Randall Tharp - Bassmaster Elite Angler RandallTharp.com

A common misconception in the fishing industry is that making a career as a professional angler is all about winning tournaments. It's one factor but hardly the most important. This is a sponsor-driven sport and winning tournaments may get you noticed but proving to a company you can build awareness and move product keeps you on the roster and is worth a lot more than just a logo for your jersey and 10% discount on product.

Top 5 Angler Marketing Techniques

1. What is your Brand Worth?

Taking your career seriously is the first step. There is nothing wrong with being a weekend tournament angler but fishing for fun and making a career at it are two different things. Most blue-chip sponsors and pro-staff managers recognize commitment and can separate marketing partners from logo collectors pretty quickly. When you start talking about building awareness, regional market penetration, promotional opportunities, social network saturation and market share, you take the conversation and your career to a new level.

2. Keep in Touch

It sounds obvious, but when acquiring sponsors, make sure you stay in touch. Often times anglers cement a deal and move on to the next one. Just like any relationship, you need to keep the spark alive. Just the occasional email message with a product review, trade show opportunity, tournament recap, bragging photo for the brand network or regional news can mean a lot. Keep in mind, don't treat them like a middle-school crush thinking daily updates are necessary. They're not. Just reach out more often than just around contract renewal time. It makes a difference.

3. Trade Show Appearance

Occupying space in a trade show booth with your jersey on is not exactly working a trade show. You are a product representative. If you're not prepared to respond to product questions, you're just taking up space. Do your homework and tell the potential customer something they don't know. That is worth your travel expenses and show admission and keeps you on the roster.

4. Learn from the Pros

Yes, on-the-water instructional videos are a good source of knowledge but career lessons are just as important. Study the top pros on stage. See how they interact with the M.C. See how they interact with the crowd. Notice how they engage with fans and industry partners at tournament events. These are the skills you want to emulate. Don't just think your fishing is going to do all the talking for you. Your off-the-water game needs to be on point as well.

5. Digital Footprint

It's simple math. Telling an audience of 25 or 50 at a local tournament how you caught 'em is good but creating a post with thousands of potential impressions means a whole lot more to the people with contracts in their hands. So you need a platform. That's where your Angler Website comes in. Just like a good boat, a solid digital platform can make all the difference. Above all else, it's the price of admission to the professional ranks. When potential sponsors are considering you for the team, that's usually the first thing they search for. That's because they can research everything-you in one click — your social network, existing sponsors and how you service them, tournament results, video links, gallery of photos, and more. Marketing managers and pro-staff managers don't have time to hunt down random search results for you. In the same breath, searches like that can result in a lot more than just fishing-related information. We're just saying (smile). 

"A website is essential for the growth of any angler, and I would consider mine to be one of my best fishing tools."

- Jordan Lee - 2017 & 2018 Bassmaster Classic Champion - Showcase

So ask yourself, are you looking to catch fish or land a career? With a little work, you can have both.

Get started on your Angler Website today. Pro Sites Unlimited has a package to get you live in a week and all for less than the cost of a couple of crankbaits. Get Started Here.