being sponsered

[Mischievious]

What do you have to do to get sponsered?

[LakeConjolaFish]

You would have to be a much better fisherman than I am lol


Maybe Funniest Home Video might sponsor me?

[cody]

dont know Mischevious. Warren will tell ya though.

Cheers

[Bear]

Guys and gents,
Not just anyone can expect to be sponsored.

The biggest thing a prospective sponsor is looking for is a good trach record in tournaments or/and how the person is seen in the fishing community.

What I mean about here is whether or not the person writes for a fishing magazine, is involved in significant fishing web sites and so on.

The best thing you can do is get into the comps ASAP and put a lot of work into it. You look at the guys even in the top 20. The number of hours that go into pre-fishing, boat work and so on is a lot more than you might think.

Many of us will fish 4 days a week at least as well as casting practise in the yard, pool or any where else we can get.

Companies want someone that will put them in the spotlight.

HTH.

[madaff]

Apart from having a great track record. What it all boils down to is WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR THE COMPANY. Sponsorship will not last unless the end result is dollars and exposure, you must make all efforts to make yourself worth while. Companies do not give$$$$ away like some may think, but rather product to test and use and then followed by reports and how to better a product. This can only come from experience. I can't beleive that some anglers are sponsored with no track record at all.

The Penn fishing team has some of the most respectable anglers in the country.

People like Col Cordianly, Mike Roenfeldt, Danny o'Sullivan, Jack Erskine, Joe Pullela and a host of others that don not spring to mind. Sponsorship should only come to those worthy. Not trying to upset anyone but this is fact.

[Duncan M]

< I can't beleive that some anglers are sponsored with no track record at all.>

My thoughts exactly Rob. How long they stay sponsored remains to be seen though.

I actually caught 2 grunter in front of a big crowd of yachties today, I guess I can expect freebies from Loomis, Lamson, Rio, Columbia....Stranger things, it would appear, have happened.

Duncan

[Stuie_02]

hi All

I think jim had the best idea australias home funny video show defintely maybe an article in womans day?

It has been said its what you can offer the company and it will come down to sphere of influence or profile in the sport. Why would you sponsor a no one for thousands of dollars if its a total waste of time.

Cheers
Stuie

PS Mrs O Sponsor me, thanks love for the new plastics, lures, line, rod, reel, tackle, boat, trailer, car, cut lunch:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

The first thing you need to do is catch bream in a Tournament. That's what it all boils down to, results on the board. If you don't catch bream then you will never get a sponsor and even if you do get a sponsor you have to continue to do catch fishl to keep them.

As a sponsored angler trust me being sponsored ain't all roses. It's bloody hard work keeping them all happy. Really what they are doing is paying you (in product or cash) to promote thier products. You are working for them. You can't just put your hand out and say thanks for supporting me. You need to go to work for them and come up with ideas and ways that will promote thier products.

In other words like Madaff said it comes down to what can you offer them? What can you do for them. With sponsorship proposals you really need to put yourself in their shoes and think, will I get coverage if I sponsor this angler?

99% of sponsorship deals involve free product not cash.

One you get a sponsor you need to keep them and this means acting in a professinal manner, both during the tournament hours and after hours. Thanking spnsors when you get on the podium and never using the competitions products. This may sound obvious but they are anglers that are now sponsored by company "X" and they openly use company "Y's" product, sounds crazy I know but it happens. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that anglers like this probably won't be sponsored again.

Hey guys.
I raced motox untill last year and you wouldn't believe how ridiculous the sponsourship deals are.
I personally was looking to change to road racing and was looking at buying my bike from my local honda dealer. Without having any race experience on the road, i was offered a part backing deal. It involved bike and gear at cost price (cheaper than wholesale), but i had to do a lot of promo work. They are willing to dish out deals to almost anyone. It really is crazy.
Half teh guys i see who are sponsoured, have no social skill what so ever, and do hardly anything for their sponsours.
I'm glad to see that angling is not in this situation!!!:D

Dave


PS. i didn't take the deal due to school commitments!:mad:

[kevinnugent59]

Originally posted by Mischievious
What do you have to do to get sponsered?

I see everyone has jumped all over this subject, M, so I won't add anything further other to say there is also a pretty big tax issue with receiving sponsorships. You wouldn't want to know about it. I'm sure these guys all got advice from their accountants before entering into agreements.

:)

Kevin

[Craig_S]

Good point Kevin...just because a sponsorship is not received directly in folding stuff does not mean the ATO will not want their share if they find out about it.

[Bear]

Amongst other things, yeah, add it to the list.

[Mischievious]

I raced motox untill last year and you wouldn't believe how ridiculous the sponsourship deals are.

Kingpin, my brother and i travelled all over australia with BMX and my bro was placed 8th in australia and was asked to go international. He was sponsered by *maximus* i think it was, or maximum. cant remember the BMX brand. Well he had a new bike to ride every month, new outfits to wear every month and just silly stuff like that...

I never got sponsered because i never ranked in australia but i did travel around doing under5's :)

[pete s]

we all think it would be nice to be sponsored, getting free products to use, but as the posts here have said its not all fun and games....especially when the thing that keeps you sponsored doesnt always want to play.....damn those finicky bream :) :)

[Duncan M]

Ira,
Does it ever get to to the point where it starts being more like work than fishing? I would fish every day if I could, but there are days when I don't want to fish (too cold, hungover, social things or whatever) I assume you would have days like that as well, do you feel obligated to go and fish anyway to keep your eye in or whatever?
Also, and this is not meant to sound like I'm having a crack at anyone, but is really the best thing for the BREAM scene over here for all these sponsors to be getting involved at such an early stage? With the tournament scene still in it's infancy over here, it's a bit early to identify standout performers. Obviously the companies involved see potential here and there (they aren't gonna do it out of the goodness of their hearts), but surely if they waited a bit it would be better for everyone involved? I'd hate to think some companies might get a bit dissapointed with the return on their investment and lose interest.
A few people I've spoken to think along those lines as well, I'd be interested to hear what everyone else (especially the sponsored guys) thinks.
Cheers
Duncan

[Richo]

Why give others an advantage by sitting back and watching and waiting, I believe its smart thinking getting in at the ground level in WA. Just look at how the interest in breamin has grown over the last couple of months. Id prefer to sponsor someone who has potential and who puts in a lot effort behind the scenes, including promotion of the sponsors goods... rather than sitting back and waiting for a star to come along.... Its a matter of being proactive than reactive.

[Duncan M]

Thats true Richo, I guess it's the risk those companies take. I guess they know what they are doing, they are after all in the business of making money!!
As far as the interest in bream growing in the last couple of months, man, I was talking to one of my mates the other day, we were remembering how only 3-4 years ago if you told anyone you were buying lures for bream people looked at you like you were crazy, we copped abuse from old timers who told us bream only ate worms or chicken gut or whatever...The number of useful lures available was so small, there were no books on the subject...To see all this happening now is kind of surreal. Excellent, but surreal.
Now, if only everyone would go and buy flyrods, then we'd be getting somewhere!!

Duncan

Hey Duncan,

I wish I got to fish everyday! But yeah sometimes it does get abit much but that's not the fishing it's all the other crap that goes along with my job, mainly politics and idiots that we have to deal with from day to day. I work very hard, long hours and at the moment I've got about 4 or 5 projects on the go so it ain't no picnic I can tell you.

Having said that I'm very lucky to get paid to do something I love and I don't take it for granted at all. Once your on the water in either Albany, Shark Bay or where ever you soon forget about all the crap. Plus I get a real buzz out of writing articles, laying out a magazine and getting guys into the best sport in the world, in the best country in the world, in the best state in the country, that is bream on lures in WA..........hehehehehehhehehehe

As for the sponsorship, most companys just give away some free gear which costs them bugger all. It's like asking me for a free copy of the mag, you can't give everyone casue you would go broke but we have a stack of them at the end of every month and it's nothing to us. Imagine a company that makes millions of plastics a year, a few free packs ain't gonna be missed and if it puts them in the hands of someone who might go good on them in a comp, it's all worth it.

Like I said before but, you need to have something to offer them. You can't say "hey I'd love some free gear and hopefully I might go okay on them". You need to do better than that. Put yourself in thier shoes, what would sound inviting to you as a potential sponsor?

[Bear]

I expected to cop flack, that's life. One thing I will say is that not all sponsors want just performers. It does put pressure on me to do well, but that's my problem.

My advantage, as I see it, is that I have other skills to offer that some don't have. One thing I will say is that each of my sponsors have come from actually getting in touch with them initially for other reasons.

Each has showed a great interest in Bream in WA and things have gone from there.

Ira's right, there is a s### load of work involved. Just ask my poor wife who doesn't see me that much of me. You bet there are advantages, but I believe that they go both ways. I might also add that my involvement has not just been for myself. A number of others have benefited from this as well, not just me.

As far as I'm concerned it's got to be a good thing. If nothing else, it might get a few more companies interested in making their good available to WA Breammers. That's the way I look at it.

If my involvement with some companies is raising a few eyebrows, well... I suppose only time will tell.

Just to clarify, when I say you need to offer them something else what I mean is exposure.

Some examples are:

Start writing for a magazine, this was the best move Bear ever made as he now has an avenue to give his sponsors coverage.

Tell your sposnor that you will be avalible to take them, or some of thier important clients out fishing for bream on lures.

If you have a boat make it avalible to be on display out the front of their buisness.

Offer them some free labour, whats a few days out of a year for you? It's only going to cost you your time. I bet a sponsor would love some free labour working in thier store, yard, or at a boat show etc.

Put your proposal in writing and follow it up with a call. Think outside the square basically.......

[Bear]

Spot on Ira.

web design
photography (sponsors are always after photos)
design work (I'm a structural designer by trade)
computer work

and so on.

Put your skills to work.

[Richo]

Well said Bear and Ira,

(and poor missus bear)

But Ive been out with you, when you`ve be doing things for one of your sponsors, and we had a ball, and I believe they get great value.

And if anyone knows Bear well enough, they will know that he puts the promotion of bream, and especially Bream in WA - first at every opportunity. Keep up the good work mate, and all newcomers to breaming comps that are chasing sponsors, have a look at the time and effort involved (expectations have been listed by Ira and bear), and you`ll probably think twice about approaching people yourselves or begrudging people for making that effort.

We can all only benefit in the long run, I know Bear has got some bargain KOTAs for some of the lads already, it works both ways.

cheers

richo

[Mim]

As for the sponsorship, most companys just give away some free gear which costs them bugger all. It's like asking me for a free copy of the mag, you can't give everyone casue you would go broke but we have a stack of them at the end of every month and it's nothing to us. Imagine a company that makes millions of plastics a year, a few free packs ain't gonna be missed and if it puts them in the hands of someone who might go good on them in a comp, it's all worth it.

Speaking of give aways and soft plastics...

What a fantastic idea. Matilde-Rose just won a prize pack for a picture of her with a flathead she caught on a soft plastic. She now can't wait to get out on the water again and hunt for more fishes so she can release them.

I think maybe a few more people should get behind the junior anglers as they are our future. She can't wait till she turns 16 so she can enter the Bream tournaments.

Maybe Ira will make an allowance in a couple of years and let her in early? :D

I promise she wont charge for the "s" and "f" words

Mim

[Duncan M]

Bear and Ira,
Thanx for the replies, I think this is an interesting issue and I'm glad you guys took my questions the way they were intended.
Bear - I dunno about any eyebrows being raised, from what I've seen you are a fantastic ambassador for the sport, I can't see you giving your sponsors too many headaches. And those flies are coming, at the moment I have about 2 hours a week that isn't spent either at work, asleep or fishing! I'll even chuck in a few of my grunter specials hehe.

Duncan

[Bear]

Many thanks Duncan.

Hey, have you and the other fly tiers ever thought of starting your own business. The flies I've seen have been great and first rate quality.

Make sure you all come to drink at least once. I owe you a few beers. Had a ball with the fly gear at the Deep while at Walpole. The flies worked a treat.

[Duncan M]

Cole and myself used to sell our reject flies to one of our mates who can't tie his own, my conscience ended up getting up the better of me though haha.
On the subject of professional tying, we had noted victorian professional tyer Muz Wilson do a demonstration at a club meeting one night, he ties around 100 a day! And where he can knock out a BMS in 30 seconds, I take nearly 5 minutes. Mainly because my approach is like put hook in vice, have a beer, tie on eyes, have a beer, have a beer, decide what colour its gonna be, have a beer etc. Best left to the pros I reckon.

Cheers
Duncan

[Bear]

Mate,
I'd love to have the time, I think it would be one of the ost rewarding things to do.

I admire guys who have that sort of talent/skill.

How does that add go:

'Fishing is and art, and an art worth you're learnin' '