My final thoughts on Eben's post

[Jamie M]

I did read the rest of the thread that Eben started, and I was surprised at how fast the thread turned into a "share secrets" vs "not sharing secrets" discussion.

First, I don't know how my post got misinterpreted as a jealous beginner who was bitter that more experienced fishermen wouldn't share info. If you read that post (or any of my other posts), you'll see that not once, ever, have I asked anyone a question that would EVEN COME CLOSE to spot burrning. If anyone can find a post of mine that asks for that kind of specific info, I'll write John R a check to cover this site's expenses for the next 10 years. Once, I posted a question asking why some of the more experienced fishermen get so defensive about even general questions. Again, I can see the logic in being tight-lipped about where you fish. But if I ask "do surface plugs work during the day at Watch Hill", I don't see the harm in getting an answer.

In any event, that wasn't even close to what my post was getting at. It's one thing to be tight-lipped. It's another thing entirely to deliberately lie to , or in any other way, sabotage someone else's fishing, just because they beat you to your favorite rock. And that's how I interpreted Eben's post. If you got to your favorite spot and found someone there, would you tell them that you saw the cops towing their car just to get them out of there? If so, then you are an a**hole, and that's all there is to it. But, it sound slike there was more to the story then a couple of guys innocently trying to fish. To the extent that I misjudged what he did, I apologize

Again, that was my interpretation of what he did, and as someone who is trying to learn more about this sport, I was insulted. I was also surprised at the "cutthroat" reaction to my thread, because to me, one of my favorite aspects of fishing is the affable, helpful, approach that most fishermen have.

Finally, to those who justified what Eben did because "only the strong survive" and "big fish eat little fish", well, I respectfully disagree with that macho garbage. Helping out others is one of the most rewarding things you can do. And given the great response by others on this site, every time someone is looking to raise money for a pal in need, I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way. That's truly a pathetic outlook.