OTW costs $4.50 now? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

BigFish · 01-04-2005, 05:43 PM

Wow!

Cost per issue jumped a whole buck a month newstand price?

Must be to pay Flaptail for his fine work.

TheRattBoy · 01-04-2005, 07:08 PM

Lar, I think the editor talks about the increase in his column, still better than spending it on cig's

(see I can smile too

) johnny

BigFish · 01-04-2005, 07:09 PM

I did not read it yet JTRB....I think OTW is the best fishing rag out there!

I don't mind the increase.

FishermanTim · 01-04-2005, 07:17 PM

I WAS EXPECTING , BUT DID NOT RECEIVE THE JANUARY ISSUE.
I THEN GOT THE SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL NOTICE STATING THAT "PLEASE REPLY FOR UNITERRUPTED SERVICE"
WELL THE SERVICE HAS ALREADY BEEN INTERRUPTED!!!!!
I'M STILL RENEWING, BUT I SHOT OTW AN EMAIL STATING PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING I SAID HERE.

PS - MY SUBSCRIPTION WAS DUE TO RUN OUT LATER THIS YEAR!

I HOPE THIS ISN'T THE HARBINGER OF (BAD) THINGS TO COME.

Mr. Sandman · 01-04-2005, 07:18 PM

I must have a 10 year subcription to that thing...every fishing contest seems to give away subscriptions as prizes...one year I think I got 4 of them. Every year I win at least one...and I just keep sending them in.

Mr. Sandman · 01-04-2005, 07:18 PM

I must have a 10 year subcription to that thing...every fishing contest seems to give away subscriptions as prizes...one year I think I got 4 of them. Every year I win at least one...and I just keep sending them in.

GREAT Fishing Mag!!

spinncognito · 01-04-2005, 08:17 PM

I renew mine at the MSBA show wevery year. I think it is $25 for a year, up from 20. Well worth every penny. It gets a little thin during the off-season but I still read it cover-to-cover every month and have a stack of them in my office (bathroom).

spinn

Squid kids Dad · 01-04-2005, 10:11 PM

Just sent mine in today,,$24 for one year..

kippy · 01-04-2005, 10:41 PM

I renewed mine for 2 years before it went up..

Great fishing mag..especially BM's articles on plugging..now if I could only get it autographed..

Goose · 01-05-2005, 09:11 AM

I take it the ink went up

bart · 01-05-2005, 01:55 PM

did anyone see how they're gonna broadcast fishing reports for the boston area this season on the ten o clock news? how do some of you bostonians feel about this?

BTW, i also really enjoy reading this mag....

partsjay · 01-05-2005, 03:05 PM

I just renewed today..my subscription was up as well. That is my fav. fishing magazine...I love it when I see a new one on the table when I get home.

FishermanTim · 01-05-2005, 03:13 PM

Hey Bart,
Thanks for the heads-up.

My main concern is that if their accuracy is anything like Dan Rather's, we'll have reports that will definitely be tall tales.
The problem with a news station broadcasting fishing reports is that unless the reporter is being unbiased in their reporting, they could just be "selling" a spot to help that local community not the fishing populace.
Until the information could be verified as genuine, I'd consider it as reliable as the weather.
I wouldn't mind getting viable information from a reliable source, so I could plan the next days' activities, but I'll wait and see for myself.

spinncognito · 01-05-2005, 05:38 PM

I guess that I am more scared that the reports WILL be accurate. How much info will they be offering up to the casual fisherman? If one of my spots gets burned on the 10 O'Clock news and gets swarmed the next day I will be sour. OTW already coughs up too much info in thier online fishing report (at times). The magazine, the internet and NOW on the local news?? What's next? Are they palnning on parading down the streets of coastline cities with a bullhorn screaming out "THEY ARE SLAYING'EM DOWN AT ****** COVE AND OVER AT **** INLET!!

bart · 01-05-2005, 05:45 PM

thats what i was getting at with my post...

Nebe · 01-05-2005, 05:57 PM

"Cow bass spool 8 yearold and leave him crying at the cribbin.... Story at 11"

Mr. Sandman · 01-05-2005, 07:49 PM

I just got my Jan issue today (typical for where I live) and I think a buck is a pretty big jump too. The editor must need the increase to buy all those $7 beers at the stadium.

(who buys a $7 beer?)....thats like paying $35 for a custom plug...the guy must be insane!

Flaptail · 01-06-2005, 09:20 AM

I don't know about the idea that the report section on the web site is that accurate. Afterall we are getting news that has already happened. Anyone who knows anything about fishing the beach in particular knows that it very rare to go to the same place two or three nights after the said event took place and catch fish ( you might catch a lonely one or two but not blitzin' like the rep says it was). As for the insiders features, of which I write the monthly, inseason, Outer Cape one, that columm has to be into Gene's computer six weeks before publication and that date is usually the 20th or so of the preceeding month. The only way someone can "predict" ( and I use that term loosely) is to have been on the scene for years and have a general idea of "what" should happen not what will. (occasionally you get lucky) You need a pattern of the history of the area and average the factors in and out comes your look ahead.

The price change was inevitable. OTW has a larger subscription base in New England than SWS. OTW has gone to full color, sposors a television show ( I wonder why I haven't been asked to be on, hmmm....?) A weekend radio report on WMVY 92.7 FM and donates and sponsors many, many different tourneys and events like the Cape Cod Canal Derby and Kids day at Green Pond etc, etc, etc. Plus, this is a business. One goes into a business to make money and hopefully prosper from that endeavour ( unless you make wooden fishing plugs than it just comes down to stubborness and love). OTW has bigger plans I am sure, hopefully they won't forget their roots as did SWS. Itr's tough when boat builders offer you a fully rigged boat, motor and trailer or trips to here and there not to mention all the free gear from manufacturers. Life is good but costs of operation for a magazine the likes of which OTW has become is high and getting higher all the time. I don't see any problem with the increase.

ps Bigfish, I doin't get anymore for my columm than anyone else and as a matter of fact we all get what we have always gotten since the very first issue.

partsjay · 01-06-2005, 09:27 AM

now I know who flap is.......love your column.

Mr. Sandman · 01-06-2005, 10:19 AM

I don't know.....looking thru all the ad's in that mag I think they would have been better off rasing those ad rates...way too many full page ads if you ask me, this tells me they are giving away space at cheap rates. IMO it is more important to keep readership levels growing...the ads will come when they see the readership growth. 4.50 is a lot for a fishing "newspaper-mag"
I know it is expensive to publish a paper like that but IMO they should just about give it away for a buck...let the ad's pic up the tab. (We end up buying tons of stuff from those that place the ads in there anyway)

The TV show should be in the black as of day one from sponsors and not carried by the mag. If that is the case they should can the show IMO.

Make no doubt about it I like the mag. and the writing and the ads and sponsors. It is my favorite mag for fishing and I can be seen with it under my arm on almost every ferry ride back I take. IWould I pay 4.50 for it...yes but I think many at the entry level (new readers) into the sport might not.

Also, anyone who buys a $7 draft beer has either a drinking or values problem...that was a poor analogy for a price increase IMO. (think about it, that beer would have paid for 2 months of OTW @3.50...what whould you rather have 1 beer or two months of fishing porn?)

spinncognito · 01-06-2005, 10:57 AM

good insight flap and I too enjoy the column even though I seldom get to the outter cape. I agree that most info in print (paper) and even on the web is outdated as soon as it is printed but I am interested in your take on the 10'Oclock News report. Guess it depends on how far in advance the report is prepared. It will be interesting to see how specific they get. Also, IMO everything is overpriced these days, from beer to magazines but I do not mind paying for something that I truly enjoy. Got any wood plugs you wanna sell?

spinn

FishermanTim · 01-06-2005, 11:41 AM

Here's a comparison, although not the best, but take it as you will....
Remember when you had to pay the Boston Phoenix?
The company decided to have the ads pay for publication, and it became a free paper.
The pros and cons were self evident, but the price drop was a shock.
pros - free paper every week, with decent articles (at the time)
cons - too many ads for junk nobody needs, crowding out the good reporting.

BigFish · 01-06-2005, 12:00 PM

Just ribbing you Flap!

MartinD18 · 01-06-2005, 02:09 PM

Wait a minute. I'm confused. The web report is no good because it's old information but you don't want them to do the TV report because that would be new information and might mention your secret spot (like the Canal or Boston Harbor

)
Have you checked the price of other magazines lately? $5 - $6 is normal (for 5 or 6 features and a half dozen columns). Oh and plenty of stock press releases from boat and tackle companies.

TheRattBoy · 01-06-2005, 07:40 PM

Flap, That is one thing I really like about yer column...You talk about past history on the outer cape, plugs you may favor at that time and what you like (tide wise), You're NOT saying, be on this beach on this day, standing on this rock, throwing this plug at this phase of the tide.I would say with that type of writing style yer not burning any spots and for those of us who do put in our time, we know just what you mean and have a very good idea where yer talkin about, even though no specific beach was named

.In a way it's a double edged sword, when yer new , you want someone to let you in on spots and certain plugs, but once you put in yer time and do a lot of yer own leg work/ find out what works and what don't...Then yer affraid each week when the Fisherman or OTW comes cause yer hoping that someone isn't gonna spill "your" spot.You have a way with words and that's why yer column always is read first

Good luck to you in 2005.

johnny