Franks Great Outdoors Issues First Catalog with Linwood Beach Marina
Gorske Brothers Marketing The Spot, GPS Tracker for Sportsmen
February 3, 2008
By: Dave Rogers
"Captain" Andy Gorske shows off The Spot, as Kyle Brookhouse, center, and Pete Gorske look on. The Spot is a GPS tracking device that sends a message telling where you are on the ice or in the woods.
Andy Gorske shows how Rover 2.0, a collapsible fishing shanty, gives users an extra six inches of height through folding poles.
You can find a fish electronically with equipment offered by Franks Great Outdoors.
Now you can find a person, too!
The Spot, a new GPS tracking device, will tell you where your friend or relative is on the ice or in the woods, hiking, fishing or biking.
Frank's, the sports outfitter, largest such firm in the Bay County area, has been in business since Frank Gorske began selling minnows in 1945 by the side of the road.
Frank's Great Outdoors is located at 1206 N. Huron Road, Linwood, MI. Phone is 989-697-5341.
Grandsons Andy and Pete Gorske now have broadened the firm's offerings to include everything from bait to lures, to hunting and fishing clothing and collapsible ice fishing shanties.
And, the brothers have teamed up with the nearby Linwood Beach Marina and Campgrounds to market a wide variety of boats -- Bayliner, Triton, Trophy, Mercury, Crestliner, Sunset Bay, Trophy -- along with Crest Pontoons.
About 20,000 catalogs issued by the new joint marketing effort are going out, mainly through point-of-purchase distribution, said "Captain" Andy Gorske.
The catalog features most of the merchandise available at Frank's 30,000 square foot store on M-13 just north of Linwood plus the boats on sale at the Linwood Beach Marina and Campground.
The Spot, Satellite Messenger GPS Tracking Device, is touted as the world's first satellite messenger.
Produced by GPS Systems, the Spot retails at $149. An annual satellite subscription service at $99.99 a year includes Alert 9-1-1 to dispatch emergency responders to your exact location, Check In to let contacts know where you are and that you're OK, and Ask For Help to request help from friends and family or notify your exact location.
The new Frank's Catalog features most of the merchandise available at Frank's 30,000 square foot store on M-13 just north of Linwood plus the boats on sale at the Linwood Beach Marina and Campground.
Once activated, the Spot will acquire coordinates from the GPS Network and send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minutes until canceled.
Andy Gorske is noted for his telephone accessed fishing report, also on line at http://www.FranksGreatOutdoors.com
Frank's is noted for its availability of fishing information. "You can call and talk to anyone here at any time we're open," said Andy. "Other times you can get the report on the phone or online."
Here's his latest fishing report:
Captain Andy's Fishing Report
Friday, 1/25/08
Hi There Fellow Fisherman, Captain Andy here with this week's Fishing Report.
Old Man Winter is back and the ice conditions are improving daily. Anglers are starting to venture out to deeper water and finding 3 to 5 inches of good ice. There are a few rumors of fish being taken in 17 to 20 feet of water and around the edge of the Black Hole. I haven't heard of any pressure cracks or open spots yet, but it's still very early in the game, so proceed with extreme caution as always.
There are some guys fishing on the Saginaw River, but that ice can change quickly, so once again proceed with caution. Remember it's always a good idea to let someone know where you're going, when you'll be back, and most importantly, never travel alone.
From Captain Andy and the crew at Frank's, Good Luck & Good Fishing!
E-mail Captain Andy at CaptainAndy@FranksGreatOutdoors.com
