Bill Dance is back with Stren! 2024

APK62 reply :

Was watching Bill Dance today. Now is is hawking Stren! After years of whoring High Seas he is back with stren! What have we learned? Money talks and BS walks! Anything for the buck! What a bunch of crap!

Mumbly reply :

Wonder when that happened? With all the cut backs at Pure Fishing I find it hard to believe that it was a recent thing.

RoLo reply :

I can't argue with your underlying premise, but I'll bet that comes as no surprise

As an aside, Bill Dance started out as a furniture salesman (prior to the "All-American Bass Tournaments").

Roger

Darren. reply :

What's new...LOL.

the reel ess reply :

I noticed that about his last show too. I love BD. But the last Stren I used was inferior to Big Game. I threw the spool away. That's why I use Big Game.

slonezp reply :

What's wrong with a guy trying to put food on his table and clothes on his back? It's not like he switched to "JoeBobs Low Stretch Fluoro" He just has another big name brand on his resume. The best thing about it is you, as a consumer, can buy any line you want no matter who peddles it.

RoLo reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 8:28 AM, slonezp said:

What's wrong with a guy trying to put food on his table and clothes on his back? It's not like he switched to "JoeBobs Low Stretch Fluoro" He just has another big name brand on his resume.

SO...You got sumhin agenst "JoeBob's Lo-Stritch Floro??"

KDW96 reply :

So its not a big deal when someone else does it??

Or is this some sort of personal gripe about Bill Dance?

How many times has B.A.S.S switched truck or boat sponsers? I could go on an on here. But i wont waste anymore time and space on this silly topic............

Scott F reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 7:30 AM, andyfender said:

Was watching Bill Dance today. Now is is hawking Stren! After years of whoring High Seas he is back with stren! What have we learned? Money talks and BS walks! Anything for the buck! What a bunch of crap!

You do realize that without sponsors, there are no fishing shows on TV, actually almost no TV at all, no BASS tournaments, no Bass Resource! and no NASCAR, There wouldn't be newspapers, magazines and very little internet. There sure are a lot of "whores" around aren't there.

flyfisher reply :

I think it is funny when people get mad about people changing sponsors. I mean isn't it possible that there is more than one good line/lure/rod/reel/boat company out there?

MIbassyaker reply :

Yeah, the only lesson I take from sponsorship switcheroos like this is that, for most practical purposes, one company is about as good as another.

flyfisher reply :

I don't even care actually. I couldn't tell you who anyone is sponsored by really except maybe KVD. And i don't plan on buying any quantum gear anytime soon.

Reel Guy reply :

Its the same thing in the hunting world. I used to get upset about it because, as you know, one year this is the best this and that, and next year its a different this and that that they sponsor. Early on I used to watch these famous sponsors and trusted their judgement. If they thought something was the best, then I would use it. As I saw the pitchmen change their 'favorite' brand, I decided there is a lot of good equipment out there, both in the hunting and fishing world. I don't go with a product because Bill Dance or Michael Waddell sponsors the product. I will purchase it because it is a good product and it works for me. I understand that the 'right' pitchman can sell products but we don't have to buy them. That's just the way this whole recreation business operates. Money talks, that's no surprise. I just go on my own way and enjoy the products I buy. If they don't work, I buy something else.

MassYak85 reply :

The only time I have an issue with Pro's and sponsorships is if they trash old sponsors out of spite or act like their sponsor is "THE" brand to use, and then say the same thing about the next sponsor when they switch, and the next, and the next...

NorcalBassin reply :

If Stren offered to pay me a chunk of money to use their line I'm pretty sure all that Tatsu and Invizx would find its way off the spools pretty quickly...

tander reply :

A man got to do what a man got to do. Who cares what Bill endorses. I like him but I am only going to buy what I think will work for me.

bigfruits reply :

doesnt he do fake bloopers and fish private lakes? put salt on everything.

N Florida Mike reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 11:36 AM, bigfruits said:

doesnt he do fake bloopers and fish private lakes? put salt on everything.

Hey,If I could make a living doing that I would.More power to him.

"hamma" reply :

Whats wrong with stren?

Take a look at my PB over there<<<

Yeah,.. caught on stren, 12 lb test,.....

how u doin?

and Bill Dance is making a living doing what he loves to do

again,...How u doin?

not to sound abrasive, but,...really?

Enzo Amoire, Big Cass, and the WWE universe couldnt put it any better. In Enzo's quiet voice,... how u doin? lol,.. just funnin around

slonezp reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 10:42 AM, MassYak85 said:

The only time I have an issue with Pro's and sponsorships is if they trash old sponsors out of spite or act like their sponsor is "THE" brand to use, and then say the same thing about the next sponsor when they switch, and the next, and the next...

I saw a seminar from KVD a few years back and he was promoting a brand of line that didn't even sponsor him. I honestly don't remember the brand but I do remember him specifically saying that they were not one of his sponsors.

awohlwend reply :

Most athletes with sponsorships probably make as much or more money from their sponsors than they do on winnings or salary. Marketing their sponsors products as "the best" is just part of the gig. Do your own research and pick the best product for your application vs buying what your favorite athlete uses.

BassWhole! reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 7:30 AM, andyfender said:

Money talks and BS walks! Anything for the buck!

Always been, always will be. Why ya'll surprised.

flyingmonkie reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 9:13 AM, Scott F said:

You do realize that without sponsors, there are no fishing shows on TV, actually almost no TV at all, no BASS tournaments, no Bass Resource! and no NASCAR, There wouldn't be newspapers, magazines and very little internet. There sure are a lot of "whores" around aren't there.

God bless 'em!

Seriously though... 30 minutes on this forum is all it takes to see that not only are we all whores, but most of us do it for free.

Lyman X reply :

Bill Dance was sponsored by Stren before Hi Seas came on the market. Everyone needs sponsors, but some guys lay it on a little thick. When a guy stands there before God and everybody and says " I truly believe this is the finest line I've ever fished" and this is the (pick a#) different line brand he's said it about it gets a little old.

the reel ess reply :

When I was a kid, BD hawked Stren and I thought he spoke the Gospel, so I used it for 20 or so years and it was premium stuff for a long time. I also asked my parents for a Daiwa Magforce reel for Christmas because he used it on his show. I just retired that reel after 30 years of pretty regular use. Maybe Stren has improved their quality, but it won't give me the bang for the buck that Big Game does even is it's the best mono on the market.

I have no issue with anything he endorses. He has to produce a show after all. Did you all notice he had his fish finder unit blurred out for a season? I guess maybe shows were in the can, so to speak, before he changed sponsors. Or could be that he just liked the old one better.

He hawks Quantum and I don't care. My last two reels are Lew's.

the reel ess reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 11:36 AM, bigfruits said:

doesnt he do fake bloopers and fish private lakes? put salt on everything.

Hey, I do two of those things.

HoosierHawgs reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 9:13 AM, Scott F said:

You do realize that without sponsors, there ... [is] no NASCAR,

Even with sponsors, the way attendance and viewership has been, they're may still be no NASCAR yet, soon

As for Bill Dance, if you don't care for him switching sponsors, don't watch the show. Pretty simple. Money talks and BS walks, right?

Mr. Bassin II reply :

On 1/7/2017 at 10:56 AM, NorcalBassin said:

If Stren offered to pay me a chunk of money to use their line I'm pretty sure all that Tatsu and Invizx would find its way off the spools pretty quickly...

Or the Tatsu and Invizx would find their way into Stren boxes. I did find it interesting to see what the pros actually purchase and use versus what they claim and market for sponsors. Don't fault them for it though.

Glenn reply :

I find it comical that people have all these weird, conspiracy-type misconceptions around simple sponsorships. Most folks don't know how sponsorships work, so they make stuff up...and (I guess) try to make it "sexy" by adding rumors and gossip.

Sponsorship is a business partnership. It nothing like, "Hey if I pay you, will you hawk my products, even if you never use them?" No, sorry. Instead, the essence of the partnership includes in part or whole (I'm not talking about prostaffing here):

Company chooses what products they want you to use (normally their latest and greatest)
Company educates you on their products (best practices, unique characteristics, value prop, etc)
Company supports you in what I can best describe as an "elite" customer status kind of way.
You learn everything you can about their products.
You use their products during the course of your normal fishing routines.
You act as a company spokesperson, answering questions, helping with customer service, and helping people understand how to use their products.
You assist with marketing efforts (this varies greatly, depending on what you bring to the table).
You provide product feedback to the company, both from personal experience as well as what you hear from "the street"
The very top pros often participate in helping design new products and testing prototypes. Their wealth of knowledge and experience is very valuable to companies.

There's more, but you get the essence. Note that exclusivity is not in the picture.

It's all business and kinda boring, I know. But I guess people want drama.

hoosierbass07 reply :

Dance is my number one fishing TV guy. I don't mind him pushing this product or that because he doesn't do it in a Hot Shot/I'm the Best way. Still, I can understand why some people would be disgusted with TV hosts pushing a product for a decade then switching the next TV season and start pushing another product as great. So it's just "business" for the TV fisherman? Uh, what about us fishermen who spend our hard earned money on the products those TV fishermen said were super great? We buy those products then next year that TV fisherman is singing a different tune and pushing a different product and now there is no love for the product he was pushing last year.

Anyway, I'll take regular old Stren mono over all other lines except Sufix mono. I'll take any mono over any fluorocarbon. Old mono is superior to all other lines.

geo g reply :

I have always liked his shows because he is not over the top pushing his products like Roland, and a heck of a fisherman. If you want reality all the time, go to Major League Fishing and watch what their throwing while they try to survive the cuts. Best reality fishing show on the tube!

Team9nine reply :

Glenn covered it nicely. Sponsorship is all business. Some of those business relationships last for a long time, and some don't. In the case of Bill Dance (or even the Lindner's and that similar thread), it is just as likely that the companies dropped them after a couple years as it is they hopped for money. Actually, I'd wager the former is the more common scenario. In that case, you have to remember they have shows and other such endeavors, their own businesses, and it is in their best interest to form new sponsor relationships in order to keep their own businesses going.

In many cases, these pros are well recognized entities, and there are often other companies willing to try and cement a deal with them while they are available. Very similar in a way to professional coaches who get let go from one team, but get signed by another before the next season. And, yes, in some cases there are close personal ties that help bind companies and individuals together for long periods of time (KVD - Nitro), but like many other things these days, that seems to be less the norm. Al Lindner summed it all up several years back at a conference (very close paraphrase) - "Nobody in the fishing industry has a job unless they can sell someone something, and do it for a profit." That is the bottom line, like it or not.

-T9

ClearCreek reply :

Interesting how some criticize when a person changes the products they represent. Those criticizing would most likely pizz down their leg if a company contacted them to sponsor/represent their product!!

ClearCreek

Lyman X reply :

I think people generally romanticize that because they like a personality he's "nice guy" and therefore they can trust what he says about products. A lot of seemingly nice guys turn out to be anything but. If you want to learn about products, talk to other fisherman who have no axe to grind. ( I guess?)

geo g reply :

On 1/8/2017 at 9:05 AM, the reel ess said:

When I was a kid, BD hawked Stren and I thought he spoke the Gospel, so I used it for 20 or so years and it was premium stuff for a long time. I also asked my parents for a Daiwa Magforce reel for Christmas because he used it on his show. I just retired that reel after 30 years of pretty regular use. Maybe Stren has improved their quality, but it won't give me the bang for the buck that Big Game does even is it's the best mono on the market.

I have no issue with anything he endorses. He has to produce a show after all. Did you all notice he had his fish finder unit blurred out for a season? I guess maybe shows were in the can, so to speak, before he changed sponsors. Or could be that he just liked the old one better.

He hawks Quantum and I don't care. My last two reels are Lew's.

I agree with you on the mono. Big Game is my choice of mono and has been for some time.

bassh8er reply :

Happens all the time. Remember when Northstar Custom baits were the absolute best jigs money could buy?

Maggiesmaster reply :

BD's show is one of the few that caters to the average bass fisherman. Sure, he hawks products, but you can catch fish with them, as you can with most others. I'm sure both Hi-Seas and Stren lines would work well for me.

The Bassman reply :

All this discourse makes good sense from a business standpoint. However, I'm still having trouble getting the image of BD throwing a spool of Stren over his shoulder out of my mind.

lo n slo reply :

the only Bill Dance i get these days is his saltwater fishing show.

fudge

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Bill Dance is back with Stren! 2024

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