Why keep a secret?

[Back Beach]

Frank Daignault states in one of his books, "You might be a member of the secret surfcasting society by day, but you won't be alone tonight."

Its one of the best surf fishing quotes I know and it goes to show most people will spill the beans to their confidants about where and when. Under what circumstances do you share info...in other words, how do you decide who gets the manure and who gets the oats?

[Vogt]

Who puts in the most time themselves, and who I know can keep their mouth shut. They get the good info.

I dont like bird dogging bass for guys who dont put in their own time.

[Rappin Mikey]

You scratch my back and I'll scratch your's. Thats how I roll.

[The Dad Fisherman]

If somebody is willing to help me then I'm willing to help them....and If someone helps me and says don't say anything....I keep my mouth shut.

One thing that always blows my mind about the whole secrecy thing.....I understand being tight-lipped about the "Where's" and "When's"...but I can't understand why people are secretive about the "How's".

Every once in awhile I get that "You Got 3 Heads" look when I ask somebody what they got it on

[Rockport24]

Well lets see here, if I caught a bunch of large fish in a particular spot I would tell somebody about it say, a year later. I would only tell a very select few at the time. You know how we are, word spreads faster than chlamydia in panama bordello around here (take that Frank D. quote!)

[Circlehook]

I will help someone who helped me. But never help someone out by giving them info someone else gave you.

I hope that made sense.

[JohnnyD]

I have a personal rule:

If someone told me, then I don't tell another soul.
If I found a place myself, then it's my own choice.

I enjoy my time fishing with the guys I often fish with. And most of them are damn good fishermen. I also appreciate/respect their trust and know that loose lips means lost opportunities.

[baldwin]

Originally Posted by Rockport24

Well lets see here, if I caught a bunch of large fish in a particular spot I would tell somebody about it say, a year later. I would only tell a very select few at the time. You know how we are, word spreads faster than chlamydia in panama bordello around here (take that Frank D. quote!)

That avatar ain't exactly cryptic, though!

[stiff tip]

lloose lips sink secret spots ...... i love frank from the old days....if he's an a-hole ,so a lot of other peeps ......good bad and tell it like it is ugly....

[Nebe]

If you tell anyone anything, you might as well come to the conclusion that it wont stay a secret for long. Also, the more you emphasize the fact that what you are telling someone is the utmost secret, the quicker it will become public knowledge.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Thats why I don't tell Eben ANYTHING

[shadow]

I will only share with the guys I know who fish like me. meaning having respect for the fish and other surfcasters.Even if they are just starting out untill they show me otherwise.Then there are things that are never shared until it is over.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Nebe

If you tell anyone anything, you might as well come to the conclusion that it wont stay a secret for long. Also, the more you emphasize the fact that what you are telling someone is the utmost secret, the quicker it will become public knowledge.

Alas the Ben Franklin quote...."Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead."

I pretty much tell anyone I consider a friend everything. Not really concerned with getting anything in return. Secrecy used to be a bigger deal in the old days when there was a profit motive, but that's died on the vine too. Its funny sometimes people ask, I tell them exactly what's up and they assume I'm lying because I'm a striper fisherman..its quite comical.

[MAKAI]

I know it's selfish but most of the places I fish now can only handle a few people. So I would tell it like it is to people that I trust wouldn't feel the need to share with a mob. I enjoy too much the serenity of fishing with a few good fishermen who are not getting in each others way. As for my knowledge, no problem sharing thoughts, technics etc, from 40 years of avid fishing. Pretty much have tried it all.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

If someone has put in their time i will help them out, probably because they have loosened up a bit as well. Ive only got one buddy that i have spilt my bean pot too, he did it to me and got me access to some pretty damn exclusive areas. Ive gone as far as drawing maps and referencing the log book for this guy. I think we all have enough spots, or know of enough spots that are well known that we can give a couple away to someone in need, if they are deserving. It a little tough to keep tight lipped if an older fella asks for a spot, or a dad and kid.

[tlapinski]

Between my group, information flows quite freely. It is sort of assumed that if you tell one person, the others in the group can know and vice versa. The info does not go to anyone if the person telling me requests it be kept secret. Also, it is sort of assumed between us that if one person puts the others on to fish one day, the favor will be returned on another hot bite. What I find really funny is when someone asks me about some fish that were caught 6 months earlier. I have had this happen a bunch of times if I would tell another person's secret outside the group. If you can't ask Joe fisherman, why can you ask me? Really, I find this to be insulting. I seldom ask where a fish was caught unless I really know the person.

[NIB]

NIB's secrets are dark and taunting..

[BassDawg]

because that is what makes it a secret


the Iron One told me two springs ago
when i posed the same question,,,,,,,,,,

and he said,
"how do you think we keep landing LARGE?
i fish with three guys and we share our BITE between
each other, but that's it. how well do you know this guy?"

"i met him thru the forums"

"tell NO ONE!! because if you do tell him, he'll tell his best friend~~
then that guy will tell his best friend, and then that guy will.............
and "your" spot will no longer be your spot,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"

that being said, there are sum surfcats i share spots with
usually because we are going there together or we know
that we will keep it between us~~ the where and the when.

i have no problem telling the HOW or WHY!

[BigFish]

I would have to echo what T-Lap said as far as it staying within a certain core group and by that I mean the 3 or 4 guys I trust and fish with the most (all members of the CIA included) and depending on what the spot might be...maybe the guys that I see at those spots alot....I will share info back and forth with them! I have seen a few guys withhold information that I knew was there and if I find any deceit......the information train shuts down!

[Green Light]

I actually stoped fishing with a friend of mine a few years back because he only wanted to go fishing when I was into big fish. In my book, if you do not put in your time, then you do not deserve to know where and when the big fish are biting. But, even then, I only pass on information to those whom I trust. And buy trust, I mean Trust.

People are always looking for shortcuts. The only shortcut to landing big fish, is the shortest path to the water's edge.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Thats why I don't tell Eben ANYTHING

[OLD GOAT]

Pretty hard to come away from a spot without someone seeing you.

[SAUERKRAUT]

...Now is the time to use the WALK OF DEFEAT...shuffling gate, slumped over, rod over the shoulder, looking at your feet, some glum tired expression. To pull this off, of course, all fish need to be released.

[stiff tip]

as i read through all this crap about keeping a secret i think that MOST not all would not last 2 hrs w/ that info .and most not all , have only had a great super spot in there own sick head

[HESH2]

have a few spots that i was shown by a friend in his local area that i would never tell anybody about.it was his hard work over alot of years working these areas and he was willing to share with me.have a good friend who i have'nt fished with in a long time and he offered to take me to a secret spot,was unable to go with him and he would'nt give up spot unless i was with him.most of these spots only fish a couple of people,my sons aside these areas are never up.if your fishing a well know area that everyone knows and catch fish then the word is out and everyone knows.

[Flaptail]

Secrets, the original recyclable resource.

[FishermanTim]

No spot is "secret", it's just that the average fisherman/woman won't or doesn't want to put in the time to find where the fish are.
They will be more than willing to ask someone else, or let someone else do the "leg work" for them.

If someone shows me that they have put in the time, and is willing to share as well as listen to advice, than I'm open to that. If they expect me to spill the beans just because they're there and haven't gotten a keeper yet, all they get is my trademark "keep trying, and you'll get one eventually".

I learned myself by trial and error, and one of the best lessons I learned were from my father and his brother.

My dad taught me to enjoy fishing at it's simplest level: getting outside and enjoying the day, regardless of the outcome.

My uncle taught me to not be afraid to get off the beaten path. He was renown for his flyfishing trips in Maine, where he would hike through miles of woods to get to some of his favorite unspoiled trout ponds.
Some places where a 5 lb. rainbow was not uncommon. He gave it up when the loggers opened up the access to these remote ponds to overfishing due to the logging roads they created. He still has a journal he kept from back in the 50's, when he really enjoyed trout fishing.

[Crafty Angler]

If somebody asks me where I got my fish I usually give them one of Pt Jude Joe's spots...

Just kiddin', Joe -

Some years ago I gave a guy a tip on a frequently over-looked spot - the next day or so he's got a freaking map and diagram all drawn out on a piece of cardboard...needless to say, he never got the straight poop from me on anything ever again...

Outside the Old Guy Network, mum is the word - depending on my frame of mind at the time, one other guy in a spot can feel like a crowd to me and I'll just move on...unless it's another certified member of the OGN...

No one knows better than me that there are no genuinely secret spots - most all of them have been fished long before we got here - they're just lesser known -

[american spirit]

i'm not even good enough to share valuable info. but i only fish with 2 people and last year was primarily all solo missions. i'll exchange info with them only. anyway, share with noone except very close and trustworthy people. so basically share with noone.

[Back Beach]

An interesting thing to note is much of what is dicussed on this board used to be considered "secret" believe it or not. Hook types, knots, plug building info,how to hook/rig eels etc. Some people would even lie about certain beaches being closed to keep other vehicles out and thus reduce competition.

People seem to confine secrecy to spots only, but there was much which was not shared in years past.

Some folks would go out of their way to mislead you, in fact. I remember one of the first "tricks" I learned was taking off the lure you slammed fish on the night before and putting a stinker on the end of your line by day while the rod sat spiked on your bumber. Making phony drag marks was another good one too.