Angler Disconnect

It is no secret that the fishing industry is struggling.  Obviously it is much bigger than that, as the fishing industry is just seeing the trickle down effect of a poor economy.  When families don't have discretionary income to spend on their wants, the first thing to fall by the wayside is recreational spending.  But, besides the poor economy, the fishing industry and us anglers have been particularly hurt by a much bigger problem.  Part of the problem is apathy and the other is letting others take care of "things" for us.

If I go back to my college years when I would work the summers up on Lake of the Woods, I can remember how exciting it was for the PWT to come to town.  For a young guy, it was great to see all the different boats, motors and equipment the Pros were using as well as how good these guys really were.  Faced with tough conditions, the fish they could produce was always impressive. 

So, why do I bring up those years?  Because back when walleye fishing was gaining momentum it was up to each and every pro to go out and obtain their sponsors, and they did this with hard work.  Those pros worked very hard to land sponsor deals that allowed them to fish the "tour".  These anglers used their connections inside and outside the industry to introduce many NEW companies to the sport of competitive fishing, of which, several are still around today.  Back then professionals established a relationship with a company and in return worked hard for that company promoting its product and making appearances.  As a result, for many of us, these anglers became household names.

So, lets fast-forward to today.  My issue today is that their is a huge Angler Disconnect in our sport.  The focus has now moved from the angler to the product.  As the sport of competitive fishing grew and particularly with the introduction of the FLW, the sport changed.  We as anglers became apathetic and allowed the circuits to land the sponsors and in turn, received sponsorship from these companies that were already vested in the circuit we were fishing.  Remember, in years past it was the anglers who brought "their" sponsors to  the circuit and now the circuit is bringing "their" sponsors to us.  There is no doubt the model has changed but it does not have to be a bad thing.

For the sport we all love and are so passionate about to grow we as anglers need to take back the reins to some extent.  There has to be some balance in this game.  While circuit sponsors are vital and required for the sport to grow we as anglers need to get back to knocking on doors and bringing new sponsors into the sport.  In tough economic times we as anglers need to support the circuits but we also need to support ourselves.  While circuit sponsors are a piece of the puzzle, they are not the finished product.  We need to get out there and find sponsors that are willing to back "us" because in the end there is no circuit without "us", we are the product.

So what is this rant all about?  Well, instead of complaining about the industry, get out there and do something about it.  As an angler, if you rely solely on the sponsors of a circuit, you have to be prepared that they may not be there tomorrow.  The key to success is getting out and finding companies that are willing to back you and in return, you work very hard for them, just as they did many years ago.  If you control the relationship with a sponsor, you are more likely to continue that relationship and sponsorship.  For the sport to grow, we all need sponsorship, both circuits and the anglers.  The anglers that can find a balance between both will thrive in these tough economic times as long as they have some control over that relationship.