Loyalty to sponsors? That's a good one

I've mentioned before that I rarely watch Saturday morning television fishing programs simply because far too many of these extravaganzas look alike.

The same holds true for the hunting shows, because in my opinion, a lot of these efforts portray the "bubba factor," produced and hosted by some so-called personality yearning to leave their footprint on this earth so some paleontologist can discover it a thousand years from now.

With the price of broadcast production cameras now low enough that many people can afford them, all one really needs is a camo suit, some chewing tobacco, a sponsor and a chunk of land to chase wild game. In some cases, it's rumored that it's not beyond the host to go after fenced-in game in order to come up with a show.

The fishing business is only a tad different, especially the so-called pro circuits.

The Saturday morning shows are filled with bass anglers who toil, sweat and holler every time they catch a 2-pound fish. But it's the boats they're in that are the real show, as well as the clothing they wear.

Fishing pioneer and tackle innovator Ron Lindner (of Lindy Rig fame), likes to call the professionals the "Velcro Anglers."

Lindner was a recent guest on my outdoor radio talk show and our conversation ambled its way to certain products the professional anglers use and promote.

"I use the term Velcro Angler because in many cases each new season brings a raft of new patches these guys seem to be wearing," he declared. "One season they'll have a patch on their shirt from the XYZ rod company and one from the ABC lure outfit, and quite often a year later a whole new bunch of patches suddenly appear in place of the old ones."

Playing devil's advocate I asked Lindner how that phenomenon came to be.

"Look, it's a simple matter of what company is going to spend the bucks on a pro fisherman who happens to be hot on the tournament trails," he added. "What goes into the checking accounts seems to be far more important than loyalty and dedication to a specific brand."

And when it comes to the bass boats as well as the walleye tournament boats, some of these watercraft appear as garish as the billboards on I-294 displayed in far south suburbs.

Gasoline companies, some food producers, lure manufacturers and truck makers offer contracts with the more visible pros suggesting they wrap their watercraft from stem-to-stern in the sponsor's colors and branding.

Mark Riley, an acquaintance from my guiding days, just shakes his head in amazement about the state of today's fishing culture.

"The manufacturers who spend the big bucks to sponsor these guys must think these multicolored boats and logo-bearing shirts will result in a cacophony of cash register tunes at the retail level," he said.

Added Lindner: "Loyalty to last year's sponsor is a dead issue if the dollars are right. That's why I like to tag these guys with the title of Velcro Anglers, because nothing is permanent any more in this business."

I strongly disagree with Lindner. The one thing that will always be there is that there still are fish, waiting for you and I to catch them.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=223042">Reader has good luck after heavy rains <span class="date">[7/24/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>