A pole mounting system mountable on a footing and used for supporting vertical structures. The system includes a pole having a lower end terminating in a lower edge, a base plate having an opening, and ears attached transversely to the base plate adjacent to the opening. The pole is secured within the opening in the base plate to allow the base plate to provide improved structural support. The ears are vertically aligned with the pole and are welded to the pole along their upper edges. The lower edge of the pole is also welded to the base plate. The ears can be integrally formed from the base plate in a process whereby, first, interconnected slots are cut into the base plate such that the slots define the ears, and second, the ears are bent upward so that the ears can received the pole. No additional supports or weld pieces are necessary, so that the improved mounting system may provide sufficient support with two pieces, the pole and the base plate.