Just out of curiosity...

[East Rush Rules]

How much money do you think these pro's get from their sponsor's every year?

KVD-Toyota

Skeet-Lucky Craft

Erhler-National Guard

I have no clue what to guess on what they get for their sponorships, what do you think? Throw out some numbers! I would have to think that these three get more than just their entry fee's paid for by these three companies, but i have no clue?!?! Lets hear what you think!

[Cecil]

I think KVD gets more from Strike King or Qauntum than Toyota. I would say its well into the 6 figures like $200,000. He has made them millions.

Skeet, I would say the same. Wonder if his contract is bigger with Lucky Craft or Wright and Mcgill?

Ehrler I have no idea. I just don't see the FLW guys making as much money, I often wonder what he could do if he was in the Elites. I know he would be good fishing-wise, but sponsor-wise I dunno.

[Deitz Dittrich]

i'm not sure what any of these guys get from any one sponsor.. I would be willing to bet that both Skeet and KVD make well into 6 figures a year off of endorsements. But I dont think that all pro's make any where near what they do. Maybe Ike, and a few others make a pretty good living. But I would be willing to bet, for every KVD and Reece there are who make a VERY good living, there is some no-name burning threw credit card debt trying to chase a dream.

having some exp in the industry, each guy has a contract with each company, and usually has to sign a non-disclosure. admitting to what they get would void the contract. Reason for this is they may pay one guy one amnt. and a differnt ammnt to another angler. But dont want hard feelings on the second angler. . Some deals may just be product, some are just monies.. some are a combination of them.

[Cecil]

Skeet has made Wright and Mcgill a TON of money. Who used their rods before? Who used their hooks before (other than beginners)? Not nearly as many people as now that's for sure.

[RK]

Hiya -

Guys in the upper tier make their living off the personal endorsement contracts, not their tournament winnings. Of course, for the most part you have to place well consistently, as well as have the right kind of personality, to get the endorsements in the first place.

I once had a really interesting conversation with a guy who's pretty well placed in the industry to have a perspective on this. He's on both sides of the fence - he has personal sponsors, and his business also sponsors other anglers.

He makes a distinction between professional anglers and professional tournament anglers. Professional anglers make their living promoting themselves, their sponsors, etc. Tournaments are part of that package. Professional tournament anglers don't have a lot of investment in promotions outside of tournaments and rely on their endorsement deals to (hopefully) pay their expenses so they can fish tournaments. They make their bank - if they make it - by cashing a check, and most of them have jobs and careers outside the fishing industry in the off season.

There's no value judgment in being one or the other - just different ways to go about it.

I do think that the number of guys willing to fish on plastic and work for peanuts really drives down the value of what pro anglers do for companies. I think Deitz is only partly correct - for every KVD there are probably 20 or 30 guys running up the credit cards. At the entry and mid levels, competition is so intense for sponsorships that the value really drops. I've heard of guys recently who are paying to have their boats wrapped for their sponsors in order to seal deals. Basically, you're paying in order to have them to sponsor you. Guys will give up a lot to live the dream.

I've thought for some time that the economic model at work in tournament fishing is fundamentally flawed, but guys still keep lining up for a kick at the can.

Cheers,

RK

[bassin]

Its a lot. Bassmaster magazine had an article mabye 3 years ago about it. the highest paid at that time was actually I guy who has never one a bassmaster event, Gerald swindel. He was at that top with $600,000. Skeet was 2nd and Vandam was around 3rd.

[Cecil]

Thats for all sponsors I'm sure.

Vandam could be making a lot more if he wasn't with his current sponsors. Good though that he has loyalty.

[JohnMickish]

Don't forget what they pick up for books, sports shows, TV shows and such. I personally don't think that the sponsors on the side of the boat pay in cash as much as people think.

[gunning]

This is how Mike Iaconelli sponsorships work per his book.

His "Associate level" sponsorship is his lowest level $12,000-25,000 min $1,000 a month no personal appearances included, If they want him to appear somewhere its $3,000 a pop, the sponsor gets their logo on the bottom half of this tourney shirt, no boat or truck logo.

Next is his "Key Level" $50,000 a year, logo top half of tourney shirt and side of hat and secondary level on truck and boat. He might cut some deals like $25,000 and a free boat or motor. Or some entry fees paid.

"Primary Sponsor" $100,000 Logo is top front of shirt and hat boat will be wrapped making it the blank boat(its Tundra now) 8 free appearances at the time he wrote the book he did not have this spot filled but I believe he has two main sponsors now Toyota and Pure Fishing aka (Abu Garcia, Berkley ext..) So that's probably around 200,000K right there, I think its kinda interesting stuff you can just look at his shirt on TV and get an idea who pays him what. He talks a lot about this stuff in his book, says even if you do cash a small check in a tournament it might not even cover the entry fee let alone travel expenses. I’m sure It’s a big grind for a lot of those guys.

[Central Bassman]

This is from a Bassmaster store in 2007... Doesn't suppress me how much money they make.

For as long as there have been big-league bass tournaments, the top pros have guarded one vital statistic — the amount of money they are paid by industry and non-endemic sponsors.

Most BASS fans know that sponsor dollars have long been the lifeblood of the touring pros. Without it, tournament fishing becomes professional gambling, as they would be competing strictly for their own entry fees.

Since the pros are purposely shy about discussing the subject, few people have any idea how much money the top guys pocket before they ever make a cast on the Bassmaster Elite Series. That is about to change, thanks to Marty Stone.

It was an article in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper that appeared during the 2006 Bassmaster Classic that particularly frustrated the veteran North Carolina pro. In the story, Gene Ellison, executive director of the Professional Anglers Association (the sport's equivalent of the players' union), was quoted as saying, "More than half the guys out here this weekend are going broke." That statement bothered Stone, who was convinced that the flip side of the story wasn't being told — that some Elite Series pros are making big-time sports money. He then proceeded to round up three of the biggest names in professional fishing for an unprecedented sit-down with Bassmaster Magazine: Kevin VanDam, Gerald Swindle and Skeet Reese. Newly crowned Bassmaster Angler of the Year Michael Iaconelli and Jason Quinn later agreed to talk freely about their sponsorship finances. (None violated the confidentiality clause in his contract, because individual sponsor deals were not discussed.)

The result was nothing short of mind-blowing, a revelation of dollar amounts that will have fans talking for weeks to come. Consider the total sponsorship dollars that these top-echelon anglers earned in 2006:

• Skeet Reese $600,000

• Gerald Swindle $515,000

• Kevin VanDam $500,000

• Jason Quinn $400,000

• Michael Iaconelli $370,000

• Marty Stone $320,000

Keep in mind that this is just income from sponsors. It does not include tournament winnings or residual income from doing seminars (which can bring as much as $5,000 a day) and other public appearances.

All of these fishermen share a common denominator that has led to their financial success off of the water: They are marketable (with vibrant personalities), sharp communicators and tireless workers for their sponsors. They actively seek additional sponsors, devote time to charitable events and efforts to help grow the sport, and labor to get media exposure.

[JohnMickish]

Wow, they make a much bigger coin that what I thought.

[Cecil]

Keep in mind the elites run about $100k to fish a year

[mozy]

I'd be just as curious to see what they spend. That seems like a lot of money, and it is, but I'm guessing entrance fees, gas, hotel, etc. all add up pretty quick. Can't honestly say that I envy their lifestyle.

[TR21HP]

Plus a majority of them don't or can't have their families with them during the season, so it is a much tougher lifestyle than one would think.