If you've ever built a lure that caught a few fish, you've probably had the same brilliant idea the rest of us had.
"Hell…I should start a fishing company."
That's usually right after your buddy says, "Man…you ought to sell these."
Worst financial advice I've ever taken. I'm kidding. Kind of.
Because on paper, starting a fishing company doesn't sound that hard. Get a logo. Think of a cool name. Order inventory. Build a Shopify store. Post fish pictures. Collect money. Easy.
Then reality walks in, kicks your tackle box over, and reminds you that fish are a whole lot easier to catch than customers.
Nobody Needs Another Jighead
Let's get uncomfortable for a minute.
The fishing industry doesn't need another jighead. Or another worm hook. Or another green pumpkin soft plastic. It certainly doesn't need another company claiming they've reinvented fishing.
Walk any trade show. Every booth has "the next game changer." Funny thing is…there can apparently be 400 game changers in one convention center. Most of them look suspiciously similar.
That's because catching fish isn't the hard part anymore. Getting someone's attention is.
"But Mine Catches More Fish"
Maybe it does. I hope it does. I design products because I genuinely believe they solve problems.
But here's something I wish someone would've told me years ago. Consumers don't buy the best product. They buy the product they trust. Or the one they keep seeing. Or the one their favorite YouTuber won't shut up about. Or the one their buddy caught a six-pounder on three weekends ago.
Confidence catches more fishermen than engineering ever will. That one hurt to learn.
Facebook Doesn't Care About Your Dream
Here's another fun discovery. Facebook has absolutely no emotional attachment to your company. It doesn't care that you spent eighteen months designing your product. It doesn't care that you emptied your savings account. It doesn't care that your wife thinks you've officially lost your mind.
It just wants your credit card. Again. And again.
And if your ads don't perform? Facebook's response is basically…"That'll be another fifty bucks."
Marketing is a ruthless game. Nobody owes you attention. You have to earn every second of it.
Turns Out…
Turns out manufacturing wasn't the difficult part. Marketing was.
Anybody can order products. Very few people can consistently convince strangers to buy them. That's a completely different skill set.
One day you're designing products. The next day you're editing videos. Answering customer emails. Learning Google Ads. Trying to understand why your Meta campaign suddenly stopped working after doing exactly what worked yesterday.
Nobody mentions that part when they tell you to "follow your passion."
Everybody Wants Wholesale…Until They're the Wholesaler
I've lost count of how many times someone has told me, "You should just get into Bass Pro."
"Oh really? Why didn't I think of that? While we're at it, maybe I'll just call Walmart too."
People think wholesale means you've made it. Sometimes it just means you're working twice as hard for half the margin.
Big purchase orders sound great. Until you're the one paying to build the inventory. Then waiting sixty days to get paid. If everything goes perfectly.
Retailers have real challenges too. Shelf space is expensive. Inventory is expensive. Nobody wants dead inventory collecting dust. I don't blame them. I'd be picky too.
Here's the Funny Part
Consumers think business owners are getting rich. Business owners think accountants are getting rich. Accountants think software companies are getting rich. Software companies think Meta is getting rich.
Meta…well…Meta actually is getting rich.
The Instagram Version vs Reality
Instagram says I'm fishing. Reality says I'm trying to figure out why UPS says my label printer doesn't exist.
Instagram shows fish catches. Reality shows inventory counts.
Instagram shows new products. Reality shows insurance premiums.
Instagram shows freedom. Reality shows answering customer emails on Sunday night because Monday morning starts all over again.
Building a company isn't glamorous. It's repetitive. It's frustrating. It's expensive. It's exhausting.
And somehow…it's addicting.
So Why Do It?
Because every once in a while…some dad sends you a picture of his kid holding their first bass. Some guide tells you your product made his clients more successful. Some random customer you've never met leaves a review that says, "This thing actually works."
That's enough. Not because it pays all the bills. Because it reminds you somebody trusted something you built with their own money.
That's a responsibility. Not just a sale.
My Opinion…
Fishing doesn't need more companies. It needs more people willing to build products they actually believe in. Not because they'll become millionaires. Because they're trying to leave the tackle aisle a little better than they found it.
The funny thing is…most of us didn't get into this business because we wanted to get rich. We got into it because we love fishing.
Then somewhere along the way…we realized we accidentally started a media company, a shipping company, a customer service company, and an advertising agency…that also happens to sell fishing tackle.
Nobody tells you that part. Maybe they should.