OK, now that I have your attention, I figured that I'd take Flyrods lead and try to help some of you guys out when writing a resume to attract a sponsor. First off, please do not be offended by my blunt...to the point of the matter approach. I certainly will not single anyone out who has posted anything on this forum regarding this.  

Why do I think I can help you First, I currently have 10 sponsors that I've managed to hold for several years. Next, I also own a tackle company so I know what is expected not only of me as  someone who is sponsored, but what people want from me as a sponsor.

5- Don't get in over your head. I see a ton of younger guys popping up and writing resumes. Many of these guys are not old enough to drive. There is nothing wrong with that but understand that many sponsors won't look at a younger guy because they do not want to be responsible for taking study time away from a young person. They also may feel that school will conflict with any efforts that this young person may attempt. I'll be honest with you, from my perspective, I really do feel that younger anglers can really help me out as a sponsor. I do have one 18yr old on my staff, he currently is ranked number 5 or 6 in the country. His life is fishing and he is done with school so there is no conflict there. I dodged him for years though. He started writing me when he was 15. Although he was a decent angler then I just felt that he could not offer the time I needed him to. My point to the younger guys is do not get discouraged. Try and write a good resume. When I was that young, I was building a local reputation as a decent young tournament competitor. Perhaps that is even more important because you actually learn how to fish better during the process and it will stay with you forever.
 
As a young guy, it is easy to get overwhelmed with all of this. The allure of being sponsored is a euphoric feeling. Remember a couple of things. A sponsorship is an agreement. You promise something in return for something. Both parties need to live up to their ends of the bargain. With young guys, however experienced you think you are, you must satisfy that agreement and be responsible. I just mentioned experience. I don't care if you have been fishing since you were 5. Unless you grew up as a mate on a charter boat, chances are you lack any experience that a company would be interested in, again, I'm not trying to be mean here.  
 
Start small. If that means wearing apparel from your sponsor or putting his logo on your Big Wheels, do it, man a booth at a tackle show if you can but DO NOT MAKE PROMISES THAT YOU CAN'T KEEP! It is simple, you do not want to disappoint in the long run.  
 
6- Fine Tuning your resume
Understand that your resume likely looks like 99 out of 100 other resumes. That 1 resume that is different will normally be the one that gets its author the spot. Lets face reality again, weekend fisherman are a dime a dozen. If you don't have what it takes or can't put a resume together that will interest a sponsor, someone else will. You need to set yourself apart from the pack, make your approach be different.
 
I want you guys to look at the resumes on this forum. Many are very good. Most lack 1 key thing and that is simply stating what you can do for the sponsor whose wares you are soliciting. When I read a resume that is sent to me and it doesn't contain any information about how a guy intends to help me, that is it, the lead is dead. I do not contact that person. Remember  the #1 rule....have a well planned approach, making a complete resume is part of that.  
 
7- Learn how to market yourself
 
What?? Yes, this starts at day 1. You must learn how to make yourself marketable as this is the sole factor that can set you apart from everyone else who writes a resume to the companies that you are writing to. This is why the Pro's make the big money.
 
Here is my strategy on how I did this. Some of it happened quite by accident.
 
Everything you do on the water can be used to your advantage if you know how to use it. Example:
 
In the early 1990's I was likely the only guy in my area who was hellbent on the California Finesse movement. I slowly built up a reputation as a solid angler who relied on light tackle. I knew I was the only one doing it, I was winning and I approached a local fishing publication about it. They interviewed me and I became a contributor to their publication as well as having several features written about my tactics. I also began documenting through the NYSDEC all of my big fish. I was getting every bass I caught over 5lbs documented. After a few years I became known as a big bass specialist and it was all documented. I was invited to attend shows, give lectures and seminars and I was about 22yrs old speaking to guys who were twice my age. These guys sat on the edge of their seats waiting for me to inform them. I then began to write articles online for many different websites.  
I currently write for the big three.....Bass Resource, Ultimate Bass and Kevin's as well as a ton of smaller sites. Tournament competition, TV shows, radio spots, newspaper articles...these things all will come with time if you know how to market yourself. In all honesty, I have sent out 5 resumes to companies and they picked me up. My other sponsors either contacted me after reading one of my articles mentioning their products or scooped me up at a show after they heard a seminar or lecture I did. My success has been based on marketing myself and how I conduct myself in public. One advantage is that I've been a NYC Police Officer for 11years. I can talk to anyone without being intimidated, that is a big bonus. Some guys just can't speak in public, that may be a requirement to a staff position with some companies. One important thing is that you must be humble and not cocky or arrogant. That turns people off. You may know that you are good, but don't let people think that you know it. There is nothing wrong with confidence. Remember the company your represent is counting on you to be a reflection of their whole consumer approach. If you act unprofessionally, and I've seen guys do it, you will alienate your sponsor and ultimately lose them.  
 
I've worked with some incredible anglers at shows - Larry Nixon, Jimmy Houston, Jason Reynolds and others, these guys are the Pro's. After a few minutes when the awe wears off you realize they are regular guys. I spent two days hanging out with Larry Nixon and I felt he was just as interested in me as I was in him. It was very cool. I think we both learned something from each other.

Getting back to this, I should expound on the fact that obtaining a sponsorship is a responsibility. You need to ask yourself why you want to do this in the first place.  
Do you want cash? Just starting out forget cash!!!!,  
Discounts?? likely what most guys get.
Services Could be.
Notoriety......we'll get back to that one
Combo of these It's possible.
 
I traverse many websites and I see plenty of anglers who feel compelled to list their sponsors on the bottom of each post. There is nothing wrong with that. However, I see so many guys that have 3 and 4 different soft plastic companies, 2 rod companies etc. I ask myself, were does this guy allegience lie? I couldn't even consider taking on conflicting companies. It simply doesn't make sense that I am promoting one guys products as the best yet I also have another company with similar products who is also the best?? Makes no sense.  
 
I feel these guys wear patches just to feel like they belong to something. I guess it is a good feeling but I would venture to say not too many people would take them seriously. There is nothing wrong with switching companies if you have to but to hold on to conflicting manufacturers just isn't fair to either as nobody gets your best effort. Some people feel that the more patches they have the others will look to them as Pro's. You know what? Pro Staff means Promotional Staff and not Professional Staff.  
 
You're not a Pro unless you buy that 80.00 Pro Card, and even then you're just a guy with a piece of paper. Don't make the mistake of building up sponsors to gain a reputation in the industry. It will always backfire. Instead, lay the building blocks early and gain a reputation to help you attract sponsors. That's the right way to do it. Anybody can get a few sponsors. You have to have the gift of gab. You can be the best speaker and the worst angler and still have a ton of marketability and sponsors. On the other hand, you can be the reigning Paducah Classic Champ but if a wet sock has more personality than you, you are S.O.L.(sorry to my friends in KY).
 
There are several things I can recommend to you in your quest to achieve the Holy Grail of fishing sponsorship
 
1- Always be honest and upfront
2- Be prepared to take on and accept responsibility
3- You are likely an average Joe, do not make unrealistic demands, average guys are a dime a dozen.
4- Be different, that is what will set you apart from the competition
5- Be humble, act professional at all times
6- Learn how to spell and properly write a resume. This is your first impression and if you make it FUBAR, you will lose out.
7- Don't get too caught up on a rejection. It happens, learn from it. Generally you will not receive any letter of rejection, there are just overwhelming amounts of requests and they can't always be answered. Don't take it personally. Look over what you submitted and improve upon it next time.  
8- Do not stalk. Don't submit resumes to the same companies over and over again, wait a few months....6 or so if you still want to try to attract them. If you become a nuisance, they'll seek a restraining order.
9- Have realistic goals. You not getting your way paid. It is possible to have your deals upgraded in time based on your performance, shoot for that.
10- Have fun, once this becomes a chore, you have nothing!-Good Luck, hope I helped a little.-EW

Craig DeFronzo
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