Bassmaster Magazine

Fishing is a sport adored by its dedicated fans and it's an activity that I have been known to partake in once in a while. There are a few magazines that cover the topic of fishing and one of the better ones on the market is Bassmaster, a magazine dedicated to bass fishing.

Basic Contents of This Magazine:

Bassmaster is issued eleven times per year with about 90 to 130 pages in each issue. Some of the departments found in every issue are:

Short Casts- This department in one page in length, is dedicated to a specific region or state, and includes four small sections: Scientific Angle, State of Bass, Angling Economics, and The Business of Bass.

Tournament Trail- This section includes a quick rundown of bass fishing tournaments in the United States.

Others- Bassmaster offers a large number of other departments that are generally self- explanatory based on their title. They are: Upfront, Scott on the Line, Ask the Experts, Bass Boating, Conservation, Health & Fitness, Bass Basics, Lunker Club, Antique Tackle, Weekend Angle, Coming Up (in the next issue), Back Deck, and others. These departments are usually one page in length.

The departments comprise a large portion of the pages in each issue but there is still space for the monthly featured articles. Each issue can be counted on for about seven or eight of these longer articles.

Cost to Subscribe:

Bassmaster varies in subscription price from one retailer to the next. The median price for this magazine is about $15 per year, representing a savings of 72 percent from the $4.95 cover price. With a little effort, it is not difficult to find it selling for less. Some on- line stores have the price reduced to only $10 for the same one- year subscription.

Magazine Website/Customer Service:

More information on this magazine can be found at the website, bassmaster.com. The customer service phone contact is 877-BASSUSA and the e-mail contact is customerservice@bassmaster.com.

Final Thoughts:

Bassmaster is a magazine about fishing and it likes to boast that it is the "Worldwide Authority on Bass Fishing". This magazine divides its focus among different areas, like finding/fishing for bass, buying the best equipment, and keeping pace with the different sporting tournaments that focus on bass fishing.

I spend very little time participating in outdoor sports but I have been known to cast a reel over an expanse of water on an infrequent occasion. With Bassmaster, consumers like me can quickly get the information needed to find places to fish for bass. There is also plenty of tips and advice from Bassmaster magazine and from fishing professionals. They clue you in on the right environment and weather conditions for bass fishing, the best equipment to use, and the most effective lure to improve your chances for landing that prized catch.

Bassmaster is like other sporting magazines in many ways, but it differs a little from other fishing magazines, mainly in its coverage of the sport of bass fishing. Part of the reason for the emphasis on sports is Bassmaster's affiliation with sports authority ESPN. Logon to bassmaster.com and you will notice that the web address changes to sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster. The web site has a similar look to other ESPN pages. ESPN is the main reason the sporting aspect gets the amount of coverage in Bassmaster that it does.

Bassmaster is loaded with different departments and among all the magazines I read each month, Bassmaster probably has more departments than any other publication of similar length. The departments are short- usually covering only one page each- but they offer some of the magazine's best and easiest to read material. Departments like "Ask the Experts", "Bass Basics", and others are good for finding some quick information on fishing and how to make it more enjoyable and more successful. I like the Destinations section, too, because it offers some information on lakes and rivers that would make good choices for vacationing as well as fishing.

Advertisements in Bassmaster are kept under control, with about forty percent of the pages covered with ads. The ads focus on things like fishing equipment, boats, beer, whiskey, and chewing tobacco- you know, the essential components to any successful fishing expedition. There is also a short classified ad section in the back of each issue called Tacklebox. It includes web links and phone numbers to purchase equipment and various services.

I don't fish very often and I'm not someone that would be classified as an outdoorsman, but I still like Bassmaster magazine. It offers some good writing and compelling articles about bass fishing, both as a casual hobby and as a competitive sport. If someone like me- a person who doesn't even fish very much- can find reasons to enjoy reading a magazine like Bassmaster, just think of how much a true fan of this activity will like this publication. It's one of the better fishing magazines and it makes a good choice of gift for a dedicated fisherman; offering plenty of good reading each month all for a low subscription cost.