Striprman - I rest my case. You DON'T get it.

Yes, this site is about sharing knowlege and information to help people like you and me to catch more fish and to be better and more responsible anglers. Its not about saying go here and you'll catch a fish. Going by your rules, I should telleveryone about a place you walk a mile to get into, go thru what may or may not be R.O.W.s between peoples yards and get a bunch of people to share a spot that can park maybe 2-3 cars and handle 5-8 people. Would it be responsible for me to post this spot if I were slamming fish, then give directions, and have 60 people there on a weekend night? Littering beer cans, and lure boxes, leaving old bait on the rocks? Do you think it will be long before the local police are booting people or perhaps detaining people giving the 2 Mil landowner the benefit of the doubt?

Or maybe to go blab about someplace that is public access and see every cooler toting, alcohol swilling, littering person that doesn't respect what little access we still have go and ruin that too? There are major towns with remaing access to fisherman reconsidering whether or not to allow anglers to park and access places to fish because of litter, disrespect for the environment, overcrowding, and the like. Does our responsibility to share "SPOTS" over the Internet supercede our responsibility as respectful and good anglers to not overrun what a SPOT can handle?

What do you think is more important Striprman, puking fishing places on the Interent and overrunning places casuing further loss of access or helping people LEARN to figure stuff out by gaining experience, pointing people in the right direction, and being RESPONSIBLE to our sport and protecting what little we have left??

Every time I go out fishing, I bring a big garbage bag with me to collect any junk I might come across. I always take back more than when I came. I encourage anyone that I give a spot to, to do the same. There are so many different places to go, all have
their problems. That doesn't stop me from telling others where to go, how to fish, the right time to go. So, there is a crowd..so what?
If you want solitude, climb back into bed. I don't think you guys "get it". You want it all for yourselves. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Ya, I want it all for myself. Sorry, I don't think that way.
I'm sorry to hear that you have had bad experiences at some of "your" spots. Maybe if more "spots" were posted and "exposed", "the gang" wouldn't "crowd" one particular "burned" spot.
You say some spots can't "take the pressure" of additional persons fishing there. OK, well if theres a crowd, and you don't like it, go somewhere else.
I've been lucky enough to enjoy striper fishing for 40+ years. I've always tried to help others and give information freely. When there is a crowd, I'm always happy to see fishermen enjoying their favorite pastime. And, if it is at a place that I might have let some of them know about, that makes me extra happy.
Some "secrets" are worth sharing, with all.
Do you think all internet fishermen are irresponsible? I don't think so. I think many more appreciate it when a knowedgeable
fisherman is willing to share his years of experience with others in the spirit of sportsmanship.

:smash:

youre being a friggin a$$hole pal. why can't you respect the etiquette of this chat room. people here worked their asses of to learn to a spot, and they want to be able to enjoy that spot in the future without having to contend with crowds. i feel bad for the serious, hard fishing fanatics on this site who know their $hit but have it blown to $hit by someone who could care less about common decency. why can't you compromise?

If people want to share a spot FINE.. But do so privately in a PM or call them. A once secluded beach that yielded great fish with little pressure now is filled with people fishing leaving trash and some nights is so bright with fires and lanterns you dont need a light to tie lures on. The reason is people yelling out spots in a forum that is read by thousands in a given week. If someone needs help have them PM someone. The same info is transferred yet with little public knowledge.

I haven't given out any specific spots, just generalizations. The places I like to fish can be crowded at times, at other times they aren't crowded at all. Also, I have never called anyone any derogatory names, and never will. Every fisherman has their favorite locations. All I'm saying is that if a person wants to give a location to the internet community, it should be OK to do so. I haven't found it particularly difficult to catch fish. You use a fishing pole, a reel, some line, a hook, a sinker, some bait (dead or alive) or a lure of some type.
How hard is that? I guess some people find it very difficult because some people fish for years without catching a thing.
All I have to say to them is look for moving water and holes.
And, fish at night when you can. And lastly, don't expect to catch alot of fish (you might though). You might have to fish several hours for one bite, or you might catch a large on your first cast. If you are impatient, take up a different recreation.

The people I really respect on here are the artists and lure makers/fishermen, those are some talented individuals . I makes some of my own lures during the off season. I'm no artist, but my creations catch me some nice ones now and again. I'm not a rich man, I can't afford fly fishing trips to MV or Nantucket. I fish the cape and south shore. I don't own a 4wd or do I care to. I fish as hard as the next guy, maybe harder.
I get my share of fish during the season and every minute I spend I thoroughly enjoy. My brother owns a 21 foot boat, we go out to the islands, Cape Cod bay and Narraganset bay several times a year and take a few trips to Plymouth. It's not difficult to catch fish, you just need the right tools, time and tides. If your not willing to fish when the fish are there, well you'll never catch anything.

Is it indecent to share spots with the internet community? I guess you guys think so. I'd like to think that the internet community is a better group of persons than what you guys have led me to believe.

Now get out there and catch some fish

like JohnR said, you obviously don't understand

It's not indecent. What was word of mouth in the past how become World of Blab on the internet. There are no secret places. They have been fished for generations. What may be "secret" is the thrill of working an area and finding out when , where, and how. That is the attraction. When I started about 12 years ago, I went to a seminar at the old Perry's Boat Yard. A talk was given by a member of the Cape Cod Salties. I forget his name now. He told the beginners to get a road Atlas of the Cape and hit the places you can get access for; those places that look fishey. Like the Nike ad, "Just Do It.".

So I just did it.Not too well, but it has been fun. There were jerks around then, and always will be. I have some frustrating memories of yo-yos coming up on our group at the canal and tosssing lines over us as we fished at the canal edge. Jerks without a clue. No internet then, all word of mouth, or from a bait store. Legal fish were 36". With the explosion in interest, the Moron Population has gotten bigger . Do you blame anyone who has invested time and money to drive a distance to the Cape to learn the sport to become an open book of locations and timing? How about the guys who live down there and have put in countless hours to learn?

I had a few days off and went to a spot. I didn't think the fish would be there in great numbers. I did want to check it out for future reference. I spent time and money to do this. It is part of 'paying the dues." If I did hit the bonaza, I would tell a few people I know and trust because they also pay their dues. Otherwise, nothing.

Yes, I understand. You've worked hard to find several productive fishing spots (shore spots). You have found some on your own, and some maybe a friend or a friends father. Maybe it was a spot your grandfather showed you, a "special" spot that, during the "right" stage of the moon, the "right" time of day (or night), the tide brings fish, possibly large. Now, you've spent years learning the "right" lure to use (through hours of experimentation) or the right bait (pogie, herring, squid, clam, sea worm, mackerel, scup, pollack, ) or any of the other myriad of baits that might catch at "your" spot. Your spot gets posted on a internet web fishing site, and the next time you go there, Billy Bob and a truck full of googanheimers are sitting there, swigging beers and generally trashing the place, and not catching a damn thing, while you know the fish are there. Maddenning, isn't it?

Striprman - I RUN an Interne Fishing Site, to SHARE knowledge with others, to help people - includiing myself - become better anglers. You know how much coin I make doing this? You know how many hours I put into this site to make it run? Yet, I don't want my secluded little spot or my method used? Sheeeeoooot - go to the How Tos - my method is there in 2 pages worth. I'll tell you some of my favorite places from Watch Hill to Truro - but I won't mention a spot and let it get over run - too many people do that already and from umpteenth time THESE SPOTS CAN'T HANDLE IT sometimes.

I go to the hearings on access and DEM, I go on beach cleanups, I PARTICIPATE in the system. I try to make the system better, and I see where the fishing community comes up short, and the main reason is overrunning and treating what limited access we have left like crap. Obviously I can't be sincere enough when I say this but you just don't get it. The Internet is not the local bait shop where the proprieter share info with his 30 friends. Its THREE HUNDRED here....

Where is my damn lyrics sheet for that "Cumbaya" song?:confused: I had them out just the other day.;)

Stripers are slammin' off the New Jersey coast.....you guys should all go there this weekend and give that spot a shot....let me know how you make out!:D

Jamaica bay is loaded...:rolleyes:

striperman, you don't have a clue. You say, if you want solitude, go back to bed.

Sorry friend, but that's what fishing is all about for alot of people. They want to get away from the crowds, the noise, etc. to enjoy a mountain stream, the crashing surf, take time to think.... we could take up mall shopping if we want crowds.

Some people just like to fish and don't care if there are a thousand people around... you will find them lined up at the big hole below the bridge where the stocking truck just dumped 200 trout.

But for those that hike up into the mountains, or fish the late shift when most people are in bed, or go north and fish with ice forming in your guides, are the first ones out alone on the beach in early spring and the last late in the fall, or in general, seek to get away from the average group, I think solitude and escape is a HUGE part of it. Maybe most of it.

Why do I launch at 4am in the summer... the fishing is better at dawn, sure... but there is a magic hour or two where the water is gold and I'm one of a handful of boats out on Boston Harbor. At that point, I feel like I've put some distance between me and the masses.

So do we want it all to our selves? Probably a little, would we rather someone come by the info honestly, through hard work and putting some time in... YES... because I think we learn some things during that process. We learn to respect the sport, respect the effort it takes to get there, and rather than receiving instant gratification, that person has earned their spot there. And they'll know how to participate appropriately.

AND... the other part you are missing is the whole access issue. As recreational fishermen numbers increase, access decreases. More and more, access is lost mostly because of a few people, yes, but lost regardless. And if there are a thousand people checking this site, and they each tell 5 people, and they tell 2... suddenly a spot is overwhelmed, locals get fed up, and up goes another, "TOWN STICKER REQUIRED" signs. Its reality.

AND... There are already plenty of magazines and books that will get anyone who reads them to some good spots, so AT LEAST CAN THEY READ THE BOOKS?? If someone is not at least willing to do that, than I would say they don't need to be out there anyway.

John, your a good man.
From day 1 all I wanted was to make people more aware, raise an eyebrow or 2, or maybe make someone laugh. I don't mind playing dumb or having people think I'm "different". I did it for a reason, I love fishing, alway have and always will. Maybe my approach is unconventional, maybe I made a few persons mad, irate or people think I'm "thick". That may be, but if I got 1 person to maybe think about something they might not have thought of, or think back on something that happened to them, so others can learn, or "open up" about how they feel about fishing, well, I can live with that.
I've had my posting ability removed, been call derogarory names, have had persons disagree with me... well, don't you think I know what will happen before I write something?
Alot of people didn't like my saltwater fishing licence post, alot of discussion there. some people didn't like all my "stupid question asking", still, alot of discussion there. Some were offended by my posts, saying they were "off base", still I got a response.
Fishing is a precious commodity. Striped bass were almost wiped out not that long ago. Now they are back and those that remember "how it used to be"...well things will never be "how it used to be".

I have my own spots and fry my own fish, is that so bad?

i will be the first person to admit that i ask a lot of question about spots, tides, presentations etc. some people on this board can attest to that. i don't know a fraction of the knowlegde that some here people have gained over their lifetimes. but i love fishing, period. i will do what it takes to learn a spot and then fish it until my arms fall off. i drive an hr from MA to fish rhody waters most of the time by myself, at least 3 times a week. i ask a lot of questions to great fisherman, hoping that they might help me along after seeing how dedicated i have become and how much time i put in. and then i go and fish my brains out. and i honestly don't want to learn by by just having someone tell me where, when, how, and why. i love the surf because of the challenge. some places i fish definetly can't handle the pressure of say 5 more people fishing there. there are over 2000 members on this site, if say a minute fraction of these people fished where i do the spot is ruined and so is my day/night of fishing. it is different when your fishing from a boat, you can cover more ground and move a lot faster. if you are going to share specific info please share it in a PM.

Good,...I found them buried under my "How to Win Friends and Influence People" book......gotta get around to reading that one of these days!:read: OK....here goes....ahem.....Cumbaya my Lord...Cumbayaaaaa.......Cumbayaaa my Lorrrd Cumbayaaaaa.....evryone join me in song!:D Cumbayaaaa my Lorrrd.....Cumbayaaaaaa:happy:

Striprman, in your quest to be different and ask the hard questions and make people think, you might help 1 person out, but why make your goal so low? You can help a lot more if you PARTICPATE in our community and stop going out of your way to punch holes in it. Your "posting ability" was not pulled (hence another page of drivel), the reason your ability to start new "threads" was restricted was so you wouldn't start 10 rediculous posts per day. You were driving the people you want to "help" flippin' bonkers :err: :uhoh: .

You almost hit the nail on the head when you said fishing today would not be like the good old days. It will never be the same but for a different reason than lack of fish. It will be because of lack of access. More open space is lost every year due to construction, town resolutions, anti-fishing groups exclusion zones, new property owners not being as friendly as the original people, people being pissed whan anglers or even teenagers move on to the beach in hordes. We have a responsibility to protect what we have for access and one big way to protect it, and maybe even get some back, is to not over populate a spot. If we don't, we all be bumping into each other in boats - be freikin "Oar Rage" or something out there. Maybe we're tiliting at windmills here and its a lost cause because of all the spot puking between the net, maggies, shows, papers, and books. Its probably too late now anyway, but damn we should as a community TRY to reverse the tide on access.

If you want to share everything, invite some people to fish with you and show them your "spots". But don't ruin a spot in your quest to be the Great Oracle of Keene Street.

From one of the greatest films of all time "Lighten Up, Francis"

:D Ohhh Lorrrd...Cumbayaaaaaa!:btu:

Was down at the Ditch this afternoon and decided to take a ride over to South Cape. Man they must have been giving away FREE stuff.......must have been 50 people there......and nobody catching squat:laughs: :laughs:

Cumbaya my Looord...Cumbayaaaaaa!:smash: