically a "sale"

Educate us bud  What does the Airrus pro-staff position entail?  What is offered and what is expected in exchange?  Thanks

Not looking to slam Airrus, if I'm wrong, please bring me up to date.

[Bass XL]

Not going to go into too much detail but...I am basically given a certain amount of rods for free (enough to cover just about every technique that I use). On top of that, I get a 40% off discount on any extra rods that I may need to purchase. In return, I am expected to promote Airrus in an honest and professional manner, to wear my Airrus hat and shirt at tournaments, and of course use Airrus rods exclusively. I may also be asked to work any shows that may be done in my state.

Their is a little more to both sides, but you get the gist of it.

[fishfordollars]

It is not Arrius.

[fishfordollars]

Update, this is how it is done:

Caleb, Happy Birthday(14)

Friday morning became the first junior angler to sign up with Lake Fork Tackle

Finished a strong second in our two day tournament

Had the only limit weighed in

Picked up another sponser while on the lake(Another tackle shop)

Two weeks ago fished a "Day on the Lake" series on Sam Rayburn and set the junior angler record for largest bass and the heaviest stringer

He is a member on this site: Caleb it is time to step up and reveal yourself.

[senko_77]

Way to go Caleb!  Beating up on the adults is awesome, isn't it?  Keep on keepin on dude!  It sounds like KVD and the rest of the Elite Series needs to watch there back in the upcoming years  

[Cade Laufenberg]

Wow, I should move out of this state, somewhere where you can get sponsorships for winning club tournaments..

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Wow, I should move out of this state, somewhere where you can get sponsorships for winning club tournaments..

This isn't the level of sponsorship you are thinking of Cade, these are "community relation" type endorsements. (Lake Fork tackle)(we never heard who the rod manufacturer was or how that turned out)

Lake Fork does fully sponsor a few anglers, but not Jr.s.  Their support of Caleb is great, the young guns can use all the help they can get.  It also shows him that others believe in him.  It's a GREAT open door to a learning experience so when he hits 18, he'll have a better idea of how the sponsorship thing works.

Think of it as a "development" team of sorts.  The up and coming pro staff potentials.

This is something US Ski Team does also.  There is a development team (J2's and J3's- Olympic hopefuls).  There is also an "A" team and a "B" team that are in  constant competition.  Excel and you move from development to "B" and then from "B" to "A".

"A" is full ride.  Even at B level, you pay your own way except for living and travel expenses.  This is the level where you start approaching potential PERSONAL sponsors, not the ones that already sponsor US Ski team, i.e. Kodak, Visa, etc but sponsors for equipment, clothing, etc .

Caleb, step up and introduce yourself, you may be surprised at who monitors BassResource.com  This site is a great place for most every manufacturer out there to hear your story.  Your dad is super proud of you and your #'s are evidently impressive, we want to meet you!!!  lots of jr.'s out there that could benefit from hearing your experiences!!

[SirSnookalot]

A sponsorship at 13 may be "cool " for a kid, but it does not replace an education.  The sponsorship may end but an education lasts a lifetime.  As in any sport 90% of the money is made by 10% of the people, one must have a solid backup plan.  This is about sales for the manufacturer, not the child's future.

Plenty of time to get into the fish biz after school.