[piemma]

This has become an interesting thread from a philosophical point of view. I had this discussion with Spence yesterday and Joe and John hit upon it.

The whole point is that the internet has changed the surf fishing scene. I think that when VHF and CB radios came upon the scene, the boat fishing world changed. Remember "laying around in my old pajamas". For you young uns' that was the code the old timers used to tell their friends that they were in to big bass on their boat.
So what's happened is that the internet has diluted the surf fishing scene because everyone knows as soon as someone catches a decent fish. It not like 10 or 12 years ago when we would hit the back beaches and the only way that anyone knew we did a number was if one of the baitshop owners, where we stopped to weigh fish for our club, told The Fisherman magazine about our "scores". And even then, by the time the mag came out the news was a week old. Remember they have fins and move.

So now on to sharing knowledge.
I freely share everything I know about this surfishing thing....with my close friends. The reason I don't post is, obviously, I don't want a mob showing up the next night. It's not a question of keeping all the fish to myself but a question of conservation pressure.

There was a situation is SoCo RI this past Spring where a couple of good fishermen were into fish at a certain spot and there was a report posted here. No specific but close enough so within 2 or 3 nights there were so many trucks parked on the side of the road and so many guys walking into a private spot that the police were going to erect "no parking" signs. Before the internet, this wouldn't have happened. Even with a "good" grapevine it would take a weeks for the news to travel and the place to get overrun.

I hope this post clears up any misconception that the old guard are keeping all the secrets from the new generation. Not the case at all. We just are judicious with who we share our knowledge.