Reprinted from the Mad Mullet Column, Palmerston Sun
Wed 19 th September 2007
"To grow our sport we all need to foster and develop the talent that is coming through the ranks.
From that perspective the activities of the Palmerston Game Fishing Club, the Darwin Game Fishing Club and Happy Micks should be loudly applauded. "
Last Sunday the Palmerston Game Fishing Club in association with Happy Mick’s Spot On Fishing Tackle staged another of their hugely popular kids fishing clinics.
Your scruffy scribe caught up with Mick Chambers from Happy Micks earlier in the week and I am pleased to report that this years clinic was again an outstanding success.
What astounded me the most is the level of corporate support the clinics receive from various sectors of the tackle industry with Chambers telling me the kids were on the receiving end of more than $16000 worth of fishing odds and ends including a brand spankers rod and reel combo.
Of course when you look at the amount of money involved in the tackle scene Australia wide, $16K is but a mere spit in Darwin Harbour.
It is however very smart micro marketing on the part of the tackle suppliers and very, very smart marketing on the part of Happy Micks and the Palmerston Game Fishing Club.
But whatever marketing mileage they extract from their support of the clinics is thoroughly deserved as any activity that actively encourages our little tackers to pick up a fishing rod needs to be vigorously supported.
A big ditto there for the Palmerston Game Fishing Club. Well known for their staging of the Barra Nationals on the Daly River each year the PGFC are the epitomy of what a responsible fishing club should be.
The Darwin Game Fishing Club also does an outstanding job with its annual Junior Barra Classic which is run as a prelude to the real deal, the Barra Classic also held on the Daly River.
What is encouraging is the fact we have a big slice of the local scene both at an industry level and at a club level that is fully focused on the future.
But this focus really needs to be taken to another level, a ten year old entering the sport today could very likely be in the market for a boat or outboard motor six to seven years down the track.
If that ten year old gets bitten by the ‘fishing bug’ a certain slice of his or her disposable income is going to be earmarked for fishing related purchases for many years to come.
But getting back to the PGFC/Happy Micks kids fishing clinic, sure the kids walked away with a creel full of piscatorial prezzies but the absolutely priceless thing they walked away with was knowledge.
I firmly believe we older fishos have a responsibility to communicate what we have learned over the years to any young fisho.
It’s a well known fact that kids who are involved in some for of sporting activity are far less likely to go off the rails so there is very real community benefit in getting the younger brigade involved in our sport.
Unfortunately many modern day marketers live for the moment rather than looking to the future.
Pragmatism will always be an integral part of the ever evolving marketing process but those in the tackle/boating/leisure industry with an eye for the future can look forward to a new generation of consumers with high disposable income and more leisure time on their hands.
It’s an equation that helps keep the cash register singing.
Given the success of the PGFC/Happy Micks kids fishing clinics there are clear signs that an entire new generation of info hungry young fishos are out there.
To grow our sport we all need to foster and develop the talent that is coming through the ranks.
From that perspective the activities of the Palmerston Game Fishing Club, the Darwin Game Fishing Club and Happy Micks should be loudly applauded.
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