Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Fall 2015, Page 61

Westernbass Magazine - FREE Bass Fishing Tips And Techniques - Fall 2015, Page 61

just some products that don’t fall into the realm of promotable products.

My friend Brett Hite, a truly legendary western angler, ran his first FLW deal with the Imodium AD boat. We all wondered where he would do the seminars (truck stops). It paid his entry fees and got him a Suburban, so Brett took that deal right to the bank and I was proud of him. But, there has got to be a line (with some products) that aren’t promotable in our sport. Where are we going to draw the line with our social media promotion?

I am not the only one that thinks this. This video above is a perfect representation of what I am taking about.

LIVING UP TO THE FOOTAGE HYPE

Through weekday fishing, personal webpages and GoPro footage, lot of guys have built up an image that they are better than they really are and that effects their game day performance. Their own expectations and the expectations of their followers are much higher than they have ever really achieved at an event.

Many of these guys will build such a hype around going to a tournament or competing in a tournament (getting all their new sponsor product ready, their boat ready, the tires on their truck ready), that when they don’t perform, they let themselves down. Then, feel obligated to go back to their followers and apologize.

Come on guys.... there is no apologizing... there is no crying in baseball and there is NO apologies in bass fishing. You don’t apologize. Some days, you catch ‘em and some days, you don’t. And, that is from KVD on down.

STAGED FISH

This is to the little group of anglers out there that think fish are so sacred, if you didn’t catch it, you cannot hold it.

Whether it is a magazine picture, an ad for your sponsor or a portfolio picture, you don’t necessarily have to catch the fish that you hold in the photo.

Now, if you’ve never caught an 8 lb’r, you probably shouldn’t be holding an 8 lb’r in a photo. If you’re Gary Dobyns and you’ve caught one thousand 8 lb’rs, it isn’t a big deal to hold a staged

FALL 2015

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