- 1). List your skills and portions of your background that might be attractive to sponsors. Fishing skills are important, but communication skills are even more important, as sponsors' main concern is how you represent them and their products. They also want to know how much you desire to share their products with other fishermen. Focus especially on unique attributes that differentiate you from other fishermen.
- 2). Inventory your fishing equipment. List the companies that make the equipment and lures you use regularly and that you would be willing to represent. Research the products as much as you can, keeping in mind that potential sponsors will be impressed that you not only use their equipment, but have a solid understanding of it.
- 3). Act and dress professionally at all times. You may consider yourself just a fisherman, but potential sponsors look at you as an ambassador for their products.
- 4). Focus on companies in your immediate area. They may not have the deep pockets of a national company, but the idea is to get your foot in the door. Contact the dealer where you bought your boat or the vehicle with which you tow your boat. Let them know of your interest in a sponsorship deal and inform them of what you will give them in return. This generally means working at sports shows and open houses pushing their products.
- 5). Send a letter and resume to the companies that produce the equipment and tackle you use. Share with them the names of other sponsors you have and give them an idea of how you can help promote their product. Some anglers are well-versed at working with the media, while others give regular demonstrations and educational seminars. Tell the companies about your strengths and why those strengths will help improve their image or get their lures or equipment into the hands of more fishermen.
- 6). List companies outside of the fishing industry that you believe might benefit from sponsoring a tournament fisherman. Write a sales pitch in the form of a letter outlining how your skills will benefit them.
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