[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

When someone burns a spot publicly (I don't mean you told your friend , I mean publishing it like internet , books , magazines , talks) its because of one of two things. ego or money (or both). Some guys its very obvious , they are chest pounders with no self control.

Some guys , its hard to figure out "why".

If someone who never displayed an ego problem is suddenly " telling all" by doing shows and writing articles , expect to see a new product coming from them , or they are doing charters or they are doing shore guiding....... Get famous , make money!!! Look for the money and you'll know "why".


The morals of it are easy. Yes , you can talk about whatever you want. However , among fisherman , burning spots is like talking about kissing your old girlfriends. Its bad form to "kiss and tell" and its bad form to "burn spots" in mass media.


Striper fishing was nearly wiped out by money as people fished commercially and the stocks disappeared. Striper fishing is now being wiped out by money as people blab to gain fame and the money that can come with it and we lose access to spots do to too much pressure.

Couple things - Steve was shore guiding but that was an adventure of sorts and most went because they could learn technique AND spots. But that is kind of what it has always been about if you are the angler that wants to take a shore guide. Why do people hire Stezko? To see how and WHERE he fishes. To the best of my knowledge, Steve is no longer guiding, just keeping his previous commitments. And yes, Steve is a very nice guy and yes, Steve does offer good info to people, including those that are just starting out.

The problem, as I see it, is a problem with the culture of surffishing and the media that supports it and benefits from it. That problem exists here too at times as much as we try to steer off that course. Now the other problem in fishing, is that it is SOOOOOOOO damn alluring, everyone wants to find away to make a living at it so they can do it a lot more often. Some of you aspiring PLug Builders that plan to go "Professional", how much is your dream to be able to make money commercially selling plugs? I would love to open a tackle store and make a comfortable living here on S-B, but the model doesn't really work for me (I also thnk it would further erode this community). But for me, and I'm sure for some of you aspiring plug builders. it is a combination of a labor of love and coveted McDonalds Fryolator money that keeps me going. For Steve, writing an article is MickeyD's money to support the fishing habit (he ain't rich either). I wish he did not talk spots either but he may be in a position that he either gets the coin by throwing in or writing about spots or he doesn't get published. So he is making his small slice, like many building plugs, rods, commercial fishing for bass or fluke, working in a shop, becoming a Charter Service, tying flies, having an online store, the list goes on.

Originally Posted by MakoMike

My take on it. If you want to tell people about spots go ahead and do it and just ignore the bitching and lesten to all the thanks yous you'll get. If you want to keep things to yourself, then keep things to yourself. IMHO you guys who are complaining about this are just selfish, like little kids who want to keep everything for themselves.

As for being selfish? Partly - yeh, it's tough to figure out a spot and then see it coughed up for the world. It is far worse to see a location that can't handle any pressure get over run by hordes of people, many with no regard for the surroundings. This is FAR more a pressing issue on the surf then it is in a boat in most cases. Look what the sticker problem has been at CCNS in years of late, due to overpbulicity. Look at how many more recreational nets are in the water at the Herring Runs, look at the 16 foot boats being in places they have no sense being in because of the chance of an epic blitz. Look at the shorts and sneaker wearing individual with a trout rod out on the Avenues in Gansett because he read something in a magazine. Yes, the media around fishing (including to some extent this site), is creating excessive pressure on the sport AND access with little responsibility for what is being written. People don't buy OTW or NEF for the conservation articles - they buy buy for the methods, spots, and content. People don't buy Striper Hot Spots or the OTW Shore Guide series because of the historical significance they offer - but for spots. Look in the Fisherman and see the stuff the shops put in for reports, it's all a grab for marketm get people in the door. Whether the info is factual, current, or on a rare occasion, honest. How often do you see shops saying that there is not much happening as things are slow? How often do you see three or four different shops putting in practically the same report?

There needs to be a dose of responsibility pushed into all of the fishing media. It ain't happening. Not good for sales you see.

Sheet - I'm rambling again