Todd,
You know I am no expert on getting sponsored by any means but I think that there are a few things to keep in mind.

Just think about it from the perspective of a guy who is making or selling fishing tackle, boats etc. He wants to sponsor someone who is a known guy, someone who has a voice out there in the fishing world, someone who can promote his stuff and be professional about it. And most importantly someone who is going to sell him product! There's lots of sponsored guys out there who don't win many tournaments, but they do a good job of promoting sales for the products they are sponsored by. That's what's important.

Becoming that guy who people want to sponsor takes time more than anything else. You have to be known around the fishing world a little bit and you have be consistent in whatever you do, whether that's bass-n-tubes or fishing in the bassmaster.

You also have to know people in the business. When I look back at how I got hooked up with Mike Shaw from MS Slammer and Butch from Fischo/Big Hammer/Assalt it all came about because they were friends of friends. It certainly wasn't because I was Mr all pro fisherman with a big boat fishing in the big tourneys.

So dude, if you're trying to get sponsored at some point in time, just keep fishing and doing what you can to get your name out there. It will come to you when the time is right.