Pros And Their Sponsors 2024
Bass Dude reply :
I find it interesting to see that pros don't always use their sponsors product, but say they do anyway. For instance, I was at a BASS tourney and was spying on everyone's lures as they pulled out of the water. I saw a guy who is supposed to live and breath all things Strike King, have nothing but Lucky Craft cranks tied on. Just today, another website was showing what the winner of the FLW Chickamauga tourney used with his umbrella rig, and the caption read that he used Zoom swimming flukes. The picture they showed, you could tell those were NOT Zoom baits.
Don't get duped people. Use what you like and don't listen to what they say about the lures they use!!
toddwchandler reply :
I would think that it is unreasonable to believe that an angler should limit themselves to the baits and lures of a particular sponsor. At the end of the day, they are there to win tournaments and catch fish, whatever in takes and is within the rules. I don't think any of us here would limit ourselves to just one brand of bait or lure. Think about it like this, if you were fishing a tournament and knew that the best lure for catching fish in that scenario was a Zara Spook, but they were not one of your sponsors, would you just leave it in the tackle box? I don't blame these guys one bit for using what is getting bites, regardless of who sponsors them. Just my 2 cents.
Megastink reply :
Watch the MLF event on Amistad. KVD puts on a clinic with a Vision 110. Also on the NY event, Ike was using an original chatter bait, but credited the Molix Lover for his fish.... It was obviously not a Molix bait...
webertime reply :
Most all sports do this. I know a few pro cyclist that have custom frames made for them, then have painted and stickered for their "paying" sponsor. Skiers, snowboarders, surfers, climbers, baseball players (bats) ALL do it.
Bass Dude reply :
I don't have an issue with them using other stuff at all. I would use whatever it took to win as well. What I do have a problem with is the lie.
I don't think anyone limits themselves to one brand either because of what the pros do. When they say they're using a SK square bill and you go out and buy 50 of them, then realize they wacked them on a LC square bill...that's kind of messed up!
BassWhole! reply :
Do you really think Michael Jordan wears Haynes?...
Or any of the other gazillion endorsements?...
You know there is no Tooth Fairy, right?....
Bass Dude reply :
On 7/2/2013 at 10:14 PM, reason said:Do you really think Michael Jordan wears Haynes?...
Or any of the other gazillion endorsements?...
You know there is no Tooth Fairy, right?....
I do understand the reality of the business. But I don't care what underwear Jordan wears...I still think it's BS!!
If there's no tooth fairy who the heck took my tooth!! 
PABASS reply :
I always wondered if George Forman used his grills, I know i do and love it lol... But really sponsors do not limit what there pros can use, should a pro lie about what he is using to catch them on, well that is on them especially now with technology that can take details images on everyday devices(phones). I can see the why, the fished keyed on a chatter-bait but not the manufacture that you represent, you caught them on both but lets say one out produced the other, gray area what are you going to do? Plus my manufactures change with my mood, I grew up with Rapalas as my go to plug, now I am a huge smithwick fan but if was sponsored by Rapala you bet I would represent them in some fashion because those bait take me back and I have emotions tide to the lure. I dont always buy what the pros are trying to sell but always enjoy listening and making my own decisions.
Gatorbassman reply :
My favorite phrase that you hear pros make after they win a major tournament is. "I caught it on a prototype lure". Which is code for. "I Used another company's lure and now my sponsor is frantically working to copy it so they can capitalize on it."
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 7/2/2013 at 9:20 PM, Bass Dude said:I don't have an issue with them using other stuff at all. I would use whatever it took to win as well. What I do have a problem with is the lie.
I don't think anyone limits themselves to one brand either because of what the pros do. When they say they're using a SK square bill and you go out and buy 50 of them, then realize they wacked them on a LC square bill...that's kind of messed up!
I get and agree with what you mean.
Being deceitful, lieing passing off a fish as being caught on a different lure should not be allowed or tolerated. Man-up own-up to the truth if the fish wasnt caught on your sponsors product Ill respect a person more for the truth.
If a "pro" lies and says the 8#'er was caught on a senko when it was actully caught with an ocho what else will that "pro" lie about or has lied about. I cant believe people would find it acceptable.
CPBassFishing reply :
This is why 99% of the soft plastics I fish are made by the company I'm a pro staffer for. I actually believe in them and they work for me. The only other soft plastics I throw other than those are zoom flukes, yamamoto senkos, and roboworms.
Marty reply :
I have an online friend who's sponsored by a major lure manufacturer. He claims the company tells its staffers not to lie about what they used.
Whether that is true and whether the staffers tell the truth is something I have no way of knowing.
Jrob78 reply :
I don't think there are any pros that would say they only use their sponsors products. There are there to win, bottom line. They all know there are cameras in the boats and if they lie, people will know. The sponsors don't want them lying either. The other thing you have to consider is a typical tournament day is 8 hrs. The clip for tv you see lasts 30 seconds. They may very well have used what they said, you just didn't see it. You will also hear guys say they used a "medium diving crankbait" without being brand specific when it wasn't a sponsors bait.
derekxec reply :
lol im sorry but if im a sponsor and you plug someones bait that isnt sponsored by you and im paying you for the same thing im going to be mad lol....and really who wants to plug a bait for someone that isnt paying their bills over someone that is?
Kevin22 reply :
On 7/3/2013 at 11:14 AM, derekxec said:lol im sorry but if im a sponsor and you plug someones bait that isnt sponsored by you and im paying you for the same thing im going to be mad lol....and really who wants to plug a bait for someone that isnt paying their bills over someone that is?
They don't.
toddwchandler reply :
Let me clarify that I am not suggesting that I am OK with an angler lying about what they caught a fish on. I was only suggesting that it was unreasonable to think that a pro angler would stick to only lures from their sponsor. It appears that everyone here is in agreement with that. In no way do I feel that an angler lying about what they caught something on or even being deceitful is OK.
Marty reply :
On 7/3/2013 at 11:14 AM, derekxec said:lol im sorry but if im a sponsor and you plug someones bait that isnt sponsored by you and im paying you for the same thing im going to be mad lol....and really who wants to plug a bait for someone that isnt paying their bills over someone that is?
There's middle ground. Just because you don't use your sponsor's lure doesn't mean you plug someone else's. Just say you used a crankbait for example. If asked, you decline to mention the brand.
5dollarsplash reply :
Happens all the time with golf. You get paid to have "x" many clubs by a brand and put their name on your bag, if you use another companies product you down play it-but you use what it takes to get the win.
Whether its playing a Titleist ball when your sponsored by Taylormade, or throwing a Strike King when your sponsored by Net Bait.
But I do agree you don't directly lie either. Give the generic answer, act like a politican when asked about the lure. "It was a grub worm", instead of "it was a Rage Tail Thumper."
Megastink reply :
I have seen some anglers directly lie. What seems to be more common is anglers being overly vague. Here are two examples from KVD:
1) Diring the MLF event at Amostad, he destroyed the field on a Megabass v110 the first or second day. He also used a series 5, 5xd and 6xd. After the round was over, he talked about his gear. Holding up four rods, he named each crank bait by model, but when the jerk bait came around, he just called it a "jerk bait", not a vision 110.
2) during his first Kentucky lake win in the late 2000's, I watched him toss around a series 6 and 5 (this was before the XD series came to market). However, watching him fish, I noticed he boated a few on a pearl white crank bait with reflective sides, but it was a different shape than the elongated 6 or 5. The bill was horizontal out of the body. The camera man went in for a close up, and low and behold, it was a Fat Free Shad BDS8.
He didn't lie, but he didn't credit his OLD sponsor either. But be honest, if you we're fishing to pay pay your bills, you would use whatever it took to win. Wouldn't you?
Bass Dude reply :
On 7/9/2013 at 12:15 AM, Megastink said:But be honest, if you we're fishing to pay pay your bills, you would use whatever it took to win. Wouldn't you?
We all seem to be in agreement on the fact we would use what it takes to win. I don't have any issues with that. But I think it effects the credibility of the pros when they say they are using one thing but are really using something else. As on of the other posters said...just say you used a crankbait. Don't say that you caught them on a Strike King if you got them on a Lucky Craft.
Smallmouth Hunter reply :
I see lots of pros that do this, but I see some that don't. For example, Ott defoe tells exactly what he's using.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
D.T.A ..little white lies don't hurt anyone take I'm with a grain of salt and move on
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
That being said look at dance,Martin,Grigsby. They been jumping the sponsor bandwagons for 20+ yrs .still like um but ,dam saying stren or Mitchell is best for 5 yrs then jumping to who pays u the most haaaaaaa
Brian Needham reply :
On 7/8/2013 at 10:18 PM, 5dollarsplash said:Happens all the time with golf.
people would be shocked if they knew what was really under the headcovers.
classic example was Payne Stewart...........always had the top flite bag, hat, and head covers but a bag full of mizuno clubs.
Back then Mizuno didn't pay ANYONE to play their irons, but EVERYONE used them, cause they were and still are (IMO) the best there is.
deputybc reply :
I think what a lot of the pros are doing is what we call dock sherades. I fished in a flw event and when my boater picked me up and I backed him in the water there were people running over and was asking what he was throwing. He pulled over out of all the boats raised his rod lockers and preceded to pull out rods with what he had been catching them on and sticking the rest back in the box. Its all mind games.
ChicagoEd reply :
On 7/2/2013 at 9:20 PM, Bass Dude said:I don't have an issue with them using other stuff at all. I would use whatever it took to win as well. What I do have a problem with is the lie.
I don't think anyone limits themselves to one brand either because of what the pros do. When they say they're using a SK square bill and you go out and buy 50 of them, then realize they wacked them on a LC square bill...that's kind of messed up!
I completely agree with you. They should use whatever catches fish. Tournament success is what it's all about for the pros so by all means use everything at your disposal. But don't dupe me by attributing your success to lure x because its your sponsor when you really caught on lure y. Dummies like me will go out and buy lure x because the pro proved it works. Even worse, I'll go out and by the entire set of colors and sizes to feed my tackle fetish. I have no problems with pros doing commercials and endorsing products. But c'mon, keep it honest when you're actually on the water with a lure sticking out the basshole.
CDMeyer reply :
I can honestly say I have never seen a pro use one bait but are sponsored by a different company... All I know is that if I was sponsored by Rapala I wouldn't be using a Strike King KVD Crank Bait! I'd only use Rapala. These pros on the pay role for some of there sponsors and I would say most pros have the pride to be loyal to there sponsors. But I still don't have a problem with someone using one bait but saying they used another because of sponsor obligations. We are forgetting that there is a business side to the game, if these pros don't cash checks some don't get paid (others get salaries from sponsors
regardless) but even if they don't place they may not get sighed back on. So I would do what it takes to WIN.
SENKOSAM reply :
Quote
Being deceitful, lieing passing off a fish as being caught on a different lure should not be allowed or tolerated. Man-up own-up to the truth if the fish wasnt caught on your sponsors product Ill respect a person more for the truth.
If a "pro" lies and says the 8#'er was caught on a senko when it was actully caught with an ocho what else will that "pro" lie about or has lied about. I cant believe people would find it acceptable.
A person's credibility and integrity are sacrificed when that happens and almost nothing they say or that is printed about their opinions or reasons for anything can be accepted at face value. The fact remains that there are more ways to catch fish than women have shoe in their closets.
Even if a pro uses many different brand lures because he has confidence in their uses for specific situations, unfortunately his hands are tied by a contract. It's not like a celebrity selling a car or perfume in TV ads - you know they are there as attention getters and not because the really own or use those products. Pro anglers are a different story. When they push something that they claim won a tournament and it's obvious what was on their line, a red flag goes up. If a pro pushes a lure that isn't nearly as versatile as he says it is (ie Helicopter Lure), you tend to forget what made them famous and see them as sad examples of those that rely on a past image to make a few bucks. Many a retired sports figure was forced to endorse products just to make ends meet.
MegaStink really did his homework !!
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