To Hell with Stimulus. Let's go Fishing!

Perhaps the country would be better off, if more people were engaged in outdoor sporting!

Fishing for example generates 45 Billion Dollars in sales, from 40 Million people who fish in the United States each year (based on 2006 figures). That same 45 Billion has an economic impact of 125 Billion! To hell with a stimulus package - let's just get more people out fishing!

This industry creates almost a million jobs. Plus, another 1.2 Billion in conservation money. That said, the fishing industry is the number one money generator for conservation purposes. A free market system, supporting efforts to sustain itself. Now that is the way it should be!

The included file has tons of great detail about the economic impact of fishing in the United States! Read on.

Download now or preview on posterous

SIA_2008.pdf (762 KB)

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When will Live Bait Be Available? Get the Update...and get 5% Off!

If you're curious when things like leeches, night crawlers, or European Crawlers might be available, join this list and get the Live Bait Update.  Throughout the year, we'll also send you other great information, about live bait care, new products, success stories, and more!

 Jewell Outdoors will also be granting 5% off to anyone who joins this list before leeches are available for shipping in 2010.  All you have to do is sign up!  Your 5% off coupon will come to you shortly.  

Just Click Here to Sign Up!

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First Crawlers of 2010 Have Shipped!

Just yesterday, our first shipment of Canadian Crawlers came in - and made their way right back out. We were able to get just enough in to satisfy those customers that had pre-ordered Crawlers for immediate delivery. Next week, we plan to have more available! So, head on over to www.jewelloutdoors.com/store to place your order today.

This is a good sign! In all the years my family is doing this, March 23rd is the earliest we have ever shipped live bait. In some ways, its risky because the temperatures can get cold, and you risk freezing your bait. However, it is a sign that we have had a warmer spring - and you'll be out on the water catching Walleye and Bass before you know it!

We want to see what you're catching! So please join the Jewell Outdoors Community at http://jewelloutdoors.ning.com or post a pic on one of our facebook pages. The more you share your love for the sport of fishing - the more it makes others realize what they are missing!

Bobbers Down!

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JB Lures Now Part of the Line Up

You have no idea how excited I was when our first box of JB Lures product showed up on my door step the other day. I had called Tom, the CEO of JB Lures, and asked him to put together a box of items that go nicely with live bait. Since our current service is so much geared toward live bait, I wanted to focus on things like Crawler and Leech harnesses. Tom at JB Lures did a fantastic job! We are now rocking a line up of one and three hook harnesses, The Ventilator, and More - even some slip bobber stoppers.
For a full line up of what we are now carrying - shoot on over to the online store: www.jewelloutdoors.com/store

The reason I was so excited is that this means, finally, after great yearning to be something more - we are growing. We're no Cabelas or Bass Pro, but we're making a splash in the fishing bait market. And in some ways, we're actually doing it better than some of the big guys. Thanks JB Lures for helping make it happen!
www.jewelloutdoors.com

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Really Governor Granholm? Meatout day!? Ridiculous!

via agwired.com

Sometimes our government leaders just need to keep their traps shut. We must realize the impact of our words. And in an already struggling economy, worse in Michigan than many states, their very own governor slaps agriculture producers in the face. This is a dumb use of a legislative proclamation.

So, on March 20th - which was declared Michigan Meatout Day, I urge you to cook a steak. Eat a fish. If nothing else, grill up some hot dogs...and ENJOY!

Just in case you're thinking she needs to be fair to all that she represents - be advised that this proclamation was brought about by an Animal Rights Activist group, intentionally as an attack on National Ag Day!

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Leech Traps Going In THIS WEEK!

Just talked with the Head Leech - up in Minnesota. Things are melting mighty fast! So fast right now in fact, that he is putting leech traps in the local golf course pond already this week! This might be the earliest year on record that we have leeches available for sale. We'll just have to see what happens during the back half of March.

Why the golf course pond? Its kind of a funny place to trap leeches - or so one would think. However, for some reason this tiny little body of water seems to be teeming with the little suckers. There are so many in fact, that they clog up the fountain that the course manager puts out. So, the let Dad in to catch the little guys out....not sure if he gets a discount on membership or not!

Until you hear the official word, the contest is not yet over at http://jewelloutdoors.ning.com. Visit the forum on that site for more details. In fact, if you haven't been there yet, we'd love to have your join our little community! We'd love to have you be part of it.

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No Leeches to Canada, but perhaps the UK?

Over a decade ago, the Canadian government found a NAFTA loophole, and banned the transport of live leeches from the United States into Canada. This was detrimental to a lot of leech wholesalers, but there wasn't much we could do. Today, even as a retailer, and with the power of the internet's reach, I now have lots of Canadian customers - that I really can't have. Just today, I was on the phone conspiring with a retailer in Canada as to how he could come over the border, pick up leeches, and take them back (still legal for some with the resort license).

However, I have also been getting contacted by fishermen in the UK recently. They pay outrageous amounts of money to fish with leeches over there. I mean, life changing amounts of money if I could sell them in the UK. So today, I drafted a nice little email to the UK Environment Agency asking about the legality of exporting leeches from the US into the UK. We'll see what that produces.

If nothing else, I plan to pursue my quest to raise ribbon/bait leeches in captivity, with the hope that one day we can produce enough to take our little leech freak show on the road to places like Canada, and the UK. Who knows...it could be sooner than you think!

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We have such great customers at Jewell Outdoors!

Really - we do! Our customers are the greatest! Not just because they buy our products. Nope, its more than that. These guys and gals really appreciate what we try to do for them. They let us know about it. Even more, they tell others about it. Last year, we didn't spend a lot on traditional types of marketing. Most of our business was from word of mouth. We appreciate that - because it helps us keep costs down.

This year, we launched the Jewell Outdoors Partners Program which actually pays customers for talking about us. It is pretty cool. All they have to do is be generous, and give a friend a 5% off coupon. When an order gets placed, the Partners get a nice little 10% commission, good for in store credit or cash at the end of the month.

Just our way of doing what we can to help out the Great Customers we have at Jewell Outdoors!

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How to Keep Leeches Out of Your Casserole - and make sure they stay alive to tell the story.

One of the most common questions I get from customers is, "How do I keep the leeches alive?"  These little suckers can be sensitive to certain changes in their environment, but in reality, they are pretty hearty.  As long as you take care of them, it is no different than having another aquatic pet.  This blog post will depict how to care for your leeches, keep them alive, and make sure they stay out of your casserole)

Here are the big No No's when it comes to leech care:

1. Do not use city/tap water that has any chlorine or fluoride in it.

2. Do not shock leeches by transferring them to water that is drastically warmer or cooler than their present temp.

3. If you have a water softener, the water needs to sit for at least 24 hours before using it on leeches (even if it comes from a well). 

When your leeches arrive from Jewell Outdoors, they will be in a box, that has a cooler in it.  The leeches are in a plastic bag, filled mostly with oxygen, and just enough water to keep them wet.  They were kept as cool as possible during their journey from our house to yours by an ice bottle or two.  However, they have probably warmed up a bit since leaving the shop.

(Remember - all of our shipping materials are 100% Recyclable.  Please help us out by recycling and conserving our environment.  Nothing ticks me off like seeing an empty bait container laying on the bank of the river or lake!)

Remove the bag from the box, and leaving it sealed shut by the rubber band, place it in the refrigerator for a couple hours.  This cools the leeches gradually. (Shocking them into cold temps can kill them)  After a couple hours, remove the leeches from the plastic bag, and place them in which ever container you plan to use for storage in your refrigerator.  Use just enough water to cover the tops of them.  Be sure the water is close to the same temperature as that of your refrigerator, or around 40 Degrees Fahrenheit.  Put the lid on your container because sometimes they crawl out...and nobody wants leeches in their casserole.

I recommend changing the water every day if possible, although you can skate by on every two days.  You do not have to feed leeches to keep them alive.  Some leeches can go weeks, months, or even up to a year and a half without eating (after having a big meal of course).  Ribbon leeches have a natural diet of microscopic organisms and invertebrates - and they're really not all that interested in your left over fish fillets.  (Should you decide to keep them for months at a time, then you might toss them a fish carcass, or a slice of liver)

More questions about leech care?  Simply leave a comment on our blog, or shoot an email to mark@jewelloutdoors.com, or just visit us at www.jewelloutdoors.com!

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Online Purchases of Lures & Hard Baits up from 4.2% to 20.4%.

December of 2008 statistics from the American Sport Fishing Association say that only 4.2% of Lures and Hard Baits were bought online.  Skipping ahead to December, 2009 - just one year later, the percent purchasing online was 20.4%!  That is a huge increase! Five times the previous year?  This is encouraging news for anyone that does business online.  If I had to hypothesize, I'd have to say that companies that sell fishing products on line are probably getting a lot better at it, and people who fish are simply trusting the system more.

Data available at: http://www.asafishing.org/statistics/angler_survey/online_sales/200912.html

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Walleye Ohio - Good Site, Lots of Great Info!

Just surfing about this morning on the web, and came across WalleyeOhio.com.  This is a pretty decent website with lots of great information on it.  We actually sell a lot of leeches to Ohio, which tells me there are probably some great undiscovered, lesser traveled Walleye lakes there! Check em out!

 

http://walleyeohio.com/

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The Best You Tube Video You Will Watch Today

I already posted this over on my facebook page, but had to throw it here on my Posterous as well.  This is likely the coolest video we will watch on You Tube today.  It is the same guys who made the "tread mill" video, if you are familiar with that.  Thanks to Chris Brogan for sharing this in his daily update at chrisbrogan.com.

 

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Explaining Commitment to Customer Service

While on a walk yesteday, I was inspired by the service my dogs were providing.  I happened to have my flip cam along, and captured this little video. Hope you like it.

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How we store leeches before they are shipped to the customer.

We have been working with live bait for a long time at Jewell Outdoors.  This is a quick video of how we have found the best way to store live leeches, after catching and sorting, just before shipping them out to our customers!

 

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I love a customer service opportunity!

Received this, this morning:

Dear bait guy,
I am highly upset do to your price chart has confused me on the price of your leeches. It says 10lbs. of mixed leeches cost 19.00$ after you add 10lbs to your cart it cost over 120.00$. I am also upset because i start fishing in the middle of March and i have no leeches to use. It's ridiculous that i have to wait until late April to get some leeches. I need leeches from the price of your chart.

Sincerely,
(I'll leave the name off)

My Response:

Hi Chase,

Thanks for the inquiry, I understand what you are asking, so I'll try to explain.

About the price chart: 
The prices listed are per pound.  So for instance, the cost of one pound of mixed leeches is $22.  We give you a discount per pound when you order several pounds.  Therefore, when a customer orders 10 pounds, the cost is $19 per pound for Mixed leeches, or $190 for 10 pounds.

Also, depending on what part of the country you are in?  Just so you're prepared, anyone outside the midwest has to get leeches shipped via second day air, which can be costly sometimes.  If you live outside the midwest, I am happy to personally quote you a price, and you won't have to go through the online store.

Your inquiry has caused me to evaluate this page, and I can see that it might be confusing.  I'll make some updates next time I update the website.  

About the availability:
Unfortunately, there is just nothing that can be done about this.  Most live leeches come from Minnesota (where our shipping facility is located).  At this point, there is still close to 3 feet of ice on the water!  Leeches typically are not raised in captivity (nobody has figured out how yet), they are trapped from the wild.  So, until the ice melts, we can't trap them.  To see how we catch them visit our You Tube page and see our video on "How to Trap Leeches." http://www.youtube.com/jewelloutdoors

If you have any further questions Chase, you are more than welcome to call me at 712.790.4630.

Since it looked like maybe you were looking at a larger order (10lbs) I am curious, do you run a bait shop?

Best wishes,

Mark Jewell

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Our Commitment to Customer Service

At Jewell Outdoors, we are in the business of helping you make memories - all we do is provide the bait.

I mean that. We are truly dedicated to helping you have the best fishing trip, weekend getaway, family time, what ever your fishing experience. Our part in that is to provide healthy, lively bait, in a timely fashion.
Sometimes, customers need a hand making an online purchase. Others have questions about how to keep bait alive. Once in a while a customer wonders if we can put night crawlers on bedding, rather than soil, so they can take them to Canada (we can do that). To us, it is about performing. It is about satisfied customers.

We are constantly looking for better ways to do that. If you've seen something that we could improve, leave a comment on this blog post, create a forum at the Jewell Outdoors Community (http://jewelloutdoors.ning.com), or email me direct at mark@jewelloutdoors.com. Thanks for allowing us to be part of your experience.

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2010 Leech Wrangler Competition

This year, at Jewell Outdoors we are holding a fun new contest! We will make it possible for people to answer first hand the question we get asked so often: "How do you catch leeches?"

For the first time ever, we are making our leech traps available to anyone and everyone that wants them. Sure, you can buy them in our online store at http://www.jewelloutdoors.com/store. But, if you really want to get in on the nitty gritty - we are holding a leech wrangling contest!

Rules of engagement will be available shortly - but in the meantime, if you're interested in participating, subscribe to our mailing list on the home page at http://www.jewelloutdoors.com. You'll be the first to know! Until next time...

Bobbers down!

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Working on New Posting Mechanism

AgJobNetwork is undergoing some big changes right now - and we're formulating new plans that will help connect Ag Job Seekers and Ag Job Employers even better. We remain confident that our service connects people in agriculture through social media as good or better than anyone. Our purpose remains to fuel the word of mouth engine for job seekers and employee hirers in Agriculture. We also aim to be a strong advocate for the jobs that make this industry work. Stay tuned!

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The Michigan Sportsman - Hunting and Fishing Michigan

via michigan-sportsman.com

Just found this fishing forum, and joined! I think it has a great niche target to Michigan Outdoors people. Well worth checking out - and I'm considering advertising with them. Well over 1 Million Visits annually.

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