Berkley makes huge cuts in prostaffers

[Brian D.]

Ebb and flow of sponsorships.

http://fishstrong.com/berkley-fishing-w ... pro-staff/

[elfish16]

pretty insane!

[Robchik]

Not unlike what Daiwa did a while back. They let go of Denny Brauer among others.

[barse41]

What does Berkeley make again?

[fish_food]

What does Berkeley make again?

Mostly knockoffs these days.

[aNNieNsaLTIE]

What does Berkeley make again?

Mostly knockoffs these days.

Very true and just for a current example, check this out.....

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_ ... -HSFS.html

If i was the Little Creepers guy, I would pull all my baits from tackle warehouse... If i had no confidence in my chigger craws I would not fish berkley period...

[kitjack]

I think Berkley is now owned by a very large investment company and they also own a dozen other tackle companies, and some other well known household brands. As I remember Sunbeam is one of those other brands. It's good they still support some anglers.

[GKramer]

Cut overhead, mimic popular baits, ride the reliable old favorites. That sounds a business operating like a business. If the products sell, they'll keep making them. If they don't, then they'll produce something else. While you always feel for the originators of any bait (especially soft baits) the fact is, the fishing consumers decide what stays and what goes. You can get tweaked off, but you can't change it. It's kind of like the old "Buy American" automobile war cry. Sounds good, but the GM parking lot was full of Toyotas.

As for the pro staff issue, the market is changing. The old BPS mantra that "Pros sell" is not working so well for Pure Fishing--or maybe they're just reallocating resources to college fishing. Guess you'll have to go back to school...

[DanO]

Very true and just for a current example, check this out.....

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_ ... -HSFS.html

If i was the Little Creepers guy, I would pull all my baits from tackle warehouse... If i had no confidence in my chigger craws I would not fish Berkley period...

You don't know the story behind the Sick Fish. Everyone makes the assumption that Skeet an Berkley knocked it off. however, Skeet and Beno are old friends and they have an agreement that allowed the Sick Fish to be made by Berkley.

People always assume the worst, but that's not always the case.

The article at the link above is another example of a person being irresponsible with industry information. I'm sure that Pure Fishing is working on making changes to their bottom line; they, along with other companies usually are. However, to get information from a source other than the parties involved and to go public with it without permission, or of the parties involved being willing to go on the record is completely irresponsible. That website has been doing a lot of that, and infringing on other entities copyrights since it launched. Not professional, not good for the industry.

DanO

[aNNieNsaLTIE]

I do not get involved with any story or stories. I just look at things and come up with my own opinion... One day I saw those little sick fish, first thing i think Little Creepers...............wow.......

If skeet or Berkley is cool with little creepers and are all good, cool. I just hate to see a honest person or company, small/local go down to a greedy corporate big dog who would make everyone and anyone slave to put the rest under.

Steven

[mark poulson]

It's a business. Only anglers think it's more than that.

[biteme]

I do not get involved with any story or stories. I just look at things and come up with my own opinion... One day I saw those little sick fish, first thing i think Little Creepers...............wow.......

If skeet or Berkley is cool with little creepers and are all good, cool. I just hate to see a honest person or company, small/local go down to a greedy corporate big dog who would make everyone and anyone slave to put the rest under.

Steven

Yeah there was cash involved for the copy. I heard it wasnt a lot but it was a agreement I do know that for sure. Im remember reading it on the trash fish site.

Eh Berkley is a Business and if they felt it wasnt worth while then good for them. This kind of stuff just goes through phases.

[aNNieNsaLTIE]

I do not get involved with any story or stories. I just look at things and come up with my own opinion... One day I saw those little sick fish, first thing i think Little Creepers...............wow.......

If skeet or Berkley is cool with little creepers and are all good, cool. I just hate to see a honest person or company, small/local go down to a greedy corporate big dog who would make everyone and anyone slave to put the rest under.

Steven

Yeah there was cash involved for the copy. I heard it wasnt a lot but it was a agreement I do know that for sure. Im remember reading it on the trash fish site.

Eh Berkley is a Business and if they felt it wasnt worth while then good for them. This kind of stuff just goes through phases.

Cool!!!! Glad to hear that. A little bump in pay before the holidays is always a good thing for anyone....... For the time being I'll still throw the actual little creepers.....

Steven

[fish_food]

From the "other" site, earlier this summer:

Hi folks,

This is Benno from Little Creeper Baits. I have seen some of the posts about the Berkley Sick Fish. I just wanted to clarify that the design was not stolen and we are not getting screwed by the big guys. When the our Trash Fish first came out I sent a few to Skeet and a few other friends who fish at the pro level. Skeet loved them and used them to great effect that season, he even was able to get us a little national attention because of his 5th place finish on Clearlake. About a year and a half ago Skeet contacted me and wanted to make a version of the design for the mass market. At the time we were struggling through our darkest days. I made a deal with Skeet that allowed him to use the original Trash Fish design and allowed us to continue making our Trash Fish. At the time we received enough to get us through those very dark days and survive long enough for people discover our baits and give us a fighting chance at success. We also have the promise of a modest residual income once their bait started to sell. Hopefully the future income will help us continue to keep going. Skeet has done his part to honor our agreement, and we have done ours.

I new when the deal was struck that Berkley would be making a very different bait with the same shape. To us the design only half of the story. The materials we use and way we make them is at least as important in making the Trash Fish (and eventually all of our baits) what they are. My hope is that people will be exposed to the design and get curious about what our baits are all about. We really appreciate that people have come to love and rely on our baits as a well made tool that fishes like nothing else made. We also are very humbled and grateful that people are recognizing what we trying to do and really want us to succeed. We are still a very small company working very hard to make the best baits possible. We are not rich, or even very comfortable at this point. But with your support we think we have a chance at a solid future that will allow to make many more baits that will help you catch a ton of fish. We thank you again for your support. We will continue to make our baits by hand in the USA, and do our best to continue bringing you the best lures we can possibly make.

Thanks again to everyone,
The whole Little Creeper Crew.

[ash]

What cuts Berkley makes to thier staff is thier business- if consumers feel that Berkley is wrong in thier decsion, then they will speak with thier wallets - typically it doesnt happen.

As for this guy at fish strong - in my personal experiance with him, Dan O is right - he is a TOOL, he took a FB post i made and used it as a weapon toward a local company without my permission - this guy will do anything to get people to read his blather, at least GK does it with Literary grace

[kitjack]

Tell that to Tammy Cox, who I heard was after 20 something years at Berkley was just fired because this enormous tackle company no longer has a pro staff for her to manage. Even small tackle companies support the sport.. Pure fishing can't?

Look at the stock symbol and look at the financial data for Jardan (JAH) and you will see a company that is making a ton of money by buying more and more brands and by slashing cost. To us as anglers this simply means not supporting the sport like other much smaller companies do with enthusiasm. They should be doing more, not less, but they went to zero.

If you want to be a puss or support companies or products for your own reasons that is fine with me. But my position will always be to enthusiastically support only those companies that care about making great products and who try to sponsor anglers and our tournaments. The guys in upper management at this company couldn't even recognize a bass, so eliminating pro staff anglers is an even bigger mistake than it would be at other more core companies.