New Native Watercraft Pro Staff members

[J.A. Veil]

Congratulations to Snaggedline member D3NAL1 (Abel Fabian) who just was appointed as a member of Native Watercraft's Pro Staff team. He lives in southern Maryland and supports Native dealer Patuxent Adventure Center in Leonardtown.

Earlier this year, another Snaggedline member BeyondTheBounds (Lou Martinez) joined the Native Pro Staff team too. Lou is active in freshwater tournaments and suppports Delaware Paddlesports.

As the third and most senior Maryland member of Native's Pro Staff team, I welcome both Abel and Lou to the team.

[AbuMasgouf]

Congratulations guys!

[brianisoutside]

Cool deal guys, congrats


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[yakscientist]

How does one become a pro staff member of any of the big companies (hobie, native, etc.)? I assume you have to be a great fisherman, but beyond that, what goes into it? Congrats to all btw.

[D3NAL1]

thank you John.

[J.A. Veil]

Yakscientist asked about Pro Staff. You do not have to be a "great" fisherman as he suggests, although being a successful fisherman certainly helps.

The word "Pro" in Pro Staff does not refer to Professional. Rather it means Promotional. At least in Native's program, the Pro Staff members do a variety of things to help promote the brand. As a starting point, you should use that company's brand of kayaks and have familiarity with the features of several models. When new Snaggedline members ask about Native products and features, the Pro Staff member should answer those questions. Some Pro Staff members, like Abel and Lou, are active in tournaments. Winning or placing in tournaments while using a Native kayak and wearing a Native shirt to the awards ceremony boosts brand recognition. Being active on social media is another way of gaining recognition. For years I have tried to make informative posts on Snaggedline and other fishing boards that highlight the great aspects of kayak fishing and fishing techniques. Many of the younger Pro Staff members make fun videos that show how they fish and rig their kayaks.

With that as background, I think the best way to get involved with a company's Pro Staff team is to use their products and highlight how those products allowed you to fish successfully. Be a polite and informative poster on fishing boards so other kayak fishermen get to know you. Enter tournaments if that is your thing (I don't like tournaments personally). Work with a specific dealer so they get to know you and can recommend you. Once you have built up some reputation and credibility, you can approach the company in which you want to become Pro Staff. There is no single path to Pro Staff success,

[yakscientist]

Thanks for the info! I looked up a previous thread on the subject and got some more info there as well. I doubt I will ever truly pursue a pro staff position, but it's good to know the steps on doing so.