TV, radio make spectator sport out of fishing

TV, radio make spectator sport out of fishing
Advertisers chase male demographic

By John Eckberg
Enquirer staff writer

Pro bass fisherman Joe Thomas of Milford and radio industry veteran Joe Foley of
Maineville are two avid fishermen who have found a way to cash in on America's
growing appetite for outdoor-sports-oriented radio and television programming.

Thomas, a professional bass fisherman, turned his love of fishing into a
national television fishing show; while Foley, a former radio advertising
account executive and son of the founder of a chain of local restaurants,
created a radio show on Saturday mornings.

Foley's show is aired here on WSAI-AM 1360 at 11 a.m. and in Indianapolis,
Lexington, Louisville and Dayton.

And Thomas hooked up with cable television's Outdoor Channel to create three
popular fishing programs.

Both worked to create an annual convention called Tracy Byrd's Ultimate Outdoor
Experience, which had its first event in February at Cinergy Center.

The media ventures of the longtime friends are examples of how an outdoors
business niche has become a force in the local and national world of advertising
and media.

"We are either thinking about fishing, talking about fishing, on our way to
fishing or fishing," said Foley.

"Those are the options we have in our daily life. It's bizarre, and it is a
pretty unique way to make a living," he said.

Thomas, a Bass Angler Sportsman Society professional, agrees. In addition to his
national shows, he is the host of "Stihl's Reel in the Outdoors," shown on
Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2.

Title sponsorship is picked up by Loveland-based Bryan Equipment Sales, a
distributor of outdoor power tools.

The radio and TV shows bring cash for the pair but also mean employment for
several area video and audio free-lance technicians and for Jim Kramer, the
Oxford-based producer and videographer for Thomas's shows "Angler on Tour,"
"Ultimate Match Fishing" and the regional show "Reel in the Outdoors Ltd."

"Angler on Tour," which airs at 10 p.m. on Monday on the Outdoor Channel, is the
group's popular national offering and regularly registers in the top three most
popular programs on the channel.

Bigger than NASCAR?

While hunting, fishing and entertainment is the immediate appeal of these media
shows, advertising punch is clearly the aim for each host.

Fishing shows may already be more popular that NASCAR programming, said Robert
K. Riggsbee, founder of Inside Media, a national media planning and buying
agency based in Newtown.

"This media trend is unbelievable," Riggsbee said. "Specialty programming on
outdoor channels is a steamroller.

"From an advertising standpoint, I have been huge in NASCAR for my clients for
many years. This year, unlike other years, I am going to be taking a close look
at outdoor programming. It's something I've never done before, but the
popularity of it is causing most agencies to figure out how to market to the
spectators. Saturday and Sunday morning on cable it's all fishing and hunting
shows."

Foley's goal is no longer to catch big fish.

"Our goal is to continue to help clients sell more of their product," said
Foley. "We have been more dealer- than brand-focused, though we have a few
brands like Stihl chain saws and Toyota trucks. If we can continue to really
grow and help clients grow, we think the brands will come."

In the meantime, the group has seen production revenues grow 65 percent in 2005,
with ad revenues increasing quarterly thanks to an increase in interest from
businesses that fall out of the realm of stereotypical outdoor-oriented
companies, said Kramer.

"From a business standpoint, many companies that used to shun outdoor-oriented
programming are now taking a closer look due to the increase in popularity and
the strong support of a loyal and dedicated core audience of males aged 18-55,"
Kramer said.

Steadier income

Thomas, a nationally ranked fisherman, got into television when he realized
that, though the payoffs could be big, tournament money was not a consistently
good income.

Thomas would never fish a tournament unless the top prize was $100,000 to
$500,000. Break-even, he said, is usually right around 10th place. And his
overhead is fairly high. Last year, his travel expenses and entry fees cost
$55,000.

Still, Thomas can make that back by selling sponsorships to line companies or
reel companies for $6,000 to $20,000 each. The average pro angler will have six
to 15 sponsorships, and the lucky anglers will have a title sponsor who will pay
$50,000 to $100,000 annually to be associated with a celebrity pro fisherman
like Thomas.

"The new rage business-wise is to have your truck and boat wrapped in vinyl for
the title sponsor," said Thomas. "My title sponsor is the Outdoor Channel, and
when I drive down the road, I'm a rolling Outdoor Channel billboard that's
traveling around the U.S. about 60,000 miles a year."

Foley and Thomas were in Pittsburgh last weekend for the $700,000 Citgo
Bassmaster Classic on the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. The winner at
the event, known as the Super Bowl of fishing, took home $200,000.

Thomas, a four-time invitee who did not make the cut this year, met fans and
gave angling tips, while Foley manned a Toyota Truck booth and was the master of
ceremonies for Toyota Truck events.

Sometimes Thomas looks back on the past decade and marvels at how far he has
come in such a short time.

He remembers sleeping in his van, traveling from fishing tournament to fishing
tournament, borrowing money from his parents and then paying it back when he won
big.

"Sometimes it doesn't seem real to me," Thomas said. "TV has changed everything.
In the past, when I was Joe Tourney Fisherman, I'd get recognized once a week.

"Then when I (went) to TV and the Outdoor Channel, that recognition went to a
whole new level. I can't go to a gas station and fill up the truck without
somebody saying they watch my show. And that's a good thing. That's what they
pay me for."

He tries to keep some 8-by-10 photos around, and when he's recognized, he'll
head to the truck, get one, sign it and try to spend some time talking to the
person.

"People can't play basketball like Michael Jordan. But they can hunt and fish,"
Thomas said. And that may explain the growing popularity of his media programs,
he says: "People feel a bond with us."

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SIDEBAR:

SEIZE THE FISH
Fishermen will be sight-casting flies at Brookville Lake in Southeast Indiana
Aug. 21 for the elusive and under-rated carp in the first-ever Carp-e-Diem:
Carp-on-the-Fly Tournament.

Sponsored by the "This Week in Fishing" radio show and Fly and Shot Outfitters
of Erlanger, the event pits teams of two fishermen, who are on a quest for the
two largest carp caught with fly and fly rod during the daylong event. The entry
fee, which includes a T-shirt, is $20 per boat with a first-place prize of about
$170, although that figure could rise if more fishermen sign up between now and
Aug. 17. For more information, contact Bobby Gray at Fly and Shot Outfitters at
(859) 342-7700 or .

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SIDEBAR:

BY THE NUMBERS
Recreational fishing has an annual economic impact of an estimated $116 billion,
while the average fisherman in the Great Lakes region spends $700 annually,
according to the American Sportfishing Association.

The demographics

51.4 million Americans camped out at least one night in 2004, and 38 million
went fishing at least once.

$2 billion was spent by more than 28.4 million freshwater anglers in 2004.

Ohio ranks fourth for number of people who fish. Texas ranks first, Florida
second and California third.

25 percent of fishing license holders have annual household incomes of more than
$75,000 - that's 10 million people - while 52 percent have household incomes in
excess of $50,000, about 21 million people.

Where does a pro go?

"We're headed to Presque Isle, Pa.," said Joe Thomas, a Milford resident. "It's
one of my favorite fisheries, especially in May and June. The smallmouths are
killer there. And there are big largemouths."

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, National Sporting Goods Association, Bassmaster
Magazine