Surfcaster.com finally closes shop

[Mr. Sandman]

Face book is killing all these sites and is destroying some fishing places as well. I know others will disagree on how helpful it is but if you saw what happened offshore this year at fishtails that was absurd. And the near real time reports on various open social media sites help put 300 boats from NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA , all fishing a small patch of water 90 miles offshore nearly every fish able day. The language on the radio was so bad I just shut it off and moved away from the fleet. (Yes I still caught fish but I don't drive 100 miles offshore to be surround by fools like Carmine and Vinny threatening to kill each other.)

Closer to home we had a good bite of small tuna this summer about 8 miles past the hooter (tiny fish, 30-40" long) for a few weeks. I made a couple trips out there but the real time posts on face book soon attracted every guy with a boat bigger than a lund and a facebook account out there fishing with improper gear, no license and keeping all they could catch. Even major media publications were posting real time crap with GPS and tracking coordinates. Some even tried to sell fish to dealers upon their return. Many had no idea you needed a license and there were strict limits. Of course, NO enforcement for the entire time and I notified them.

With fishery departments with their heads in the sand and social media allowing posts in real time, fishing has gone down hill a lot in this generation. Inshore has become a joke. Now offshore is being taken down. It is getting so you don't want to even talk to your friends because you will read about it on face book within no time.

I am sure the membership rate and activity here has declined over the years. It will get worse. IMO it should move to a pay site. Where you pay to become a member and everyone else is excluded. 50/100 bucks will cull out the guys just here for free intel. I am sorry but that is the only way I see sites like this maintaining their identity and still providing useful info and intel to a few guys who more or less "know" each other.