Agree with the need for non-endemic sponsors. All those you listed are absolutely used by fishing people. The need for a FedEx or ATT is necessary, but should be attainable. Thank you Mr. Morris and BPS for all you do, by the way.
Google says 55 million people fish in the US, 25 million golf. That's a lot of buying power.
TV viewing is problematic but golf does not have huge viewership, except maybe the Masters and US Open.
Pro Bass fishermen/women deserve a bigger payday and I know B.A.S.S. and MLF are trying very hard. For a sport that costs so much to compete in ... boat, towing vehicle, electronics etc. ... there should be greater financial reward at the top.
Also, winning a top level tournament should get you more than money. Exemptions for the next 3-5 years, automatic qualifications for Classic and REDCREST and other perks.
BassFan says: There's no question that fishermen use a lot of those companies' products. The issue for the companies is how many people will be watching their commercials. A weekend golf broadcast on one of the major networks routinely draws in excess of 1 million viewers, and the companies are aware of the demographics of the viewership. For the companies, advertising to that audience pays dividends. They wouldn't do it if that weren't the case.
The money in golf is so big that it's really not an apt comparison to pro bass fishing. Professional bowling, in which competitors are vying for similar purses to what they played for during the game's heyday in the 1970s, is a lot more similar. It also has similar viewership demographics. The PBA Tour was recently purchased by the Bowlero Corp. and, like fishing, has been successful in picking up a few non-endemics – Guaranteed Rate (also a sponsor of both B.A.S.S. and MLF), Kia, Snickers and Pabst Blue Ribbon.
