The annual fishing trade show known as ICAST usually has over 600 exhibitors. That’s 600 brands trying to outshout each other to get a consumer’s attention.

As entrepreneurs, we can learn a lot from other small business owners. This week’s podcast might get you fired up to pursue your dreams and it will definitely teach you something about sponsor relationships.

Looking for a job in the outdoors industry? Want a fishing job?

In 2019, 17% of the U.S. population, ages 6 and up, went fishing at least once. That’s 50.1 milllion people. And that number represents the highest participation rate since 2007.

Bobby Dennis might be the most famous guy in the fishing business you’ve never heard of before.

If you are an aspiring pro angler, chances are you live near a good bass fishing lake. And if you live near a good bass fishing lake there is a tourism department somewhere on that lake that is trying to attract visitors to the area. That tourism agency is a great potential partner. Our guest on the Fishing Business Podcast today is Neil Paul – the Executive Director of Visit Anderson South Carolina. Anderson, SC is on Lake Hartwell and Neil does a fabulous job of promoting fishing on Hartwell. He’s a key player in putting together the deals that have brought the Bassmaster Classic to Greenville, SC in a unique partnership with Anderson. Neil’s an avid angler and he has impactful partnerships with pro anglers Brandon Cobb and Brian Lattimer. He has a deep knowledge of fishing tourism and he’s gracious enough to share some of that knowledge with us today. We’re talking fishing tourism today y’all and it’s a big deal.

Rick Clunn could be the GOAT in fishing. He is to me. The Greatest Of All Time.  He’s been fishing since the 70’s and he is still winning. He won a Bassmaster Elite Series event in 2019 on the St John’s River in Florida. 

It sounds kind of simplistic to say but Toyota is one of the best brands in the world. Our guest today, Matt Ozawa, is one of the best marketers at Toyota.

Digital advertising will account for 53% of ALL the advertising dollars spent in 2020. Worldwide, digital advertising will likely hit $336 billion. That’s a lot of zeroes. So it’s no wonder that everybody seems to be trying to figure out how to create more content. After all, content is necessary for digital advertising. If you don’t have digital content, you don’t have a place to run ads.

Melinda Mize has worked in marketing at Pradco (Rebel, Booyah, Bomber, Yum and other brands), Costa Del Mar sunglasses and Huk Performance Apparel. She’s also a tournament angler whose father AND mother are tournament anglers.