[stukayakfish]

Sponsorship. What is it? What about it? We all know it exists and on many different levels. You got everything from a full ride to a free pack of worms. I don`t know much about it.
From the outside looking in , in simplest terms if you can excel at something then people will sponsor you. Sponsor meaning support or free stuff, or pub for you in exchange for you promoting them. Granted, as with just about everything, there are ALOT of variables.Generally I`d say you should be good at what you are sponsored for. **see exception following.Generally you will not be sponsored by co. X if you trash co. X `s product/service. I have met a fully sponsored pro female fisher. Met her when she was a co-angler , who I promise you, my four year old could out-fish. How is that? She just happens to be hot as a firecracker and even if she finishes 113th out of 138 for the year she is "safe'"as long as you line `em all up and the reporters say "I think I`ll put her picture in the paper."
Now as it stands men seem to still stand on (mostly) their own fishing merit. Mostly meaning if you get more face time than David Fritts because you`re pretty, or hollerin, or just givin ESPN what they want to show at the time but your weights don`t compare to his , you can still be successful, and sponsored.(Can I get sponsored for run-on sentences?)
Who wouldn`t want to be sponsored? I would. I`ve fished for ten years out of a yak and at least 1200 trips in every condition mother nature can swing has taught me a few things. Has anybody contacted me to sponsor me? No. Have I tried to be sponsored?No.
I have everything I need to get what I was after when I started kayak fishing. If there were no fish I would still kayak. Before I had a kayak I still fished. Unless I could do it everyday I am not desirous of anything other than what I have already.
Kayaking in general has been blowing up exponentially. I love that. There is no doubt that one day there will be big, national kayak fishing tours.
It`ll be too late for me to participate. (probably) If I`m not to old, I`ll still be too poor.
What I will ALWAYS respect is a GOOD fisherman. Not a good looking fisherman, not a sensational fisherman, not a good pitch man disguised as a fisherman, not the most sponsored because they try to be sponsored the most, or because they are "Blank- Blank Jr. I will not respect a person who I feel endorses for the sake of being sponsored above honesty.
Y`all know I have these philosophical rants occasionally with no real point or no real pointed question. Philosophy is just a mental jog around the block for your cerebrum.
You feeling the philosophy vibe? Lay it out there. Think about it....................
------------stu