information before cut-off or a few home-cooked meals or a
place to stay during the tournament to save big bucks on
hotels, local anglers often extend a generous helping hand
when pros are in town.
Finally, there is another major modern element in pro
fishing that has forced the sport into the world of “we.” That
is the combo of live coverage and social media. Whether it’s
real-time photo galleries, FLW Live or even David Dudley giv-
ing you a look at his tournament day on Facebook Live, now
the audience gets to vicariously “drop the hammer” with the
pros.
As the old saying goes, “there is no ‘I’ in team,” and in the
world of professional bass fishing it’s understandable why
the word “we” has become such a popular pronoun when
pros take center stage.
bass anglers’ supporting casts as well. In some cases, wives
have become business managers for their husbands’ pro
careers.
And the team doesn’t stop there. Non-endemic sponsor
relationships are also more intense than they used to be.
Companies that sponsor pros now take a personal interest in
how “their” pros are doing.
Endemic product sponsors are a critical part of the equa-
tion, too. Having a company overnight rods, reels or baits just
before a tournament starts is a big help in making top finish-
es on the FLW Tour these days.
And let’s not forget the service crews that keep the pros
up and running during events.
Then there should be a tip of the hat given to the unseen
community support pros receive. Whether it’s some fishing
Wesley Strader benefits from a supportive fishing “team” that includes his wife, Stephanie, who helps manage social media and sponsor relations.
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