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!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
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!
Friday, March 5, 2010
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
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!
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.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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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