TSF-Magazine on the Move

Regular readers are by now aware that I frequently use my editor's column to apprise advertisers, fans and friends of our progress along the pathway to delivering the very best fishing magazine we are capable of publishing. And so it is this month we are on the grow again between the covers and we are expanding our circulation efforts as well.

First let's talk about the growth between the covers the Lore and Legend stories we ran in January and February are receiving very good feedback; Lore and Legend will be continued as long as our readers are enjoying it and we would like to solicit content. If you know of anybody whose saltwater career might qualify them, we'd much appreciate if you would introduce us to that person.

Last year we ran a series of technical articles from Louie Baumann Jr. of Baumann Marine Propellers in Houston. The Baumann family has been in the prop business almost since the advent of gasoline engines being installed in boats. Louie provided an interesting set of discussions as regards the technical ins and outs of prop manufacture and repair and our readers liked his stuff. Lately we have received many requests for more tech articles. We hope very soon to include a technical department with discussions covering many aspects of boats, motors, props, trailers, tackle and the other stuff that makes saltwater fishing so much fun and yes, Louie will also be in the mix.

Destination pieces have played well; our readers enjoy hearing the stories of fishing adventures in far-flung venues that readers have contributed to this magazine. In response, we are planning a Fishing Destinations department and will be inviting all readers who travel and feel the desire to write it about to participate. We hope to have this one up and going soon also.

Largely through the urging of Billy Sandifer we are preparing to test reader acceptance of a coastal birding section. Billy is a walking encyclopedia of nature facts and a real whiz at identifying the avian species that inhabit and migrate through his beloved Padre Island National Seashore. Billy says that TSF readers are not all bubbas, "Our readers represent the top end of the saltwater fishing community and I can tell you from the folks who buy my fishing trips they want to learn more about the environment and eco-system of the sea besides I'm sick of everybody referring to the various species of terns as liar birds!" Look for Coastal Birding to appear soon.

And now a few words about our circulation in answer to all those calls, letters and emails we are taking a serious look at expanding into the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. During the past twelve months our efforts to increase circulation in the Austin-San Antonio-Interstate 35 corridor have been very successful and our magazine can now be located in more than 500 retail establishments in that part of the state. The Dallas-Ft. Worth area is home to enough saltwater enthusiasts that we believe we can be successful there too. If our preliminary studies yield the result we expect, we should be setting up rack sales there this spring. We'll give you another heads-up as we get closer.

Last but not least is a personal invitation to all of our valued readers who are planning to attend the Houston Fishing Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center February 28 through March 4, 2007. The Fishing Show is the largest and best in Texas and we especially look forward to everybody stopping by our booth to meet and visit. We have double space on a corner location on one of the center aisles this year, so we'll have lots of room. Please stop by and see us, we love to meet readers and talk fishing!