Great Lakes Angler Magazine Returns

[Dave Mull]

Great Lakes Angler Magazine was almost gone, but now it's coming back.

For the guys who don't know this, I was the editor of the magazine for 12 years, but got laid off for the second year in a row in July this year. I figured I might go back in December under a contract basis while working on getting clients for an outdoors-related, content supply career. Surviving on seven months of work and being unemployed for five months wasn't feasible.

But the opportunity to go back apparently ended after a conversation with a friend who worked for an agency and placed ads for the magazine's largest advertiser, as well as two smaller advertisers. In the course of conversation, he asked me what the circulation of the magazine actually was. And I told him what I'd seen on the latest publisher's statement. That number was about 33,000 subscribers less than he'd been led to believe by what the ad salesman was telling him and actually what was published in the media kit in years gone by.

News of my truthfulness wove its way upstairs (I advised the ad guy about the conversation so he didn't embarrass himself the nex ttime he called the agency) and suddenly my cell service was cut off and I was asked to return my laptop, and my email didn't work anymore.

And several weeks later, I heard from someone who still worked there, that Great Lakes Angler was "dead."

A few weeks ago, Amato Publications, the company that publishes Salmon-Trout-Steelheader (IMO, a fine magazine, largely covering West Coast salmon and steelhead fishing) bought the magazine and glangler.com website, with plans to bring the magazine back in February, and publish it six times a year, every other month. (In the past, it had been published between six and nine times a year, with most of the magazines coming out in the first six months of the year, which is when most advertisers that GLA could get wanted to advertise.

I have been in consistent contact with Nick Amato, the editor of STS, who has been assigned by his dad Frank, the publisher, to also edit GLA. I've given him contact info for the writers I liked working with, and he has asked me to contribute a feature and a new product column for the "New GLA." And I'll be doing that. In addition, the gal who really helped keep GLA publishing, Kirsten Moxley, resigned at O'Meara-Brown Publications (the publishers of GLA as well as Lakeland Boating) and was later asked to sell for GLA, which she is now doing.

I'm just glad as heck the magazine and website, which I worked for, well, for a long time, is not dead. I wish the new owners well and I hope to be a regular contributor for a long time. I'm no longer the admin for GLAngler.com, but have been unbanned, and will participate there from time to time, too.

I have an avatar over there that kinda sums up how I felt the old owner treated me.

In the foreseeable future, though, I plan to continue my blog here for as long as Mike Heckman will allow, and as long as there's no upsurge of discontent from the members of greatlakesfisherman.com.

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! I can only count my blessings and be truly thankful for all of them!

[tltorrice]

Dave, thanks for the update on the magazine. Who knows, maybe the new owners will take it to a whole new level. I am glad you are a contributer here.

Best regards

Tom Torrice

[Dave Mull]

Dave, thanks for the update on the magazine. Who knows, maybe the new owners will take it to a whole new level. I am glad you are a contributer here.

Best regards

Tom Torrice

Thanks for the kinds words, Tom. I think it will be better than ever--for sure it will be a bigger magazine with more content as it appears Amato operates with lower overhead than is possible when the office is in Chicago's South Loop on "Historic Printers' Row." I'm just glad that there will be a magazine with stories in every issue to help Great Lakes trollers catch more fish!

Dave

[danthebuilder]

Good to hear order is restored.

[sherman51]

sounds good to me. i would love to get the magazine again, as long as it has some good lake erie articals. as i havent fished for salmon in awhile. i do still have so much to learm about fishing lake erie.

sherman

[GLF]

We wish the best for the GLA magazine and the new owners. Its great to hear that you will be a part of it! The GLA magazine would not have been the magazine it was without you. Every ship needs a captain, and you did a fine job at the helm!

You are always welcomed here, and we look foreward to your arcticles in your blog.

[fishhinds]

well, am I ever late to read this news or what? I read Nicks Amato's editorial (which was fine) and thought where is Dave Mull? and then I noticed Dan Keatons back page gone... I hope you are doing well Dave.