Scott Martin, Bass Pro, Talks Fishing at NPAA Conference
OutdoorHub 02.01.12
Forestville, WI-With mostly walleye anglers attending the National Professional Anglers Association 2012 Annual Conference, bass pro Scott Martin, provided a change of pace. His comments, tips and advice reflected a young man’s opinions learned from the boat seat and at the knee of his father Roland, one of the all-time great bass anglers.
Hailing from Okeechobee, Florida, his NPAA visit was courtesy of Evinrude Outboards. He quickly struck a chord with the pro anglers saying, “What’s important in this fishing business is to realize it is a business.” He listed what it takes to be successful, “Put your time in; work hard; keep sponsors involved; do a good job; look sharp.”
He compared the fishing industry of 20 years ago to today, and said back then maybe only 50 bass anglers “got it,” and he expected in the walleye world, it was less. “Today is different, hundreds get it,” he said. “But, there are not 200 more sponsors, and a much bigger pool of pros who can promote.”
He said, “To separate yourself, jump into YouTube, Facebook and the social media. It’s not how you perform in tournaments as much as what you do in various promotions and social media.” After winning the FLW Championship last year, Martin said sponsors did not come knocking, but he generated some new beneficial relationships by being creative with new sponsors.
He said the walleye industry is leaps and bounds ahead of where the bass world was at the similar stage in its history. He was impressed with the NPAA and its efforts to attract young anglers. “The next generation will keep this sport alive. We need to get them now. Spend time on the water with them. Share our knowledge,” he emphasized.
Of course, any fisherman speaking to other fishermen eventually turns to the sport all love. “It’s the little things in fishing that make huge differences,” Scott said. He related his win at the Championship. He was idling over a spot during the pre-fish period ready to race out, when he noticed a pod of baitfish. He turned around, made some casts, caught several, and on day one of the tournament, the 3-pounders turned into 5-pounders and he took the lead. “My tiny moment of paying attention made the difference,” he said.
He fished his first year on tour as a co-angler, mostly to learn new bodies of water, but to determine how pros make decisions. He said, “I learned more on the days we didn’t catch ’em,” he said. “I was in a position to observe, and I also won the co-angler title, confidence and a berth on tour the next year. Amazingly, I won my second pro tournament, gained some sponsors, and have been on a roll since.”
Comparing walleye and bass events, Martin said, “I wish we’d have “team” events like the walleye pro-am tournaments where the entire boat weight counts for both pro and co-angler.” Now that he’s in the fishing business, he said he can’t imagine anything else. “I always knew I wanted to be a bass pro, and I love it.”
Other news, including stories from the recently concluded NPAA Annual Conference will be discussed and shared on the NPAA website and in future news releases.
