They could show how to rig them and how to fish them?
Sure, we could all just do an internet search, but then why watch the show at all if you can get all your info from someone else???

They could also do a segement per show where they instruct you on techniques, knots, rods/reel ratios etc... which would also keep viewers coming back.

It's funny, because I remember when they did a shore episode everyone was complaining on here that they were spot burning!! 98% of the shots were of the fishermen and the water only and for only a matter of a few seconds it showed a house and they "ruined the spot for everyone" Such garbage!!

I'm sure if they did a show that showed you how to make your own lures (which they did) and how to rig your outfits that people would complain about that too. It's a fishing show and they fish. The easiest way for them to find fish on a day that they shoot is from a boat. That being said they have fished from shore on Cuttyhunk, at the canal, a shore fishing episode where they targeted Weakfish on Cape Cod, night shark fishing etc. That's just off the top of my head.

agree

Hi John,
Missed you guys last June.

The weakfish episode was awesome.

Some of their shows are OK. They are entertaining. For me, I don't like anything FW and turn those off right away. I could care less about fishing in a pond in ME or NH but I suppose some people like that stuff. That's cool, just not my cup of Joe. I like some of the surf shows and some of the boat shows. But there is a real downside too all this and it has been compounded now by social media in all its forms.

What I don't like about OTW (and have dropped the mag subscrip and don't fish their contest anymore) is that they (in conjunction with social media) have burned more spots (boat and shore!!) then I can count. IMO they pretty much destroyed the CH surf scene there. I use to fish cutty fairly often in the post BI heydays . I recall when they "re-discovered" the place. They hype was over the top on the shows. There was hardly anyone over there back then. I mean you would be alone for days. It was a beautiful place to fish. One trip I went for a week and did not see another fishermen and only saw 3 people the entire week. Now entire (multiple) clubs take over the place all season long and this is in large part because of the exposure that they alone provided in all media formats. Then I use to fish it only on mid weekdays when the tide was right, now even that has become busy. It is so disappointing. I miss walking the entire coast and not see another fisherman all night. (Or running into a single fishermen here or there, now it is a cluster of guys pounding certain spots) In an effort to make money they killed the very thing they loved. Do we really want guys driving hundreds of miles all that way to fish right there? I have asked fisherman on the beach how they found about CH and nearly everyone said...OTW or they went with their club and they told me about it. Many clubs show the videos of shows at the meetings and plan trips around these shows.

On the boat scene, the tuna bite off chatham; It has been fished for years by locals no question but they REALLY compounded the problem big time with their small boat you too can do this type shows. Anyone out there can tell you of the fleet at the sword or the BC. Pre-OTW, most small boat guys never heard of these places.

They increased the small boats running to canyons and to other offshore spots. Now there is a lot of room out there but anyone who made the trip to fishtales this season to fish nearly 100 miles offshore next to 300 of their buddys in every size and shape boat from 17' CC's to 130' megayachts from NJ to MA can tell you it was a friggin circus out there. Now I blame most of this on FB not OTW but they were also a contributor to the problem.

My biggest complaint is the what they did off MV this summer. Some small tuna (most under 40" moved in in decent numbers) not too far offshore. It was a real time cluster phuck for 3 weeks with large crowds of small boats drawn in directly because of their postings. Tiny boats, guys they never fished for tuna with no permits pounding away at tiny fish. I heard reports of guys taking lots of fish then attempting to sell them to restaurants and markets, most were given way to friends in the end. Others piled on posting their GPS tracks with photos of thefish they caught, the next day it was absurd. I saw guys out there in minsule boat saying they only have a bass rod with 20# test and no tuna gear, just bluefish gear. Many didn't even know they needed to have a permit and that there were strict regs governing taking of these tiny fish. There was NO enforcement, NO education, NO respect for the resource. The place was raped. When I spoke to a few of the anglers, they thought the crowds "weren't too bad" Obviously they never fished offshore, because the reason you go offshore is there are NO crowds, most of the time you are by yourself.

Now I do not blame OTW for everything, and like I said I find their show entertaining but they are part of the googan over crowding problem. I know thy are just trying to sell advertising and fisherman just want to catch fish but between the shows in the winter and the near real time reports during the season, it has become a real problem boat or shore.

I don't see a solution to the problem and don't know what the responsible thing to do is. I actually stopped the mag because I had to make some statement as pitiful as that is. Also I found them pretty repetitive. I usually paw through a copy while I wait in my Dr's office now. IMO FB is now eclipsing the OTW problem. You have to keep your internet mouth shut and only talk to a few of your trusted friends, if anyone leaks it out you are doomed in no time. I am sure some of you like me belong a closed "pay site" where membership is limited but you have to be careful there too, if one of your internet friends tells someone and they post it in an open place, again, you are doomed. This almost always happens it seems. Fishing will never be the same and that makes me sad.

BINGO!
You just named all the non-boat related episodes! :laugha:
The Cuttyhunk show was from shore, but they had to travel by boat to get there so it's counts (sort of).

maybe if they would at least replay more of those episodes it might make a difference.
Also having more seasonally relevant shows/segments so that we could get a segment about ice fishing AND surfcasting to appease the outdoor and indoor people?

Maybe I just need to get out and fish some more???:scream:

They should just glue a go-pro onto whats left of Jimmy fee's lucky hat and just follow him around for a season. He chases something almost every day,mostly from shore. I guess it would only work if it could shoot short range in the dark, but it would sure be entertaining and there would be plenty of footage for the blooper reels. :hee:

OTW is probably the LEAST of the problem for crowded fishing: charter boats flooding social media aka FaceBook with their daily catches is likely to draw a bigger crowd. Those reports are up to date unlike OTW which can be from a year earlier. OK so I too have posted some fishing reports but my frequency of outings is maybe 2X per week and locations vary. I am usually chasing those other reports on FB. :)
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I've never even seen a report on facebook

The fine art of pimping charters on Facebook. Post enough pics to keep the phone ringing, not enough for the Grady Whites to come looking for you...
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Thats alot of shows for $99!!! Seems like a damn good deal to me! I like alot of the OTW shows....wish they had more shore, kayak and freshwater shows....seems like they tuna fish alot? But its all good entertainment! Hey if you have not kept up with the show $99 will keep you entertained all winter!

Better buy those CDs fast, because who knows how long it will be before that's all we'll have as proof of what "used" to be caught in our waters!
(Kind of like a memorial video eulogy)