Hometown: Twin Lake, MI

Mark Martin’s website has stories, tips and video clips. If you want to contact Mark you can directly thru his site: www.markmartins.net

Do you have a fishing idol and if so who?
When I was getting my start in the industry I idolized Gary Roach and Al Lindner. The nice thing is we live in the land of opportunity, and with hard work including fishing hard, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Gary Roach and I finally meet at a seminar in MI we became instant friends. In a few years, I attained a position on Pro-Mo”s team then Mr. Walleye Specialties promotional team representing the worlds best fishing equipment. Fishing with Gary Roach as friends and teammates in tournaments and once and awhile fun fishing with his friend Al Lindner became reality, along with forwarding my career down the right path.

How long have you been part of Northland’s Pro-Staff and what does that mean to you?
I started with Northland Fishing Tackle in 1988 by teaming up with Gary Roach and Randy Amenrude and their Pro-Mo’s Team. It was a huge leap from using mediocre tackle to always having the best so my success also started to greatly improve and Northland was a huge part of that equation.

What is your favorite or most used Northland Product?
Whatever product the fish prefer and Northland Fishing Tackle has the tackle to stack the odds in your favor. The most important thing to remember is learning how to use each piece of the Northland arsenal and when.

How long have you been a professional fisherman and/or when did you make the transition into fishing full time?
This is my 30th year making money at what I like to do. The year was 1990 the first full year of the In-Fisherman / Cabela’s Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) I had been fishing the MWC for a few years, the last 2 years with Gary Roach, my partners and I had fortunately always made the championships. 1990 at Rainy Lake I managed to beat the best of the best. Looking back these guys were all pioneers of this sport and very TOUGH! The win was the largest money payout in the history of Walleye fishing at that time. After that, I decided I could pay off all my bills quit my day job, working at a factory in Muskegon, and just Guide and fish Tournaments. You see, I knew what hard work was before that, I worked 40hrs a week in a factory, guided almost every night after work or before I went in everyday for over 9 years averaging at least 206 to 220 days a year. Then I used all my sick leave and vacation time to fish tournaments full time. I also started writing articles for magazines and doing seminars trying to get where my hero’s and friends Gary Roach and Al Lindner were and I am still trying to today but I do feel blessed that I can make a living in this industry because I love it so much.

You were the original In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail Champion in 1990, tell us about tournament walleye fishing in the early years.
I won that tournament on Northland Roach Rigs right out of the package. It was different because you had an observer no partner for help so you could not rely on anyone but yourself, although your observer could net your fish. Al Lindner summed up my win best; “It was the first time he ever saw someone play defense when fishing because fishing is always an offence game”. The reason was you could throw a marker buoy if you had a spot by yourself and it wasn’t a community spot which mine definitely was not, it wasn’t even on the Coast Guard Map and that was a blessing. The mood of anglers was great comradely off the field, but hard fought compotation on the field it was a great time for learning good and bad lessons that make me who I am today.

What motivated you to tournament walleye fishing, especially in the early years, there was little money and no sponsors?
I just wanted to see if I could play with the big boys as my only fishing partners were friends, my Dad and Grandpa in my early years then my clients prior to tournaments. Everyone always said how well we or I did but without real serious competition how do you really know, so I set my sights that direction, not knowing if I would sink or swim.

Please give us an overview of the types of things you provide to sponsors besides putting a decal on your boat and displaying the name on your tournament jersey.
Even in the early years before sponsors I was writing about products that worked for me in fact that was how I picked up my first sponsor Normark / Rapala. As I started to get more sponsors I started to write more and for more outlets, seminars both sport shows and in-stores, TV shows guest hosting was a easy way to get my sponsors recognition because I caught fish on them. One thing I was not afraid of what some call failure because no matter what it always seems to work out for the best. Guiding was always a good way but I was always looking at getting more and more promotion for all my sponsors. Therefore, we did Outdoor-Writer events where we took all the media out fishing in different areas of the country every year. Stayed for sometimes 2 weeks until the media that came was so overwhelmed that they had enough for the next year. Then they went home to write, talk, and show their TV shows what they did with us.

You work with a lot of outdoor media, what tips would you give others so they can help get the attention of media and insure they get Northland Tackle exposure in an article.
In most cases do not wait until the phone rings because it will not . Invite the media out they are always looking for a scoop like I said before do not be afraid of failure they (the media) will always get something out of a trip with you.

You fish with many different people throughout the year, such as consumers, media and retail buyers. How do you help your sponsors during those outings?
Showing them new products along with using the new products and getting them using the products are the key to them buying, writing, and talking about the products after your trip with them for months or all year plus follow up phone calls checking in on them and more phone calls to them when new products come out. Because now you have a personal relationship that they know if you recommend something they better get it, write about it, or use it on their next TV outing which just might be with YOU!

Give us a description of what the average week is like for Mark Martin, do you just fish everyday?
Fishing is a small sliver of the pie you have to always keep in contact with buyers, writers, TV Hosts, in-store visits, write articles, maintain my web page along with a face book, I do open water schools, winter Ice fishing schools and much much more.

List three things all Northland Pro-Staff can do to support Northland Tackle.
Visit your local and regional tackle shops (you might even get them to hire you for a in-store promotion). Call your local outdoor or sports writer take them fishing (and stay in touch with them after that). Talk to people you meet on the dock, out on the water, in the tackle stores be helpful and courteous (and remember to always let them know who you are that’s the key to people using your name more frequently).

Share a memorable story about a tournament or event.
I always say never give up because with the chips down less than 30 min. to go on the last day in the 1990 PWT Championship I still need four Walleye. I told Doug Stange, my observer, on the last day pick up my marker and we took off to a spot that no one had fished which was always within my eyesight and preceded to catch that final limit and got back with 30 seconds to spare. (Now that’s memorable)