Conference wahoo::fishing

     
    
     I received the same offer about a month ago but decided against
    it because I have enough bass magazines coming in every month!
    (oh by the way I did put their bumper sticker on my truck!!)
    
    So Brett if you do join with North American Fishing Club let us
    know how you make out.                                      
    
    Bass-O-Matic
    
    
    

    I have also recieved an offer to join and as far as I know
    the North American Clubs have grow'n quite large in the last
    several years. They started out up in Minnasota as just the
    North American Hunting Club and have just recently branched
    out as the North American Fishing Club. I've been a member of
    the hunting club since its first membership drive and I have
    no complaints and te magazine and discounts are not to shabby.
    Give them a try.
    
    Mike

    
    
    
    This is a fairly old note but...
    
       I just received a packet from North American Fishing Club and
    was just wondering if anyone has joined since this note was originated.
    I've got a couple of questions.  What's the magazine like?  What sort
    of fishing equipment do they have for sale?  Has anyone had the 
    opportunity to do the "field test" of equipment? Etc., Etc.
       The dues are cheap, $1.25/month.  But as I already get too many, 
    (according to my wife anyway) fishing magazines and belong to
    BassMasters, I wanted to find out a little more before sending any-
    thing in.  Thanks.
    
    
    Bear
    
    
    

    Well, having originated the note and gotten no negative response,
    I joined.  Since then, I've let me membership expire.
    
    I thought it was more of a business come on than a "club" for several
    reasons.  If you're gonna sell me a "service" tell me.  Don't try to
    screw me and tell me it's a club.  (No, I knew there was some profit
    to be made, I'm not that stupid....but this is just too machine-like)
    
    I sent in for the field test deal.  They tell you to send a letter
    saying why you think you'd be good....what you fish for etc and I
    got no response.  A follow up letter was equally valueless.
    
    Of course they have no trouble cranking out the "deals" and the
    bills after the first issue.
    
    The other thing that bugged me was after I joined the NAFC, I get a
    letter from a group called the North American Hunting Club.  It was
    like, "Here's a sucker, let's milk him for hunting, too".
    
    As for the magazine, I thought it was pretty good.  The articles
    reflected the modern school of thought in the types of fishing I do.  
    It also reflected surprisingly accurate information on the "goings-on"
    of my local area.  It tracked all the major happenings of all the
    areas......and they didn't do it with a brown paper regional section.
    
    Again, if you're gonna sell me a magazine, sell me a magazine.  But
    don't get me some guy telling me he's my friend and wants to
    indoctrinate me into his club.  Hell, I can do that with Mickey Mouse.
    
    That's just my impression.  For the price, I'd recommend that you
    consider joining for a year and then making your own decision.  You
    may find it quite different than I did.
    
    /brett

    
    
    Thanks for the input Brett.  I think I'll save myself the time and
    money and pitch everything in the garbage.  Except for the membership
    card they conveniently sent in advance.  It's a great looking card,
    a silhouette of a fisherman at sunset.
    
    Anyway, from your description this sounds an awful lot like the NRA.
    I joined and remained a member for 4 years, but got fed up with all
    "great benefits" that seemed to arrive weekly.  Not to mention their
    constant wanting of money.  I don't want to get off of the subject
    of fishing so I'll drop the NRA.  
    
    You said you never got a negative response from anyone, well you didn't
    get any positive responses either. So... a) I've never heard of this 
    "club" before.   b) No one else has said anything good about it.
    and   c) A "former" member... well, I think I'll pass.
    
    Thanks for saving me some money and aggrevation Brett!!
    
    
    Bear
    
    

    Oddly enough, in my mail yesterday I received an invitation to join the
    B.A.S.S. Twelve bucks for a year's subscription to their magazine, the
    packet of goodies (patch and decal), and a few potentially useful
    services. They're also running a sweepstakes with a van, bass boat and
    trailer as the grand prize, and approriate lesser prizes. They even
    have a silly thing where you punch a cutout from a picture card
    indicating where you'd "cast for the lunker" in the picture. If you
    affix the appropriate cutout to your entry form - and win the grand
    prize - you also get a $1400 hunting rifle. To help you guess right,
    they have little pictures of bass in the water, with one fish bigger than
    the others. If that's not enough help, the back of the cutouts tell you
    whether or not you picked the lunker. If you can read the word
    "lunker" you can't miss!
    
    In spite of the silly sticker game and the obvious psychological
    leverage of the sweepstakes (and the BIG lettering that says "YES BOB
    SCOTT, SIGN ME UP FOR A MEMBERSHIP AND ENTER ME IN THE SWEEPSTAKES!!"
    vs the little lettering that says "...no thanks, not right now but
    please enter me in the drawing anyway" - yeah, sure!) it still seems
    like a pretty good deal for the magazine alone.
    
    Anybody out there a member/subscriber?
    
    Ed

    I think you'll find that a great deal of the folks in here who often
    talk about bass fishing are members.  BASS is by far the largest bass
    fishing organization around.  I believe it's the largest fishing
    organization in the world. (Even George Bush is a member and a close
    friend of Ray Scott's).  
    
    They also have the BASSmasters television show on TNN.  As well as 
    sponsoring the BASS professional tournament trail.  And the nation
    wide BASS Federations and chapters (clubs).  Most of the local bass 
    clubs that are mentioned in here are BASS affiliates.  
    
    donmac - member of BASS and a BASS chapter
    

    
    
    	Price is worth it for the magazine alone.  In fact, that is really
    	the only benefit that I derive.
    
    	Gitzit'
    

>    I think you'll find that a great deal of the folks in here who often
>    talk about bass fishing are members.  (Even George Bush is a member).  
    
    What, a secret society in our midst?
    
    I guess I'd better join..!  Do I have to learn the jumping bass
    handshake?
    

    
    
    
    >  Do I have to learn the jumping bass handshake?
    
    
       No, but you do have to flair your gills and inhale a live worm!!!
    
       My inlaws paid for my membership for a birthday present.  I guess
    they're not so bad after all.  Although it took a months worth of 
    subtle hints!  The magazine is worth the membership fee in itself
    as far as I'm concerned.
    
    
    
    Bear
    
    
    

    I'm sorry, but I can't let this pass.  I know this is a rat hole
    but it important to respond for any fence sitters who may be reading
    this.
    
    The North American Fishing Club is nothing like the NRA.  As much as
    I wanted it not to be so, I found the NAFC to be more of a come on than
    a "club".    I would value input to the contrary from other readers.
    
    However, the NRA, in not just my opinion, is a tremendously valuable
    organization.  It is not a money making come on or a front.  It is a
    large group of citizens who are committed to preserving the right to
    keep and bear arms as is guaranteed to all U.S. citizens in the 
    Constitution of the United States of America.
    
    I will agree with you in that if you are looking for a lot of bargains,
    deals and benefits, the NRA is no the place to look for this.  It won't
    get you cheap deals on firearms, ammo etc.  
    
    What the NRA does provide is an organization of citizens that are
    interested in preserving thei rights.  It gives you a place to address
    questions regarding firearms and legal issues.  It is a group that you
    can call on to help you fight when local laws proposed to impede your
    gun rights.  It is safety training so that all people can learn about 
    firearms and how to handle them.  This includes hunter safety training.
    
    Please don't say the NRA is a bad deal.  As a gun owner and an
    American, I feel that the NRA is just about the best deal going.
    There really are no bargains in this world.  You have to fight for
    anything you want if you want it bad enough and this is what the NRA is
    all about.
    
    I realize this is the FISHING notefile and I apologize for this stray
    comment.  However, many fishermen are firearms owners and I want to
    reach them.  It would probably not be prudent for other NRA supporters
    to over do it here unless I left somethingout or said something wrong.
    
    If any of you have NRA questions or are interested in joining, feel
    free to send me mail and I'll do my best to find answers and get you
    an application.
    
    Thanks for this little indulgence.
    
    /brett 

    
    
    
       I apologize if I've touched a nerve.  I feel I didn't explain myself
    completely since this is a fishing file.  I too own several guns, and
    spend as much time hunting in the winter as I can.  That is the reason
    I joined the NRA in the first place.  Their cause (and mine), to
    protect our rights, is great.  And I contributed to it with money as
    well as letters to my congressman.  But... I continually found myself
    in the middle, not agreeing with either side.  One side saying no guns,
    the other saying any gun.  I don't want to get into this in this file
    it's just my "personal opinion" that neither side was working toward
    a better understanding.  I still write my congressman and get involved
    in state and local orginizations to help keep my and everyones rights
    in this matter.  I hope you understand where I'm coming from, if not
    I would be glad to talk to you sometime.  Take care.
    
    
    
    Bear
    
    

    Sorry.  I'm really not upset at all.  I just wanted to point out that
    there is a big difference between the NAFC and the NRA.
    
    I didn't mean to sound like I was flaming.  I'd be happy to go fishing
    with you any time.
    
    ......or hunting if you've had an NRA safety course :-)
    
    /brett
    

    
    
       Safety course???  You mean you're not supposed to shoot at anything
    that moves?
    
       Don't know were you're located Brett, but if you're planning on
    coming through Iowa let me know.  The hunting and fishing is getting
    better every year, especially the hunting.  Turkey and deer populations
    are better than ever and pheasant and quail have made great strides the
    last 2 seasons.
    
       As for fishing, well...   The Mississipi runs right through the
    middle of town here but the fish don't get real huge.  Iowa isn't
    known for it's lakes but there are a few.  As for me it's 14 days
    and a wakeup till we leave for the great north, fishing heaven.
    
    Bear
    
    

    
    
    
    Yo bear...where in Iowa does the Mississippi Run thru the middle of
    town.....sounds like Dubuque.....am I right?
    
      E
    

    I'm located in Kirkland Washington (after Jim Kirk), which is across
    the Lake (Washington) from Seattle.
    
    Don't say "pheasant" so loud!  My springers get all wired out when they
    hear the "ph" word.  :-)
    
    There's an open invitation to anyone in this file that passes through
    Seattle.  If it's too wet and cold (open boat) I'll get Mike Peterson
    to take you, eh Mike?  The Salmon aren't as big as Lake O from what I
    read, but you can eat them, which is why they aren't so big.
    
    What's that?
    
    You want to trade a pheasant trip for a salmon trip?
    
    Hmmmm......
    
    Where's up North to you?  (I mean where are you going fishing; I've got
    a US map)
    
    /brett
    
    

    Been away from this for 4 days and look at all the activity.  I
    agree with Brett on the come-on aspect of the NAFC.  I'm not that
    impressed with the magazine though.  There is a useful article every
    once in awhile, but mostly it seems to be touting something or the
    other.  Keeping out of the discussion on the NRA.  I will be letting
    my membership lapse when it is up in a few months.
    
    mjs