Hey all,

Well I know you have all heard me mention Todd's site before. www.reelwalleye.com Todd has since started a forum using this same server and a format very similar to this one. Obviously Todd's site is much more walleye based than ours is here. So if anyone is ever looking for some good reliable walleye info so just wanna learn a thing or two about walleye fishing I would definitely check it out. He has all the right ideas of how to make a good site and has learned a thing or two from Ryan and I about how to keep it that way.

Oh yeah, and I been helping him get things set up and such, and I know you guys, you could pick apart anything! So feel free to go look at it and tell me what I am doing wrong or isn't working right. I know you guys won't be gentle.

Also, if you guys know of or are buddies with any guys that you think would be a good fit personality wise and such for a site such as his I'm sure that he would be more than happy to entertain your suggestions for new members. We all know finding the right members is the hardest part of this game and keeping a site the way we all love them.


The Reel Walleye Web Forum!

Oh yeah, and you can't see much as a nonmember, you all know how that works, so if you wanna get in on the good stuff you'll have to become a member.

Randy and Ryan's site are so nice and 'down home' I thought I'd try it.

Randy has been extremely kind helping John and I get going and I can't thank him enough already.

Any one from West Point has to be alright! (I live in West Point, NE).

T

There's no portal page!

Must have to be a member.

Looks pretty good from what I can see not being a member.

Wonder if the Chatbox works better than ours!

THANKS FOR THE INPUT!!!!!

Chatbox, could be ok. Most of the time I see them as stagnant on most websites.

You got me on the portal, not sure what that is.

Members - I want a members only view and post site. I should have it like I think Randy does where you have to approve membership but I'd like to see if it works out this way.

I've been a part of some bigger sites and seen where usually 60-80% of readers are non-members. On one hand, some become members because they can view as non-members. On the other hand, the members that post quality info don't get anything in return. Reelwalleye.com is a non-member site so it's not like people aren't getting content.

I also want to minimize bashing, agendas, and so on. After being in the industry for so long, I probably look at some things with a more jaded eye than I should.

After you work boat shows and hear reps bragging about slamming companies, fisherman who know way too much bashing others anonymously, guys sucking up fishing reports without giving any, etc.

I get a kick out of our Neb Walleye Assn website and others around the area. Some guys just won't go fish anymore without a fishing report. I used to post up when guys begged for reports something like this - "I'll give you exact places and lures to start with if you can show me more than 2 reports YOU'VE contributed in the last year."

I never had to pay off.

By the way - on my site and others I had stats from - you'll find that over 50% of the hits are from people reading fishing reports - most from non-members if they can do it.

Todd

Yeah I think everyone here has a pretty good idea of what you mean Todd. Prolly the #1 reason we are all hiding out over here.


I have not added a chatbox to your site cause I just don't see right now where you need one. You are right most sites the chatbox sits idle. Not the case here as we are a bunch of chatterboxes. Look at the total number of posts versus the total number of members. You be hard pressed to find a site with more hits than this one with as few a members as it has. I have looked. Plus the closeness of everyone here leads itself to chatting cause on a day to day basis we all really do want to know what is going on in eachothers lives. Pretty cool I think. Fact is I bet Branden or Trav or Mark or whoever prolly knows more about what goes on day to day in my life than my parents do and they live just down the street.

If and when your site gets to that point, and I do believe it will. Then you may indeed consider the chatbox option. Otherwise I am not sure in a public forum there are that many guys that comfortable with eachother that they wanna spend a couple hours just chattin away like we do.

Again these are just my opinions and if anyone including you Todd feels otherwise than speak up. I am all ears.



The portal page, well we are going to get into that. It is just kind of a page where you can put a lot of extra content around the site without having to overload the actual forum home page. You'll see as time rolls on.

Glad to have your steady hand helping Randy.

Now if I can just become a Reaction Innovations pro staffer for walleye. I could borrow Kim Bain Moore for some on the water training at a remote location. Plus I have a whole bunch of names and colors stored up for walleye lures.

Lots of good thoughts Todd.I have found through the years that most people that are on the big sites go there for one reason-and that for FREE information.They want to know where to go,what to use,and what lake/river to do it on.At the same time,they will NEVER share back tips,or advice.
I've been on the www for over 7 years now,and have found this out the hard way most times.
My main goal on my site was for a place of friends to share thier live with other friends.As simple as that.We all know who the good peopel are.
I've had like 250 people sign up for my site,but only have like 115 members.I want active members.Not a lot,but just check in from time to time.I've had many members that have log on to my site 500 times without a single post.Do you suppose I know what thier doing?
In no way am I telling you guys how to run your own sites,just how I like to do things.
What are your goals for your sites.To get bigger? Or have a fun site with limited members?

I've always had a problem with the big sites and how they operate.Are you really a friend? Or just another member to add to the list so thay can charge more from their advertisors?

We have a micro-brewery of small sites on hand. Very cool.

Ryan Hale

That's a great way to say it Ryan.

You and I have had..... similar experiences.

After a year or so I'll evaluate membership and let guys know that it's time to get involved or move on if they log in but never post, or just plain never log in. I know some guys do it to be "friends" and that's ok too.

I feel like you, Randy, and hopefully John and I have something of value.

I haven't even considered advertising stuff.

I can't post this on my site, but I actually think a few of the few I have already are competitors and just there to get better reports than we might put up on the website from our NWA tourneys, we'll find out.

Looks like you are on your way to a great site but I still want to know where West Point, NE is. Don't tell my wife but I used to have a girlfriend in Norfolk.

Sorry bout that - 40 min SE. Right between there and Fremont.

55 minutes to Sioux City
1.75 hours to Yankton
1.5 hours to Lincoln
1 hour to Omaha

I'll be more the fat guy comic not crossed with the heavy drinking and smoking gene