So, How am I doing?

[Canalman]

This may sound shameless but it's really not. I want to know what those of you who read The Fisherman have thought of the magazine since I took over last August at issue #38. My big thing is trying to diversify the content by drawing from more than just the core species of saltwater and the filling in with the other things (freshwater, offshore, travel, etc.). Now that I've finally hit some calmer seas, I'm looking for input, feedback, atta-boys (and WTF's!) I want to know what you guys want to see more of, less of, things that have been missed and things that are ovedone.
This is your chance to make changes to the magazine.

Also, I'm interested in talking with people who are interested in trying their hand at writing a story or two. One thing that I have found, using the few new writers I've picked up so far, is that having new voices brings new opinions and angles into the editorial which, in-turn makes the overall voice of the Fisherman sound different. So please don't hesitate to approach me with story ideas at any time.

I think you'll all be happy to see some of the fellow S-Bers that I've picked up recently filtering in in the next few months. So please, hit me with it all, feel free to post here, PM me or email me at danderson@thefisherman.com.

Thanks.
-Dave

[t.orlando]

I know distribution has nothing to do with your position, but WTF. Used to be every Wed for me, now some weeks I don't even get one. Close to dropping mag for this reason alone. I do like the 30yrs ago bit.

[gone fishin]

Originally Posted by t.orlando

I know distribution has nothing to do with your position, but WTF. Used to be every Wed for me, now some weeks I don't even get one. Close to dropping mag for this reason alone. I do like the 30yrs ago bit.

Me Too I used to blame the mailman, but we now have a mailwoman and I know she has no interest in fishing!

[BigFish]

I think you have been doing a great job Dave...mag looks good!

[Tagger]

Got it for yrs and yrs. Dave .. started throwing them away without reading them so cancelled . I think you recruiting fellow SBer's is a great idea. Internet is hear to stay, so might as well go with it ,, Take some peeps from it .. Now you have my interest .. Thats why I get OTW is to read about people from the sites advetures . Dave .. you got some real characters here .. I'm like the only normal one ..

[Vogt]

The content of the Fisherman has greatly improved over the past few months.

[PNG]

Originally Posted by Tagger

I'm like the only normal one ..

[BigFish]

Tagger if you are the "only normal one" we are all in trouble!

[Canalman]

Oh Ed, you really know how to make me laugh! Normal

On the distribution end, we fight this battle almost daily! It stems from the Providence Mail Dist. Center, for some reason certain types of mail get held up there... The Fisherman... along with Reader's Digest and several other publications get eaten and they WILL NOT give us a straight answer.


The best advice I can give is to call 860-572-0564 and ask Kat to put you on the Mail-Watch list. Or email her at ksmith@thefisherman.com. We'll send the magazines 1st class to you for a period of 6 weeks and give your info to the Postmaster General and he (or she) will then take special care to find the root of your specific problem.

Also, I might suggest emailing the living daylights out of the Postmaster General in Providence... perhaps then they'll wake up. ronald.a.drucker@usps.gov is his email

Believe me, it's the one thing that drives me right out of my mind here and the general consensus is that there's nothing we can do---I don't believe that for a second! That's one of my goals for 2008 is to figure that out and fix the problem---I just hope I can do it!

[Gunpowder]

One thing that I kind of miss is the Hot Spot on the inside back cover... maybe people were getting mad that spots were being burned or if there just were no more spots to represent.... if there was one thing that would be neat to have in an issue every month would be how to effectively use a different plug each month at the end of the month or what have you. Say you had a pencil popper... what type of retrieve works best, what the best scenario to use it in would be, and how to work the rod when using the lure. I think many people would love a weekly/monthly update on a new or different technique.... and it wouldn't have to be lure... could be bait as well. Just a suggestion. I do love your magazine though.


mike

[Canalman]

Mike, (Gunpowder)

The Hotspot will be back in April, we just take the winter off with that portion of the magazine and the plug and other technique articles are a great idea (with some already in the works). Thanks for the input.

[ProfessorM]

You seem pretty normal to me

[Tagger]

Cellar Dwellers ... You know them Dave .. New one each month , or every other .. . Guys who throw wood all winter trying to perfect thier creations .

[numbskull]

Dave, if possible, I'd like to see a "old school" article each month or so......something that was run 15-25 years ago from which a new generation can learn. That Pichney piece was a great read, there must be volumes of similar stuff that deserves to see the light of day once more.

[fishaholic18]

I want to see more skin.. and I don't mean Clammers

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by t.orlando

I know distribution has nothing to do with your position, but WTF. Used to be every Wed for me, now some weeks I don't even get one. Close to dropping mag for this reason alone. I do like the 30yrs ago bit.

I let my subscription lapse a year ago for the same reasons !

[Pete F.]

In the old fishermans there was a illustrated page with tips and hints, great thing for those of us who are more visual than literal. There is a reason for the popularity of cartoons.

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by Canalman

Oh Ed, you really know how to make me laugh! Normal

On the distribution end, we fight this battle almost daily! It stems from the Providence Mail Dist. Center, for some reason certain types of mail get held up there... The Fisherman... along with Reader's Digest and several other publications get eaten and they WILL NOT give us a straight answer.


The best advice I can give is to call 860-572-0564 and ask Kat to put you on the Mail-Watch list. Or email her at ksmith@thefisherman.com. We'll send the magazines 1st class to you for a period of 6 weeks and give your info to the Postmaster General and he (or she) will then take special care to find the root of your specific problem.

Also, I might suggest emailing the living daylights out of the Postmaster General in Providence... perhaps then they'll wake up. ronald.a.drucker@usps.gov is his email

Believe me, it's the one thing that drives me right out of my mind here and the general consensus is that there's nothing we can do---I don't believe that for a second! That's one of my goals for 2008 is to figure that out and fix the problem---I just hope I can do it!

Put the mags in cheap tubes and you are good to go or even manilla envelopes. I had OTW for 7 years and was always getting it late (lived about 10 miles from them) and torn or beat up....so I dropped it.

[Redsoxticket]

I wouldn't subscribe to this magazine for this very reason.
I was getting OTW delivered at a po box so quickly the ink was still wet.
The manilla envelope sounds like a good idea.

Good luck

[gone fishin]

Dave - sorry to have added to the ruckas. BUT I have to thank you for coming forward with an explanation. You are the first one to let the readers know what is happening with the distribution.

The mag is coming along just fine. Keep up the how to sections. no matter how many years people have fished there is always something new to learn. Perhaps one on making molds for tin?

[NIB]

Love the NE Fisherman Magazine..Much better than the NJ counterpart..U have done a great job Taking over for Zach...Ur plug building article a few weeks ago was a good one..Ya, I never know when they are coming but who cares.There's not really any time sensitive material that U could not get from the previous weeks mag.I rarely pay any attention to reports..I make up my own reports..A few weeks ago I had a two week stint without a computer. I brought several of ur mags to read.I have to say I enjoyed the writings of T.C.,Zach.And Mr Soares in the report section..I look forward to re-upping my subscription this yr..
Hope fully it will be in person..See ya then..

[Raven]

secret spots should only be seen appear via blacklight ...

otherwise it should just look white (invisible)
lol

or seen as much as Ross is.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Terrible.
stop hiring such hack writers

Dave, it looks good. keep it up!

[plankton]

I was going to mention the fact that sometimes I don't receive my issue, but it looks like you're on top of that. Otherwise it's a great magazine, I'm just coming to the end of my first year of subscribing and have renewed for next year. I agree with some of the other posts, like to see articles on technique with different plugs as well as how to's on things like eeling (shore and boat), fishing with live pogies, etc. Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing what you produce in the coming year!

[BassDawg]

Dave, hat's off for starting this thread.
It takes stones to ask John Q Public if he's
happy with something that you provide.

Even more so within this motley crew.
I am with NIB, the time of arrival is not so important to me,
just so long as it arrives. Sounds like you're all over it anyway.

The very fact that you care about your product enuff to ask, speaks volumes for the direction the magazine is going and the attention to detail you are giving your new baby. I read one last year at RISAA and remember liking it. Looks like i'll have to check out this newer version, sooooon. Thanks for your openness and your willingness to make what seems to be a great product, even better!!

[JohnR]

How about instead of (or in addition to) any kind of lure of the month you have a How to Fish Lure (method) of the Month...

Glad to help by making more work for you

[Gunpowder]

Originally Posted by Gunpowder

if there was one thing that would be neat to have in an issue every month would be how to effectively use a different plug each month at the end of the month or what have you. Say you had a pencil popper... what type of retrieve works best, what the best scenario to use it in would be, and how to work the rod when using the lure. I think many people would love a weekly/monthly update on a new or different technique.... and it wouldn't have to be lure... could be bait as well.

Originally Posted by JohnR

How about instead of (or in addition to) any kind of lure of the month you have a How to Fish Lure (method) of the Month...

Glad to help by making more work for you

Yah, I agree John... I think that would be a great idea.

[Canalman]

Originally Posted by gone fishin

Dave - sorry to have added to the ruckas. BUT I have to thank you for coming forward with an explanation. You are the first one to let the readers know what is happening with the distribution.

The mag is coming along just fine. Keep up the how to sections. no matter how many years people have fished there is always something new to learn. Perhaps one on making molds for tin?

Hey, I wanted someone to bring that up, becasue it pisses me off to no end too... believe me!

Originally Posted by NIB

Love the NE Fisherman Magazine..Much better than the NJ counterpart..U have done a great job Taking over for Zach...Ur plug building article a few weeks ago was a good one..Ya, I never know when they are coming but who cares.There's not really any time sensitive material that U could not get from the previous weeks mag.I rarely pay any attention to reports..I make up my own reports..A few weeks ago I had a two week stint without a computer. I brought several of ur mags to read.I have to say I enjoyed the writings of T.C.,Zach.And Mr Soares in the report section..I look forward to re-upping my subscription this yr..
Hope fully it will be in person..See ya then..

NIB - you're just the man... I don't know how else to put it... we fishin' this year again?

Originally Posted by BassDawg

Dave, hat's off for starting this thread.
It takes stones to ask John Q Public if he's
happy with something that you provide.

Even more so within this motley crew.
I am with NIB, the time of arrival is not so important to me,
just so long as it arrives. Sounds like you're all over it anyway.

The very fact that you care about your product enuff to ask, speaks volumes for the direction the magazine is going and the attention to detail you are giving your new baby. I read one last year at RISAA and remember liking it. Looks like i'll have to check out this newer version, sooooon. Thanks for your openness and your willingness to make what seems to be a great product, even better!!

That really means a lot, I'm glad that you all seem to have read this thread (so far) the way I intended it to be read. And yes I do really care about the content, I want this thing to be better than it ever was. I'll take all the help I can get.

Originally Posted by JohnR

How about instead of (or in addition to) any kind of lure of the month you have a How to Fish Lure (method) of the Month...

Glad to help by making more work for you

I like the idea a lot... I just wonder if after 50 issues, would there be anything left!??!

[Rockport24]

I think you're doing a fine job Dave. One of my biggest complaints used to be that there wasn't enough surf-related stuff, but that seems to have changed since you've taken over. It's gotta be hard to do with so many issues, but there are so many nuances to surfcasting there is a lot of material there.

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by Canalman

I like the idea a lot... I just wonder if after 50 issues, would there be anything left!??!

Unless you plan on making it a short career, ....you hit the nail on the head. It's really hard to offer something like that when the magazine comes out weekly. Don't make a weekly or monthly commitment like that, keep it spontaneous and surprising.... tossing one in from time to time. Everyone likes short stories, true or not....throw some of them in there, we all know you can tell some stories
..and with all the internet heroes wanting to be published, you're sure to fill a Gig with that alone.

I did notice a "cartoon" in last months issue, is that something new that's here to stay? That takes up space and can be comical -

For the most part, I never expect too much from a weekly fishing publication, I enjoy it....whether the articles are interesting or not. It's just big enough for a couple of flushes....and every once and awhile, I clip some pages. It's a very inexpensive publication for a weekly mag, so I would think if the shipping got corrected, that alone would inspire people to come back.
Maybe they should offer a "Best of the Year" issue in full color on better quality paper for SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. An incentive for people to join, not something you can buy at the newstand. Something like OTW has at the shows. Don't wear yourself out, there's only so much you can put in a weekly fishing mag -

Best of luck to ya -