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Tear Em Up Fishing – Making the Outdoors Great Again

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Mark Collier is on a mission to get anyone and everyone out fishing and his new brand Tear Em Up Fishing is designed to do just that. I’ve fished with Mark before and he’s a good guy who’s also a great ambassador for the sport of kayak fishing. I was intrigued by what he was doing with Tear Em Up Fishing and asked if he’d answer some of my questions about his new movement.

Tear Em Up Fishing Logo

What is Tear Em Up Fishing?

Tear Em Up Fishing is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. As long as I can remember, if anyone asked if we were catching anything, my stock answer was always, we are tearing em up! It didn’t matter if we were catching a boat load or nothing at all. We were…TEARING EM UP!

I started fishing at a very young age with my parents and have been fortunate to have fished on both coasts, the Midwest and in the South. It doesn’t matter what part of the country you are in, everyone says tearing em up when describing their fishing success (or lack thereof). The average Joe can relate to Tearing Em Up and that is our target audience.

What made you start Tear Em Up fishing?

The inspiration was a desire to have fishing apparel at an affordable price and available to the average Joe. And, I wanted to encourage folks to get out and go fishing. Young or old, short or tall – go fishing and experience the thrill of tearing em up!

What are your goals with Tear Em Up Fishing?

As I’ve mentioned, we want to spread the word about Tear Em Up Fishing. We want to build a brand the average outdoorsman can relate to. We want to offer products that ANYONE can afford, offer products that people will like, find comfortable and be a little different. Tear Em Up Fishing is definitely not ever going to be a cookie cutter business!

I know you’ve created and marketed Tear Em Up apparel. If someone wears your branded apparel, what does that say about them?
Tear Em Up Fishing Kayak Mark Collier
River fishing in the Ozarks.

Yes. We are in the process of launching our website to get the word out about the Tear Em Up Fishing brand. We are also working on getting our name trademarked along with some other marketing activities. Our brand says, “We love to fish, are passionate about the outdoors and like supporting the little guy.” The brand will not be the big name apparel that you can get at a box store.

Tear Em Up fishing has been sponsoring or donating prizes to some kayak or fishing groups, which ones and why are you supporting them?

Some of the groups we have sponsored or donated to include: Hooked On Heroes; Malvern Boys & Girls Club; River Bassin Tournament Trail; Kayak Bass Series Tournament Trail; and Kayak Bass Anglers of Central Arkansas. Supporting Hooked On Heroes is easy – look at what they do for our Veterans!

We support the Malvern Boys & Girls Club because of what they do for kids – they are our future! Take a kid fishing, introduce them to what we all love. There is nothing better and more rewarding personally than introducing a young person to fishing.

We also sponsor some great tournament anglers around the country who are really helping us advance the brand. Tear Em Up Fishing has Pro-Staff  in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri and Ohio.

You have been working some fishing shows recently, what are you working to accomplish and how has the reception been?

We had a booth at the Wichita Sports Show and we also had one at the Big Bass Bash at Lake of the Ozarks in the fall. Tear Em Up was received very well at the shows. Wichita was our first big show, with our Tear Em Up towels, hats and T-shirts selling very well very well there. We are planning on setting up at FLW events in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. We want Tear Em Up Fishing in the public for folks to see. The more exposure we get the better for our brand. Along with Tear Em Up apparel, we are dealers for Carrot Stix rods, Cal Coast Fishing, and Glo-Pro lures. We will also be carrying, hunting, fishing and other outdoor merchandise.

What is the best way for people to keep up with Tear Em Up Fishing and what all you have now and into the future?

Right now, the best way to check out our merchandise is on our Facebook page, and our website www.tearemupfishing.net should be launched this month . People can also follow us on Instagram, YouTube channel and Twitter.

I noticed a phone number on your Facebook page cover photo which is unusual for a company to do. Why publish a direct phone number?

Phone number is for anyone to call with questions, wanting information or wanting to make an order. We want people to be able to talk to someone personally if they need to reach our customer service. Folks fish for a reason – usually a personal reason and we want to be responsive and available to Tear Em Up Fishing’s customers.

Mark and the Tear Em Up Fishing team are headed in the right direction and from what I’ve seen their brand is catching on among anglers who are looking for their own voice in the average Joe fishing space. Great things seem to be headed their way due to their clear vision of message and no-nonsense approach. We have little doubt that a year from now when we ask Mark how it’s going, we’ll know what he’ll say – “We are TEARING EM UP!”

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Spotlight – New Year’s Resolutions, Kayak Buying Tips, Paddle Questions and Destroyer Baits

It’s a new year and a good time to get your gear right and your mind right for the upcoming kayak fishing season. Here is a roundup of some of the best kayak bass fishing articles this week:

Our friends at Yakfisharkansas.com talk about New Year’s Resolutions, including a couple that resonate with me. They mention improving with a hard jerkbait (which I believe is difficult to fish from a kayak) and drop shot. For me, I have a focus on improving with jigs and swimbaits in 2016.

Did you get a new kayak for Christmas, or want to know how to get started kayak fishing? There are a couple of good articles this week worth a read. First up is Four Tips for First Time Kayak Buyers from Kayak Fishing Blog which has some good items to consider. It touches on budgeting for your kayak purchase, which should include additional funds for the key accessories and paddle.  I’d like to underscore though, invest in the most comfortable kayak you can possibly afford – sitting in one for hours will make you regret going cheap on the seat situation.

Next up is an article by a good guy I know, Garett VanWie, on Where to Begin for kayak bass fishing. Garett echos my assertion of buying the right kayak and paddle instead of simply buying the cheapest. Congrats to Garett for this article on Bassresource.com.

I personally use a Bending Branches Angler Pro paddle, which I love. Having the right paddle for you is very important to fully enjoy the sport of kayak bass fishing. This article, Kayak Paddle Questions, provides some sample questions in evaluating the key aspects of choosing the right paddle for you. Like a kayak, my advice is to do your research, talk to some expert staff at a quality sales outlet and get the best paddle you can afford. Durability and weight are a couple of key factors for me – a heavy paddle makes for a long day on the water.

My friend Tim Hotchkin has a good breakdown of Destroyer Bait Spy Jigs. Shout-out to him for a great job with the video.

 

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Spotlight – Tackle Prep, Winter Fishing Techniques, Razoryak State Championship, Winter Jig Fishing

Here are some of the better recent stories and articles about kayak bass fishing. Take a moment to check out tips, reviews and stories from these online sites:

Kayak fishing requires us to be more efficient with our tackle management. This video from Chad Hoover and the Kayak Fishing Blog gives great insight on how he preps and carries his tackle for a typical shoot.

Yum baits and Alton Jones help us out with some tips and techniques for winter bass fishing. He shares some thoughts on winter fishing and what he’ll be doing this winter to get ready for the upcoming season.

Read about kayak angler, Jason Cossey of Arkansas, who took 1st in this year’s Arkansas State Championship. Great write up of the event and some insight into his strategy by Yak Fish Arkansas.

Winter bass fishing in many cases means going slow and presenting bait to the fish they can’t resist. Booyah Baits shares the three types of jigs best for winter bass fishing.

Although I don’t agree with everything stated in the article, this opinion piece on fishing prostaff is thought provoking and worth a read. If considering participating in a fishing or tackle company’s promotional staff or ambassador program, it is good to do your research and know what it means – for both the angler and the company. Article is from Kayak Fishing Blog.