Is fishing the job of your dreams?
By Aaron LeSieur
If you read Bass Angler, chances are pretty good you love to fish. You may be a weekend warrior, semi professional, or a seasoned tournament professional but have you ever thought about working in the fishing industry? Have you ever said to yourself, “I love to fish, I have some great ideas, and I am knowledgeable in many areas of bass fishing.” “Maybe I should work for XYZ Fishing Company?” Maybe your dream job is working as a marketing or sales representative for a tackle or equipment company, or working for a fishing publication. If so, where do you start? What are the benefits of working in the fishing industry and how difficult is it to get one of these jobs?
In an upcoming article in BAM I will share with you the answers to these questions and give you some insight from a recent interview of two fishing industry veterans. I recently had the opportunity to interview Marc Malkin and Charles Fitzgerald who have worked in the fishing industry collectively for the past forty years. Unfortunately, due to the recent economic climate, Marc and Charles have recently become unemployed and are looking for a new job in the industry they love. During our interview, they shared some insight into the fishing industry, some ideas about how to get a job in this business and some advice for readers wanting to pursue a fishing career. Here is a little background on each of these professionals and some of their accomplishments.
Marc Malkin has been passionate about fishing ever since he was ten years old and sneaking onto golf course ponds in southern California. He graduated from San Diego State University and although he started working in the hotel industry out of college, he knew his passion was fishing and eventually found himself working in the industry he loves. Marc has been working in the fishing industry for over fifteen years in advertising and public relations. He has worked for large equipment companies like Daiwa and Pinnacle producing their press kits, writing copy for their product catalogs and handling overall media relations. At Pinnacle, Marc was the Director of Marketing and Communications and helped launch the Pinnacle Tournament Class series rods and reels. While at Pinnacle, Marc also helped sign Bass Master Elite Series anglers Paul Elias, Grant Goldbeck, Britt Myers, John Crews and Dave Wolack to the Pinnacle pro staff. A self proclaimed word smith, Mark also is a free lance outdoor writer who has been published in various outdoor magazines.
Charles Fitzgerald has been an outdoor enthusiast since childhood and began his sales and marketing career in the hunting industry. Charles passion for fishing and his team player attitude led him to work for E21 Sports Company as their Vice President of Sales for their Carrot Stix rod series. He has over 20 years in sales and marketing and brings an endless amount of experience and insight to every company he has worked for. Charles role as Vice President of Sales for Carrot Stix for the last six years included managing the sales department and the product line. Spending an average of 125 days a year on the road, Charles was out promoting
the E21 fishing products at sportsman’s show, and meeting with his sales staff and retailers. Charles philosophy of providing “long term solutions to short term problems” helps him to stay focused and positive during his current job search.
Be sure to look for the full article in coming issues of BAM to see what these two fishing industry veterans have to say about the future of equipment companies, the perks of working in the fishing industry, and advice for readers thinking about getting into the fishing job market. Until next time, stay focused and fish hard.
Aaron LeSieur is a part time guide and professional tournament fisherman. Aaron’s sponsored by: Lowrance, BHQ, Power Pole, Dobyns Rods, Mercury Outboards, C &C Marine and Simms. For more info about Aaron visit www.aaronlesieur.com
If you desire to find your dream fishing job, we advise you to check out Jooble. There are lots of interesting available fishing jobs on Jooble you’ll definitely be interested in.
