How I Got My First

[fishfordollars]

I was eighteen years old and had been fishing for several years. Sam rayburn and Toledo Bend were new impoundments and there were tons of new anglers just starting out. Circuits were new to the area. There were no chain stores in the East Texas area, just a few local tackle stores opening around the lakes area. As always money was tight. Going to school and trying to keep enough money to put gas in the boat and purchase a few lures and worms had to be the last thing on the list to spend a dime on, but i managed to get out on the water a day or two a week; without much success I might add. I was not even thinking about getting any help from anyone, it just happened.

A small tackle shop opened several miles from my home and I walked in one day. There was no one in the store but me and the owner than was a lot older than me. I purchased a couple of things and left, but I liked the guy. He was friendly and gave me some tips that helped me catch a few more fish. I started shopping there on the way to the lake. He opened early, I liked that, and one morning i went in and was offered a seat at a table all the older guys would sit in and just shoot the bull each morning. I kept my mouth shut unless I was asked a question. I became a regular at that table over the next six months or so. One morning i went in and they were all talking about an upcoming tournament. The lake was off limits so the guys could not be on the water. They knew I was going and they asked me to let them know what I did while fishing that week. I told them and one of the guys won a little money off some information i had given them the week before.

I picked up a few items while I was there and when I went to the checkout the guy sitting at the table told the owner to let me go and he would pay. That was the first time I had ever received anything fishing related that I did not have to pay for. It probably totaled about ten dollars worth of stuff.

Several weeks later i was asked to check out the lake for another tournament and let them know what I had caught them on. I did and this time the owner won several hundred dollars off one of the locations I had told him about. When I walked in the next week there was a bag of worms and other assorted tackle sitting in my chair at the table. It was his gift to me for the info. I opened the bag and there was also an envelope with $20.00 in it. He said that was my winnings for helping him out. Second time for tackle and the first money indirectly from a tournament i had ever received. I don't remember any of the guys winning any more that year from any of my information. I continued to shop and visit there for the rest of the year.

The season started early the next year. I walked in on a Wednesday morning and the owner asked me if I had been on the lake that week. I had not. He said his partner could not fish the upcoming tournament on Saturday and wanted to know if I would fish with him. I told him I did not have the money for the entry. He said he would cover it and if we won any money he would take it out of my part of the winnings. Third time I had received money for fishing. We didn't win a dime,but he liked the way we fished together. His partner fished the rest of the year with him so I did not get to fish another tournament. One of the guides at the table did use me for overflow clients when he needed me and that helped me make enough money to keep me fishing for the summer. I basically followed him and fished his spots with him. He and I partnered up the next year and placed in the first three tournaments, won the fourth, and finished third in the championship for the year. During this time we were getting all kinds of free tackle from the tackle store so I was wearing his shirts and always promoting his products. I was always truthful when discussing the lures that I caught my fish on.

One thursday morning(I remember it like yesterday) I walked in and he was sitting at the table with several of the regulars and another guy I did not know. He introduced me to his new partner and said he was opening another store. He needed help promoting it and asked me to help them out. I had a new shirt, a new rod/reel combo, big bag of lures, and an entry form completed for the upcoming tournament. He asked me to sign it. I told him i just could not afford to fish the tournament. He moved the paper over and there was a completed check for the entry fee. It was 125.00. He paid for all five tournaments that year for me, I worked in the store when I could, and won just enough to repay him for the entry fee that year. But that's the first sponser i got and how it happened.

If you want help:

Be a loyal customer

Believe in the product

Be honest

Be humble

Be able to push product

Be able to represent professionally

Be consistant

It will come.

Sorry for the long post.

Jack

[Grey Wolf]

Great post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe some of these kids will learn something if they read it.

[preach4bass]

Thanks, Jack.  I really enjoyed that.

[fishfordollars]

As you can see there was very little cash involved. How times have changed. I want to add that the 125.00 fee included a fee for two tournaments and the fee for big bass pot for the first two. I think it also included a fee to join . Best I remember the entry fee was 50.00(Maybe 40.00 and 5.00) per tournament, 10.00(Might have been 5.00) for big bass, and an association fee. So when i say money was tight it really was. My paycheck for the first weeks work in the store was 55.00 plus a little change.

The good old days were not quite as good as we would like to remember.

[basspro96]

That was an awesome read! I will definantly use what I just learned...I think I try to hard with that stuff. I am gifted in public speaking. And can talk stuff up pretty good. But I try to be a go getter too much sometimes i guess.. Thank you for posting this!

[BassinTx]

Awesome post.... you often hear about people going for a large first sponsor and this lets you see that you could be over looking a sponsor that you didn't even know was there. Love your posts keep it up.

[Bass Junkie]

    Very interesting. Great story. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[b.Lee]

I really enjoyed that post. Too bad I don't live close enough to a lake or tackle shop to have that sort of interaction.

[Taylor Fishin 4 life]

Good story, I really enjoyed that.

[BulletDon]

Great story Jack.  What was the tackle shop?

[boneil]

Great story. and it makes me miss the little ole tackle shops that used to be around.

[hookingem]

I'm not really out searching for sponsors currently. But at 17 I was lucky enough to land a job at the local tackle shop in VA. I'm just out fishing and having fun. If a sponsor opportunity comes about that would be outstanding if not I'm gonna continue to support the fishing industry and continue to do what I love to do and that's fish. I truly don't understand why time after time young kids think being sponsored is so crucial. Just have fun and keep becoming a better fisherman and see where it takes you. Sorry for the rant. 

[fishermantony]

Good post, I really enjoyed it!  "I kept my mouth shut unless I was asked a question."  That struck home with me, I try to always remind myself to do that, especially in the presence of older and more experienced anglers, I hope I always strive to do that.  The ending of your post was about the best advice I have read on the subject of sponsorship.  I don't have any, but I believe if I follow those steps it will come! 

[Captain Obvious]

This is a great read, learn from it boys.

You have to build relationships with the people or companies. That means you have to be willing share your knowledge and expertise with them to make them see you know what your talking about.

That doesn't happen over night and sometimes can take years. But if you can show them that you know what your doing and can help them then guess who is going to be first in line when they are looking for people to sponsor.

That is how you get people to notice you. Prove to them you can be an asset not just another nobody look for a cheap give away.

[aff]

Never Realized this was possible

[Carrington]

Ill add a little bit to this also.  If a small just starting company takes you under their wing as a sponsor to you, then stick with them even though they are small.  If they happen to make it big, there is a good chance that if they are good people that you will be rewarded for your loyalty.

[jly]

great read, thanks for the post

[ChiCityBasser]

The story was a great read and so were the posts after wards and thanks for sharing the experience with us.

[Glenn]

Kinda sad reading through this. Jack (fishfordollars) Yates passed away Jan 18, 2011 of a heart attack. His wisdom, however, lives on.