North American Fishing Club

[keithdog]

I recieved an offer to sunscribe to this in the mail. Includes magazine subscription, tackle to tryout and keep, and other things. Anyone ever subscribe to this club/magazine? Is it worth the money?

[bassboogieman]

I was briefly a member about 10 years ago. Didn't like their magazine, never got any tackle to try, and they started sending a series of books, that looked like they were printed in the 60's, on a monthly basis. You either sent the books back (A PITA) or paid for them. I wouldn't recommend them (or their companion North American Hunting Club) but, others must like it as they're still in business. Depends on what your interests are, NAFC is directed more towards multi-species, and as bass are my focus I think there are much better publications devoted more towards my particular interest.
You might want to check a few of the complaints against them. As with most internet "complaint" postings, you may need a grain or two of salt. But generally they follow similiar lines, and I agree with most of them.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/compl...ub-c55318.html
If you visit NAFC website http://www.fishingclub.com/ you'll see the "Encyclopedia" which are the books that I spoke of getting on a monthly basis.

[pro reel]

I was in it 2 years ago. Very disapointed. I did get a spinners to try, complete junk. I did get a few freebies, panfish hooks and split shot. The magazine is actually a decent read, but it's like 6 issues over a year. I wrote return to sender on the books they sent, they still tried to bill me for them.

[Ebbetsguy]

Originally Posted by pro reel

I was in it 2 years ago. Very disapointed. I did get a spinners to try, complete junk. I did get a few freebies, panfish hooks and split shot. The magazine is actually a decent read, but it's like 6 issues over a year. I wrote return to sender on the books they sent, they still tried to bill me for them.

NAFC is a major pain in the *** if not a scam. They promised to send me stuff to test and they said I would not get anything I did not order, this was a few years ago . I joined, I got ridiculous **** to test, books I did not order or want and it took some doing to get them to stop mailing me stuff, I cancelled my membership and never paid for anything they sent me that I did not order. Those books were great for lighting camp fires with wet wood. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS

[CiK]

Same results here. Avoid them at all costs.

[DVT Mike]

IMO you can lump NAFC in with the Helicopter Lure, Banjo Minnow and all other similar junk. Avoid it all.

[BigBassin144]

I was in it for a year. waste of money and time. The magazine was occasionally helpful. I got a pair of braided line scissor and a small thing of Baitmate attractant through their field test program. Not to mention all the free spools of sh!tty Trilene line, but that makes good backing.

Those books they send are a PITA. One of the few I actually bought, they sent me late payment notices for 3 months after I had paid for it. I also got numerous late payment notices on books I sent back... Talk about a scam. It's been over a year since my membership expired and I did get a letter a couple months ago acknowledging that I returned one of the last books... what a joke.

I wouldn't even waste my $1 a month on being a member again. I'd rather save the $12 a year and buy a couple baits that I'll actually use.

BB

[WTL]

Not worth it in any respect. You get nothing but a hassle. Put your money into gas and time on the water.



I will say that when I was a member, which must have been late 90s, they sent me senkos to test out. That was the first time I had ever heard of or seen a senko.

[WaffleJaw]

But I thought I was selected out of millions!!..Haha,yea I got one too Keith...My Dad was a member for a long time..He stop subscribing...I dont plan on starting one either.

[bassinbob]

I was in it a long time ago. Pain in the butt sending back all the books. My friend just joined. He said he can't wait to try out all the stuff they are going to send him. I just laughed and laughed.

[nobass]

agree with the rest of them . kept geting double billed. the test feild trial stuff was crap and kept after you to buy crap. do not waste your time and piece of mindi

[rrw4258]

Add another vote for the negative side... like others have said the books are a PITA to send back, and the magazines are really not that great. They just assumed that I wanted to renew my membership, so they charged my credit card for a 3 year membership at $54! They got a piece of my mind on the phone, and I will not be giving them any more of my business. Big waste of money for me too...

Ryan

[coachpurdy]

I did the NAHC thing, it was a waste of money.

[66KingFisher]

I joined along time ago, and cancelled about the time the 2nd or 3rd book showed up.....While the books were nice in alot of ways, I felt they were waaay over priced...had they been reasonable I might have purchased into them at the time....I never got alot out of the mag since it was multi species and I just bass fished at the time.....I think I got a spool of Triline line and some panfish hooks to test.

I rejoined again just a couple of years ago thinking that maybe things had changed....only I was wrong....same series of books with newer covers on them started showing up every month again and like others pointed out, sending them back was a PITA.....Again I got a crappy roll of Triline line and some panfish hooks, but this time I got a package containing 2 "winged" bobbers.....they are still in the package buried in some pocket on my tacklebag waiting for the right time to test them....that time hasn't happened yet....lol.....Needless to say I didn't renew.

Yesterday I got mail from NAFC and BASS......I'm concidering rejoining BASS so I threw it on my desk, but the NAFC letter got dropped into the firestarter box next to the wood stove....Keith I highly suggest you do the same with yours.

[MO3N]

I also say no. I was a member this past year and I had to directly call them and ask them to take charges of my account that I either already payed for or sent the product back. Every time I called in they said sometimes it takes 4 or 5 weeks for the checks to go through. but my bank account showed the checks were deposited 5 weeks before I called in. They also send out non stop advertising and random things, they tried to get me to upgrade to the super membership or what ever it was called every week. I did receive a few free spools of line. but not worth it at all.

[cassidyta]

While I think it is great that we are a group who can give each other our honest opinions, perhaps we should check if someone is a sponsor of the site before we elaborate in such detail.

[keithdog]

wow, It looks pretty clear to me I'd be better off tossing the envelope offer to join into the trash. Thanks fellas.

[Ebbetsguy]

I saw the banner up there
They are bad news, there are about 6 to 7 threads on various fishing boards right now, all with similar testimonials

If a sponsor is picking peoples pockets , and i can tell you here is what they do
THEY ARE A MARKETING PLATFORM THEY SELL YOUR INFORMATION TO VARIOUS PARTNERS, who then MAIL YOU UNWANTED Materials, then folks who have been burned have the right to post up, as this sponsor would only hurt the reputation of this site.
I can see if one member had an isolated issue, did not call the sponsor and then went on forum and bashed him.
Here several members have been burned all in the same way, the more that post the merrier
Exact detail and truth is the only way to expose stuff like this

[bassboogieman]

I didn't know they were a sponsor - and frankly I don't care. If the truth hurts - so be it. I feel it's a much bigger dis-service to other members of this boart NOT to give a truthful answer to a specific question. To not do so is joining in with NAFC and supporting their poor business practices (a co-conspirator, so-to-speak). That is being dishonest to the other members of this board, and I won't do it. Ban me Kevin if you must, but if a question is asked - I'm going to respond in a truthful manner based upon my personal experiences. I don't pass on other's negativity by word of mouth, just my own. Where possible I provide other sourses to support my position and then the individual who initiated the question can make up their own mind.
I'm just speculating here, Devil's Advocate and all - possibly NAFC took a sponsorship in the hopes of "hooking more phish" (pun definitely intended),and that as a sponsor, they would be afforded some insulation from the members speaking out against them. Seems reasonalbe to me, but the guys here are above that, as shown by the commentary in response to the initial question.

[Ebbetsguy]

You can fool some of the people some of the time

Like the way you think bassboogieman; it's a hustle

[WTL]

I didn't realize they were a sponsor either, they have reely teeny writing where it says North American Fisherman on the ad. Not a very good ad, the other ones with big pictures are more effective. I've clicked on several.

Rather than taking this thread as bad medicine, I would hope NAFC would listen to the opinions within and realize that they have to change their business model to gain back trust.

BASS is the same way...not to the degree, but they have gone off their foundations. I've been working on writing a letter to Jerry McKinins about it. We need some good organizations that cater to the good things about being a fisherman. We are waay too technique/product/competition specific. Fishing should be thinking about being at the lake with grandpa and a basket of crickets 10, 20, 50 years ago. That is the appeal that no matter what, should never be sacrificed.

If NAFC were to stop trying to nickel and dime people, and just delivered a good magazine, no more books, no more pushing stuff, then maybe they would get better word of mouth. As I said above, my experience was not totally bad with them...didn't even mind the books, its just that they were older and the internet has basically lapped the model of producing books anyway. Not worth the money for stuff I knew already. Magazines are only still effective because most people dont want a laptop with electrical cords plugged into it while they are on the jon.

[Kevin]

Hey guys...

Just wanted to inform everyone that North American Fishing Club is NOT a sponsor.

In fact, we don't have any sponsors.

Years ago we did, much like many other sites, but in an effort to be totally unbiased and allow complete freedom to talk about tackle and other products, we do not accept sponsors.

I think it's worked out wonderfully and gives you (and me!) the ability to speak freely, either positively or negatively, about anything in our sport.

As far as I'm concerned... everything is fair game as long as the talk doesn't become malicious... but that doesn't happen here with the great folks we have.

And just FYI... I have never subscribed to NAFC... so I really don't know anything about it.

Thanks for everyone's contributions and participation here! Feel free to express your opinions!

~ Kevin

[cassidyta]

A Kevin sighting....sasquatch has been seen more then you have.

I'm glad to know that they are not a sponsor. I think everyone's sentiment was in agreement that NAFC was not a good organization.

[MallenManson]

Wouldn't really recommend, but wouldn't say not to do it either.
The magazine is just OK and you will constantly get offers in the mail, as well as by e-mail to become a lifetime member and get the junk gifts that come with it.
Wanna say I paid 13 bucks for the year. They sent me a $10 coupon which I used on a tee shirt (priced at $20), that is priced at $25 at BPS.

With that being said, I'm not gonna subscribe again.

[Ebbetsguy]

Thanks Kevin. standup post