Fishing magazines

[mattyvac]

Gentlemen,

I'm looking for advice as to which fishing mags to order. There are too many. My quest is to choose two or three high quality publications that provide me with the following:

-seasonal tips on which species are turning on, and which waters offer good opportunities

- how-to features regarding gear, techniques, and site specific issues and maps

- some fly fishing, especially for midwestern angling

 

Let me know what you think. If I have to order two or three to cover my needs that's not bad. But between hunting and fishing magazines and all the other mail, I'm overloaded. Time to simplify.

 

Thanks for all your input.

[JimR]

In-Fisherman is one of the only multi species mags that have any weight to them. They are pretty good though. The best bass magazine in my opinion is FLW's magazine, but all the tips in that mag come from the pros on tour so you see very much fly-fishing or multi species. I too get a few mags.

[mattyvac]

I enjoy In-Fisherman too. Did you mean to say the FLW pros on tour do not feature fly info for bass? I guess that makes sense. Truth is, our bass buggers at ISA pretty much define the pursuit of SMB on the fly anyway, so I'm not so lost for a magazine in that department. Our guys provide a more than adequate resource in that respect.

 

I used to get a magazine named 'Hunting and Fishing.....' something . Journal , Digest, I don't remember. It was made of newspaper stock, nothing slick or shiney like our Bulletin. But it had where, when, and how to fish, and who local guides were, and local bait and gear. They are no longer published. Even had maps and charts.

 

Thanks for the input! Its just what I'm looking for. Hope I get a good number of opinions.

[John Gillio]

Matty,I like In-Fisherman for multi-species info. and techniques. Il. Game and Fish, is pretty good for what's biting when and where here in Il. It also covers techniques. I really like Eastern Fly Fishing. It covers the driftless area and the eastern states quite well. It's a nice looking magazine with good info on where, when, and how to fish specific streams. It's main focus is on trout and smallmouths but also hits on other species.

[Scott Ferguson]

I was an In-Fisherman subscriber for nearly 20 years but I lost respect when EVERY article is completely sponsor driven. Everything is either Berkely or Rapala like no other lures will work. All the articles are just infomercials for the sponsors who buy ads. The TV show is the same thing.

[Jim Kast]

I don't subscribe to any fishing mags. I already own enough of "the latest hot new lures and gear guaranteed to catch monster bass" that have never hit the water. I don't need to be tempted to buy any more!

[mattyvac]

OK. I understand that when you get to a certain level, you can be resentful when your once respected source for info goes hopelessly commercial. But is that IT?

 

This is actually a bit of Deja Vu for me. Before I took to fishing, I was completely involved with hunting. After 15-20 years, I really started noticing the same articles showing up. It was a complete circle...take ammo for instance. First it was common military cartridges for all around reliable hunting performance. Then it was the renaissance of the old style heavy calibers, and new ones that improve on the big, slow bullet theory. Then we had to have newly designed super-velocity cartridges that went so fast they could vaporize the organs of a charging rhino.

 

So goes fishing. We have to hear about spoon plugging every 5-10 years, then it's all about lure color, then it's the way the lure sounds, then we have lures that look like the real thing, then it's the hooks, then the line, then the rod, then the reel. Hey, Look! Here's a new spoon plugging article!

 

Is there no honest mag out there that just sticks to the truth, and leaves the rest to us? Isn't there a mag that addresses common angling mysteries and explains them plainly, but still entertains us?

 

BTW, I just found an old issue of Fishing & Hunting News (Great Lakes Region), July 14-28, 2005. It mapped 3 lakes in detail, with complete overview of species, depth/topography details, nearest tackle shops and guides, and tried and true methods that the locals recommend. It featured 31 different places to go fish and hunt in one issue, and included all the above details. They were cross referenced by species, season and location. On top of that, it came to my door twice a month!!! These guys stopped publishing not long after this issue.

[Mike G]

I'll second IL Game and Fish which I read at the dentist's office. Then there is BASS and Field and Stream which I read at the barber shop. As many are noting the manufacturers drive the magazine content the same way the lobyists drive the congress and senate. I do not subscribe to any magazines except the Bronzeback Bulletin. Let's say I want to go treeless. It is easy enough to get info from various websites. BTW I am in the process of asking catalog outfits to take me off their mailing lists. I can't tell you how many BP and Cabella's catalogues go directly to recycling