Should Pro-Staffers Make Their Allegiance Known?

[dampeoples]

I see your point, avid, but some people just like certain stuff. I like Mustad, all I willingly buy is Mustad hooks, I'm not sponsored by them, and pay the same you do. I think it would become a hassle. For instance:

I responded to a thread recently about jig fishing, yet I make jigs. I answered the questions as honestly as I could, yet didn't push a single thing, someone else came along and acknowledged that I make jigs, my interest was to answer a question, am I dishonest? Should I have started my reply with 'I make jigs, but here's my answer?'

I remember a thread a while back invlving JohnnyA, I think it was regarding ginrin, at the end of every post he made a disclaimer, it got hard to read, kind of funny, after a while, maybe he shoulda just done it in the first post, I dunno.

I guess my point is we're all grown, and capable of rational thought, use that when reading replies, it's often easy to tell where someone's allegiances lie, but not always.

[splash]

I don't get it.
This is not about hostility, or bashing.
It's not about what is enforceable or not.
It's about intergrity.
If you are sponsored by a company it should not be a secret.
It is inherently deceptive to promote a product when you are part of their team.
I understand when Tiger Woods drives off in his buick that he is payed alot to do so. I don't doubt that he has a Lamborghini in his garage as well.
I don't think it has anything to do with tournament guys being welcomed or not. It's all about intergrity. If your telling me that Mustad hooks for example, are the best but not mentioning that they sponsor you, I would consider that a deliberate deception. A dishonest act, and would question every statement you made after that.
It's just that simple.
avid

There it is in a nutshell! All sponsored tournament anglers are dishonest and deceptive with no integrity and set out to decieve you. Well, you're wrong! What I say is what I mean regardless of whether it's a sponsor's product or not and if you'll go back and check my posts you'll see that I have said good things abput products that are in direct competition with my sponsors. I have no problem telling you who my sponsors are, actually like to tell who my sponsors are and I'm not trying to hide anything, but when people like yourself try to lump us all into one catagory it is just plain wrong. It would be like me saying that since avid don't like sponsored tournament anglers he must belong to PETA, the rest of them do..........What you are asking about has everything to do with all the things you say it has nothing to do with. Just because this isn't the response you were trying to get don't make it wrong!

[Cal]

I don't get it.
This is not about hostility, or bashing.
It's not about what is enforceable or not.
It's about intergrity.
If you are sponsored by a company it should not be a secret.
It is inherently deceptive to promote a product when you are part of their team.
I understand when Tiger Woods drives off in his buick that he is payed alot to do so. I don't doubt that he has a Lamborghini in his garage as well.
I don't think it has anything to do with tournament guys being welcomed or not. It's all about intergrity. If your telling me that Mustad hooks for example, are the best but not mentioning that they sponsor you, I would consider that a deliberate deception. A dishonest act, and would question every statement you made after that.
It's just that simple.
avid

There it is in a nutshell! All sponsored tournament anglers are liars with no integrity and set out to decieve you. Well, you're wrong! What I say is what I mean regardless of whether it's a sponsor's product or not and if you'll go back and check my posts you'll see that I have said good things abput products that are in direct competition with my sponsors. I have no problem telling you who my sponsors, actually like to tell who my sponsors are and I'm not trying to hide anything, but when people like yourself try to lump us all into one catagory it is just plain wrong. It would be like me saying that since avid don't like sponsored tournament anglers he must belong to PETA, the rest of them do..........What you are asking about has everything to do with all the things you say it has nothing to do with. Just because this isn't the response you were trying to get don't make it wrong!

I did not see in there were Avid called all tournament anglres liars with no integrity.

What Avid stated was if you are sponsored by a product, and speak highly of it in a post, he feels your allegiances should also be mentioned. That doesn't mean he wouldn't believe you if he knew your allegiance, but it does mean if he did not know your allegiance, and later found out, he would think you're trying to be deceptive. That's all.

Re: Avid's Statements: My response was in reference to making such allegiances known a REQUIREMENT on the forum. This cannot be done because it cannot be enforced. That does not mean it wouldn't be nice and convenient if those who are sponsored by certain companies made it known, like both you and SDFD just did. That speaks to both you and SDFD's integrity.

[KyAntares]

Unfortunately I am not sponsored yet but I am not giving up hope. If there are any 20-30 yr old rich single women on here who own a new 21 ft bass boat contact me . P.S. please post a picture of the boat

[Fbass]

If tournament anglers aren't welcome here, you need to just let us know. I know of a few that have already left but I keep hoping that I'm just interpreting this stuff wrong. I thought that this is what the tackle and bass fishing sections was for, to discuss our preferences, likes and dislikes among the different vendors, but it's been pointed out that I have been wrong before, maybe I am now. I'm confused here!

Quite the contrary. Tournament anglers are welcome and their input is valuable, to me at least.
One doesn't have to mention everytime he's sponsored by a business. That would be the point of having this information displayed just to make information exchange a little more transparent, that's all.
It's not about being against these guys. They bring a large part of the information available here.
For exemple I think it's great that Powell CEO comes here and answer questions. From the horse mouth you say in english, right? How cool is that?
Like I said, if I knew who works for what company I would be able to direct questions to them should my question not be worthy of the general forum.

[splash]

Okay, I'll go back and change liars to dishonest and deceptive to keep the wording correct. I am proud of my sponsors and my sponsors products and would never lead someone on to try and get them to buy it by keeping my affilliation a secret. If I need to I'll do like JohnnyA and start my replies with "I am sponsored by", but I fail to see the need. When someone is on a fishing forum they should be able to figure out for themselves that there are going to be sponsored staff on the forum and take what is said with a grain of salt, look at the info provided and make their on decisions without making all these threads with claims about dishonest and deceptive practices. I believe this thread was started just for these results and am sorry I took the bait! Now I'll be on the road to Lake Fork for the next 5 hours and will be on the lake for the next 4 days with an outdoor writer that likes to hear about my sponsors, so you have that long to slam me before I'll be back to defend myself! (For those that can't figure it out, that was a joke, please don't slam me anymore, as I am really thin skinned!)

[Cal]

safe drive Splash... and where's your dedication? you need to get a blackberry so you can surf 24/7

[mhood]

I would have thought all of Lake Fork would be a hot spot by now...take your laptop and grab some free wireless.

[splash]

safe drive Splash... and where's your dedication? you need to get a blackberry so you can surf 24/7

[Cal]

I would have thought all of Lake Fork would be a hot spot by now...

you realize that just went completely over Splash's head, don't you? Link the term "hot spot" with any lake, and those tourney guys think of something else entirely

[Johnny A]

Quick note re: JohnnyA's "disclaimer" was partially informational and partially joking. I did it because I didn't want people to think my recommendations for accessories and such were based upon any affiliation with a vendor. I think the people who got to know me, sort of figured it out.

[dampeoples]

Quick note re: JohnnyA's "disclaimer" was partially informational and partially joking. I did it because I didn't want people to think my recommendations for accessories and such were based upon any affiliation with a vendor. I think the people who got to know me, sort of figured it out.

I am in no way affiliated with Johnny A

Not calling you out, just pointing out that it seemed silly, but I understand why it would need to be there, some folks can't think for themselves. I hope the board majority doesn't feel that each group, be it tournament anglers, sponsored people, vendors, advertisers, etc are just here for one purpose. I like the variety, and am only somewhat handicapped when it comes to making my own decisions

[brokeneye]

i dunno, guys.

some of my best friends are pro-staffers...and they actually believe in the products they endorse...i got no problem with them recommending this bug or that bat.

the problem i have is with the would-be rolands of the world...the ones that would endorse a POS if it benefited them...and, for the record, i don't sense that from the folks that post here most often...that is prolly why i post here more often than other boards lately.

in the end, it all boils down to caveat emptor...you gotta take all things with a grain of salt...we all do things at different speeds and the trash in my hands may be treasure in yours.

the would-be rolands are kinda like hemmoroids...they show up now and then, are a distinct pain in the arse and, soon, are gone...those are the ones i was referring to earlier.

[kingsriverrat]

I go into this forum, as I do any opinion site on the web or in other media, with the hope that, within the context of the discourse, democracy should win out. If there are posters plugging inferior products, or making false claims, just let enough people disagree with them and show the truth.

I trust that if one poster says "The St. Airberk Gloocia Kistass rod is the best, most sensitive, far-casting, guaranteed I've ever used" others will pipe in and variously agree or disagree. Eventually, we'll figure it out.

Anyway, just my 2 cents on it.

[mktrout]

It does get a little old when the same people always are pushing pflueger reels and cajun red line (same company) when anyone with knowledge of fishing knows there are way better products for the same price.