In-Fisherman Magazine Turns 30

This week the 30th Anniversary Edition of the In-Fisherman Magazine goes on sale at newsstands around the country…but why is this milestone of any importance to sportsmen?   Quite frankly, it was the foresight of brothers Lindner who helped to revolutionize the process and the science behind the way many of us go fishing.
Infisherman
As the fishing industry grew there was also a need to satiate the growing thirst for knowledge that permeated throughout the outdoors world.   For deer hunters it was a group in Wisconsin called Stump Sitters who eventually parlayed this deep desire to learn everything about deer into a club, of sorts, to share experiences and blend knowledge.   Eventually, this effort evolved into the magazine now called Deer and Deer Hunting.   But for fishermen nothing could ring more credible than the wisdom spewed forth in In-Fisherman published by the Lindner Brothers of Bemidji, Minnesota.

You see, the Lindner Brothers were well on their way to making a name for themselves even before they published their first written article.   In Northern Minnesota the name Lindner quickly became synonymous with success even way back in the early 70s.   In fact, these brothers started dabbling in producing fishing-related TV shows dating way back to 1970.   Their uncanny ability to mix fishing fun with hardcore fishing science paved the way for these pioneers of fishing to permanently make a mark in the fishing world.

As fishing lure manufacturers (Lindy Tackle – Lindy Rig, etc.), to publishers of books, magazines, TV, radio, videos, websites…the Linder Brothers really have done it all.   And perhaps most notable of all is that after nearly four decades in the industry their reputation and energy is still going strong, where many others have often failed.

Ever since the early days the credo at In-Fisherman was to conduct the research out on the water…and that’s what they did best.   The Lindners resisted the temptation of burying their noses into books or research articles and instead opted to do the research themselves…on the water…with fishing reel in hand.   On average they would log over 200 days each year using fishing experience as their best teacher to prove or disprove their theories.

Today, as I understand it, the Lindner Brothers no longer own their multimedia enterprise known as In-Fisherman.   They sold that a few years back to Primedia, Inc. a large New York-based media giant.   Still, many of the same old influences that were present way back in the beginning continue to help make up a part of In-Fisherman yet today.

The Lindners, however, have now embarked on a new venture called Angler’s Edge which has much of the same flavor of their old venture producing quality TV Shows and videos, but now you can also see a more open reference to their Christianity faith.

To many of us the In-Fisherman will always be about a couple of brothers from Chicago who grew fed up with big city life and moved to Northern Minnesota to begin their fishing education empire.   Unfortunately, as so often happens when success blossoms, that empire grew so big that the brothers were actually spending more time catering to the business than casting for the fish.   Hence, the sale of their business to begin life anew.

As we reflect back on the past 30 years of knowledge printed in In-Fisherman…it’s more a celebration of Al, Ron and Jeff Lindner’s dream of mixing science with a sport that mysteriously was taking place underwater where we could not see the action.   What we now take for granted as fishing fact was once cutting edge knowledge some 25 to 30 years ago.   Thanks largely to the Lindners; they taught us all how fishing can not only be a fun activity, but also a never-ending learning opportunity.

© 2005 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction Without Prior Permission.