I was paging through my local newspaper on Saturday, and I saw about a quarter page ad for
Professor Higbee's Stream & Lake Map of Pennsylvania. Now, I had heard of this map before, probably visited the website a few times over the course of the past season or two "Googling" random things about fishing, but what struck me about the print ad was the marketing around this map.
First, it was billed as the
"Lost" Professor Higbee map. They play this thing up as if it is some rare, ancient artifact, you know, the kind of map the cast of
The Goonies would need an amulet from a shipwreck or something to decipher. (Check out One Eyed Willie's suggestions on secret limestone streams)
Turns out it's origins date way back to 1965, which I guess was a different time. I'm not sure
Al Gore had even invented the internet way back then.
Second, the promotional ploy totally reeked of infomercial. Not only did you get the 3x5 foot stream map, but if you acted today, you also got 3 additional bonus gifts, including such notable works as "Finding Secret Fishing Spots" and "How Anglers Stalk & Catch Record Fish." I was kinda hoping they'd "double my order" or include a
Slap Chop at no extra charge.
So, I'm not sure where this ramble is going. This very well might be the cat's meow when it comes to stream maps in PA. For $20, it certainly wouldn't break the bank. I guess my question is if something like this is still relevant in today's time of easily accessible internet stream reports and Google Earth/Maps?