CKO's 1st birthday

Happy 1st year birthday CKOutdoors!!!!! Although it was not for a couple weeks until posts were made CKO was started today.I figured that I'd share some totals for our 1st year.Unique visitors....15,115Total visits....59,626Pages viewed...1,376,637Hits...7,631,996Most months each visitor looks at approxamtely 24 pages.There's so many thank you's to hand out.Each and everyone that has posted has contributed .When I look back at all of the fishing posts about the day on the lake is mind boggling.We are not just a Mn. forum or a MidWest forum ,but rather a US forum.We have members from at least 15-20 states and we are growing.We already have 12 pages of ice fishing reports and have 2 months to go.I'm also very proud to know that several members have picked up on finese fishing.I can look back 4 years to a day when it was just me banging the drum.Now there's fishers all over touting what downsizing can do for your fishing success.T.H.E. Jig ....last year and the year before I would have a backlog of 10 orders on average.I bet I have 30 now.Thank you to all that have dared to try to fish without meat.Keep in mind that we will roll right into open water with it only having that week of ice off for down time when the meat guys will struggle until that water gets over 55 degrees.There have been a few other products that I've tried to promote.Austin Rods for ice fishing,Grandt Rods for open water.Sassy Shads and the Ring'n Grubs .Marcum flashers,Otter Portables and Strike Master Augers.As the new webmaster takes control we will copy this forum over to another forum.It will be the same phpbb format,but there are going to be some additions.A store WILL be added so that you can shop easier for those goodies we love.Clothing,rods,reels,plastics,jigs will be offered.Banners will be added. So with paying sponsors there will be more products in give aways.For the most part everyone I've spoken too loves the forum.The lack of bashing is refreshing. You all deserve an attaboy for being great posters and for putting so much effort into helping others in need.We gathered a bunch of gear for G.E.M, which I'm proud to say was probally our best thing we have done as a group to help those inner city youths.A big thanks goes out to MT for involving us.Our membership is up to 350 which is a great sign of growth in 1 year.I'd like to thank allof those other forums for allowing us to promote in our signatures and for everyone that has posted our link in these other places , least not to forgot all of the envites to your fishing buddies.The additions of blogs , facebook and such is also a great help.I've been doing a 10 minute piece on a local radio station and I just got invited to write a column for a local paper.Still working those details out.Finally our Pro Staff has done a phuenominal job and I thank you all.Our mods have really been a hands off group letting everyone speak their minds for the most part and I can think of only just a few individuals I've been forced to ban.Well that's about it from the way I see things.The worst issue is the lag time on jigs. I've tried to hire help to no avail.They are to hard to make in a mass production situation so I'm doing what I can.I have a guy practicing tying and my sister is painting heads now.Just know that I'm spending as much time as I can behind the vice.I do have a day job,but some day that will end and CKO will be my full time occupation!
Keith(CrappieKeith)Nelson