The Pond Boss web site just reached a new high, last Monday, with 538 unique users that day!
Fellas, the next issue of Pond Boss has outstanding articles from Bill Cody and Christopher "Pottsy" Potts. Don't miss this issue, it's the best ever. More articles, bigger magazine, several new advertisers, more color.
Here's the deal...believe it or not, not everyone who comes on this site is a subscriber. And, not every pond pro who solicits business from this site is an advertiser.
It's time to belly up to the bar, boys. $29 for a subscription ain't gonna break anyone, and advertising helps support the magazine. There's talk amongst the partners about ways to charge for the site. We do have administrative costs associated with the site. I would rather keep it free.
Needless to say, we need the support of EVERY user to keep it available to all comers.
So, here's a deal. It's the middle of the night, I've been answering questions for six straight hours, I'm not thinking clearly, and the partners will probably kill me.
But, for every new subscriber who calls by Friday noon, I'll discount your subscription rate to $24. Call and talk to Nicole later this morning, or tomorrow. Be sure to tell her of our "deal". We've been iced in for two days, so if she's late to work later this morning, leave a message on voice mail. Call with a mastercard or visa, and she will start your subscription immediately. And, all you current subscribers, I'll make you a special deal, too. If you want to buy a gift subscription for a buddy, make it $20, if you do it by noon Friday.
Hurry up, before I get caught.
We've supported everyone, now you non-subscribers need to throw us a bone.
(800)687-6075...I'll even pay for the call.
Thanks, Lusk
Bob - well said and certainly a fair offer. Pond Boss, like any business, has overhead expenses. At the minimum, folks using the board should be subscribers to the magazine. The advice and information I have received through Pond Boss over the years has made a huge difference in the management of my pond not to mention it is great entertainment! Join up!!
Your absolutely right Bob! For all the info I've picked up already, the $24 is a steal. I'll be calling later today. Just a thought, you might get more subsciptions if you had a way to subscrbe on the forum mainpage. I know I for one would have done it already(not much of a snail mail or phone guy) Anyway, I look forward to seeing the next issue
Theres a good reason to subscribe other than supporting the web site. A lot of articles show up in there that don't ever get discussed on the web site. I've gotten a lot of information there that I didn't know enough to ask.
Bob, your book and mag are great. But for new pondmeisters like my son and I, this website is even more valuable. We've already had several direct and difficult questions answered that we couldn't get any other way (other than paying big bucks for a pond pro who knows everything that all of you out there cumulatively know). So we would be MORE than willing to pay for this website. Just keep helping us; and put Pottsy and Cecil and Dave and Greg and your other experts on the payroll, or maybe just ask them nicely to keep contributing so you don't have to stay up all night. -JB an Scott
I have to add one more thing: in all my years, in all that I have ever been involved in, I have never experienced so many good folks who were so helpful for no other reason than the goodness in them. -JB
P.S. Bob, how about putting together a small convention sometime so we could all meet and ...I believe we'd all come from all corners of the country.
Anyone that has a pond and doesn't have this magazine coming to their home is ignorant! That being said, the one thing that all of us needs to realize is that the pond proffesionals that contribute to this site are not getting paid for the advice that they are supplying us and are basically giving up money. Yes, they do get business from some of us from time to time, but the information that they give is invalubale. I think the least one can do to repay this kindness is to subscribe to the magazine.
The information and advice that I have obtained from this site and the magazine has saved me a great deal of money, time and frustation. I would like to take this time to thank each and every one of those of you that supplied advice and support to me.
Thanks, Newbee
Pond Boss is the only magazine of exactly it's type that I have ever seen, (Or maybe just the best.... or perhaps I just like the fellas involved so much I quit looking for other people to pester.
)
This site is a great resource, either through the reams of discussion threads or being able to get feedback/answers generally within hours on a variety of pond related topics. Even just to keep in touch and share the views or solicit the opinions of fellow pondmeisters make a subscription worth every penny.
Three cheers for Pond Boss and all involved!!!
(This has been a test of the free PB hat aquisition system.)
The price of your magazine is certainly a good deal if it is anything like the quality of this site. I am not a subscriber because I don't have a pond. I found this site a few weeks ago while looking for information about possibly building a pond in the future. Reading the old posts at this site has been very valuable in tweaking my interest and furthering my knowledge. I can see myself as a future subscriber.
If you were to charge for the site, some such as myself, would no longer be here (not that I have contributed anything). There are other, similar quality sites on the web that I would turn to.
So, I pose this rhetorical question to you. Is the cost of the site greater than the value of the advertising it provides for your magazine?
Good luck and I hope this site continues to be open to the public.
Lakedoctors just stepped up to the bar drank a shot of the good stuff. It went down easy.Everybody needs to try a good shot of this great deal.Bottoms up Doc
Ed,I have been a 2-year subscriber to Pond Boss and so is my father. I have told many people about it some who have subscribed some who have not. I have never met Mark McDonald but have used Bob Lusk on our lakes and have found him to be of the highest integrity and an incredible source of information. The magazine is something I look forward to getting and reading cover to cover. You may not have meant it this way but the statement that you would go elsewhere is nothing but a slap in the face to someone who has obviously spent a fair amount of money and time developing a place that I'm sure is not meant to be something that is merely a cash drain. I know how much one of these sights cost to establish and maintain and anyone who can't pony up to the bar for 20 dollars and change yet signs up and makes use of it should be ashamed. Ed it looks like you just recently found this site but if you find the information useful and continue posting please consider rewarding Pond Boss for the effort and expense of giving you a site to pick the brains of some very smart people. No offense meant I just had to pat these guys on the back for the effort.
Where else can a pond owner go and get this quality, experienced, and often unbiased advice for currently free?. Often you get several good opinions and additional ideas. It is too good of a deal at free. It should cost a little bit. The cost of subscribing to the magazine is trivial considering you ALSO get numerous educational articles about pond management. Support the magazine because it supports this forum site. I have all the back issues of Pond Boss magazine and they are a TREMENDOUS information resource for me. Thanks for reading to this point. Bill Cody
I'll call tomorrow but you didn't have to sweeten the deal for me. I just kept forgetting to get around to it.
I canceled my Aquaculture Magazine subscription (tired of hearing about catfish farming in Vietnam and newest disease in the net pens of Nova Scotia) so I'm on board.
Sorry it took me so long!
I support this site with my subscription. I read it but get more from this board. Sorry I currently don't advertise. I have not made a dime in the two previous ads in the mag. Maybe I should try it again. Also I write for another pond mag and get paid for it, and have never been offered the same in Pond Boss other than a few quotes. My main point is...I completely agree if you use this site please get a subscription to the magazine.
I hope my previous post was not taken as a "slap in the face" by anyone as Buzz suggested. I was trying to say the subscription looked like a great deal and that this site is very high quality.
I was also trying to explain why the free site has advertizing value. Where it not for the site, I would never have known about the Pond Boss publication. As I said, I could see myself subscribing to the publication in the future. I just can't justify it at this stage (ie: no pond or immediate plans for one, just contemplation at the moment). I don't know how much this site costs to manage. I merely wanted to suggest additional ways to view the expense and the value of maintaining it as free vs. fee based.
My comment about going elsewhere was simply intended to mean that if the site were to be fee based, I would not automatically subscribe to continue viewing it. Other businesses have made such assumptions to their detriment. I was trying to be helpful. Notice that I did not point anyone to the sites I referred to out of respect for the owners of this site. I also did not say the sites were better than this site, only that they were also quality sites.
I hope this post comes across more clearly than the previous one. I have nothing but praise for this site. I wish the owners well and hope for the success of all of their business ventures.
I appologize if anyone was offended in any way by my previous post.
I should reorder another subcription to the magazine once my first subcription runs out.
I for one subscribed (and bought book 1) within a week or two after finding the site. Book 2 order won't be far behind! This is a great source of information and thanks to everyone who helps make it so!
ED:
I don't want to jump on your case re your pond building observations. However the fact that you are looking at this and other websites on this subject because you are contemplating building a pond indicates to me that you are the ideal candidate to be a subscriber. It is likely that a few bucks for a subscription will save you hundreds or thousands of $ in your decisions on pond building. My pond is 50 years old & I could probably argue that the subscription is probably less valuable to me than to someone thinking about building a lake or pond. Come-on, Ed, show Bob the money.
PS: I've tested the free PB hat acquisition system too, it comes down to four letters -- VISA
day late and a dollar short again. wouldn't want to renew this offer would you?
You convinced me,
Al Kohutek
Bob, Here is another thought. You need a swimsuit edition in the spring. All the other magazines are doing it. I can see it now Pond Boss will be in all the airports and grocery stores all over the country. You can build your own mansion that we can all come and visit each week for movie night and card night with ponds that are all filled with big fish and a plane with a bass painted on the tail of the plane. Hey, it could happen.
OK now we might have gotten carried away, I've read both books, love the website, and subscibed to the magazine, but I don't think I need to see Bob and Mark in BIKINIS! (just a joke guys)
I think this a a great site and the pond boss magazine is full of helpfull information. I would like to see articles in pond boss that spotlights subsriber's ponds with pictures etc. Also, is there a pond boss T-shirt available?
I do subscribe to the magazine and don't personally think Bob should reduce the price for all these freeloaders on the web . great magazine and website , well worth the wealth of info, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ---HARVEY !!!!
Mark and Bob, I too think a spotlight of a subscriber's pond in each magazine is a great idea. i'd enjoy reading about how information from this site, as well as your books and nmagazine have helped (us) to improve our fisheries.
I read this site and subscribe as well even though I don't own a lake or a pond because I CAN'T GET ENOUGH of this stuff! I can not wait to build my own pond or ponds and would love it if this cottage industry became more of a big house industry so there would be more jobs available for pondnuts like myself.
Well for all it's worth , I subscribe to the GREAT POND BOSS MAGAZINE! and love this web-site , but i don't agree with giving all those freeloaders a discount on the magazine. Just my humble opinion.
I've subscribed for couple of years now and have even sent a friend (with 15x15x10deep pond) subscription. I think I got most of the books for Christmas.
I had a brand new 3/4 acre pond and really didn't want to screw it up. So I called a pondmeister from Brenham to check the water and recommend stocking fish and rates. He gave me couple of back issues of this magazine and the rest is history. I would even say that the website is more valuable than the magazine, because of it's interactive nature. I don't have to look through old issues, hoping that someone published an article or asked a question that I had. I just type it into the search engine. If I still have a question, I don't have to wait till the next issue, I just ask it - OK, sometimes they get ignored, but that is just part of the deal.
I, for one, would be willing to pay subscription. I pay for some other magazines online that are not nearly as useful to me anymore. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
Ed, I'm sure no one will have hard feelings towards ya, we know what you meant. besides, i've watched these folks communicate...they are very respectful, clean, decent folks, and as a new subscriber, i've gained so much from this site. concerning "contemplating" a pond, no owning one yet...NOW is when you need this site, not only later. for instance...you buy a pond thinking it looks great and you will "fix" it up....these guys give advice about stuff like that... it's better to know about this stuff BEFORE you invest money and time into a pond that you might realize will cost you more to fix up than to build a new one. anyway, i think we all agree, the site is great. the magazine is great. the advice is amazing. i have often wondered if Bob et.al. ever step away from the computer! I'm impressed. I'm in agreement to pay for the site, and the more people that are willing to pay, i imagine the "dues" would be cheaper.
Bob, I'm in full support of whatever you choose to do. this site is great and i have really appreciated the advice. I've also enjoyed seeing the comments, questions, etc... from other beginners like myself. thanks. mark
Great comments! The Pond Boss gang really puts in the work to make this site information central for pond owners. My recommendation to PB headquarters has been to keep the site free. A big part of the draw to new participants is access to the information.
How can we show support to PB for providing such a great community on the web? Buy their products. Take notice of this button throughout the site, and on the main page of the discussion board….
We have just finished building an online purchasing area that includes a quick and easy way to subscribe to the magazine, and also offers other PB products – check out the page at
http://www.pondboss.com/purchase.html J.P. Greeson
Web Developer for Pond Boss
Outdoor Sites Network
www.outdoorsites.net
Just subscribed today. 49 bucks to send to Canada, yikes! From what I have heard its definately worth it though, especially considering its paying to keep this forum going.
Just wanted to show my apreciation for this site.
Although I had asked my wife to order the Pond Boss mag. & books early May I found out this weekend it hadn't happened yet. So I signed up & ordered books this week on line!
Thanks to the Pond Boss staff for providing this forum & for ALL those who answer so many questions! :p
I can't believe it's already here! I ordered on June 2nd .. they sent my mag. & books pryority mail $5.00+ postage & I received them today June 4th!!!
Outstanding!
Ric