EDITOR’S NOTE
WELCOME BACK,
SOLUNAR TABLES
I
read a lot of magazines. Yeah, you’re probably not surprised. Usually, the first
thing I read is the editor’s column in the front of the book. It’s fun to see what’s
on the mind of other folks doing the same kind of work as me, and sometimes
they share background about a particular article or project that teaches me a les-
son in magazine production.
And sometimes, I totally ignore the lesson.
An example: Back before I had this job, I read a column in a major outdoor
magazine by an editor who was leaving his position. I don’t remember why he was
leaving, but I recall him sharing that one of the biggest mistakes he made during
his tenure was dropping the solunar chart from the magazine. Apparently, read-
ers responded with a greater degree of vitriol than he ever could have anticipat-
ed, and he quickly brought it back.
Like I said, I ignore some lessons. In the Winter 2019 issue of FLW Bass Fishing,
I cut our version of the chart, called “Solunar Tables.” I did it because we had lim-
ited space, and I felt we had other content that was more valuable to our readers
and deserved some extra real estate.
I guess I was wrong.
We don’t get a lot of feedback – good or bad – from our subscribers (please, send
more), but I received a number of phone calls and emails from concerned readers
wondering why the “Solunar Tables” were gone and if they were coming back.
Several readers told me they’d stop subscribing if I didn’t bring them back.
One gentleman claimed he doesn’t even fish. He only subscribes because the sol-
unar info we source is apparently the best available. Go figure.
Honestly, I didn’t get it. A solunar chart is supposed to predict the best times
to go hunting and fishing based on the location of the sun and moon relative to
the critters’ locations, but I’ve always believed the best time to go is whenever you
can. Full moon, half moon, waxing crescent – OK, sure. Is the lake frozen? If not,
let’s go. Moon phase wasn’t something I took into consideration.
Until now, that is.
The response to dropping “Solunar Tables” has me wondering what I’m missing.
Could I be catching more bass if I studied the chart? Should I be carving out blocks
of time to spend on the lake based on the major and minor activity periods?
No, really, I’m asking.
If you have experience using our “Solunar Tables” to catch more fish, or you
incorporate sun and moon location into your bass fishing repertoire in any way,
write to me with some detail on how it works for you. You can email it to
[email protected] with “solunar advice” in the subject line. Keep
your text to less than 300 words, and include your name and address. I’ll save a
page or two in an upcoming issue to publish the best advice. If yours makes the
cut, I’ll send you some tackle.
I’ve learned my lesson with regard to publishing the “Solunar Tables,” and I’m
happy to report they’re back. You can find them on page 12. Now, I’m hoping you
can teach me another lesson: how to use the information in the tables to catch
more bass.
4
Curtis Niedermier, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher
Irwin L. Jacobs
Editor-in-Chief
Curtis Niedermier
Production Manager/
Graphic Designer
Michelle Dowling
Associate Editor
Justin Onslow
Field Editors
Matt Williams
Contributors
Matt Ball, Joe Balog, TJ Maglio,
Sean Ostruszka
Graphic Designer/Illustrator
Matt Pace
Director of Advertising
Al Chapman | 270.252.1628
FLWFishing.com
Senior Editor
Kyle Wood
Digital Editor
Jody White
Letters to the Editor
FLW Bass Fishing
30 Gamble Lane, Benton, KY 42025
[email protected]
Chairman & CEO
Irwin L. Jacobs
President of FLW
Marketing Division
Trish Blake
President of FLW
Operations Division
Kathy Fennel
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Mahler
Vice President, Controller
Tommy Boaz
Vice President of Marketing
Kelly Oettinger
Vice President of Operations
Dave Washburn
FLWFISHING.COM I SPRING 2019