Oct. OTW

[capesams]

bring's to mind an old saying" damed if you do and damed if you don't..

I'm an a$$ cause I won't tell.
He's an a$$ cause he did.

this is just the start of telling all and all for the $$..name in light's..chest pounding at it best etc. etc.....it's going to get worse before it get's better.

[piemma]

Again it goes back to the ethics of our sport. It's not so much about what was said. IT's that it was said.

[JFigliuolo]

All of you defending what was written, or implying those of us upset are "sour grapes" How would you feel if YOUR spot was burned in such graphic detail? This is the old "Not my backyard" mentality. And for whoever above reprimanded others for not talking to the author, I have a letter in the mail. I just hope it gets read.

[cheferson]

All you guys crying on here about this , probally got another 1000 copies of this months on the water bought by people who wouldnt have ever read it.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by cheferson

All you guys crying on here about this , probally got another 1000 copies of this months on the water bought by people who wouldnt have ever read it.

chef, your growing on me

[Strider]

Screw OTW.........I Don't Subscribe Anymore! Send a message that hits home and dump the Mag!

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by cheferson

All you guys crying on here about this , probally got another 1000 copies of this months on the water bought by people who wouldnt have ever read it.

You're right! More incentive for them to write about spots.
The mighty $$$$

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by cheferson

All you guys crying on here about this , probally got another 1000 copies of this months on the water bought by people who wouldnt have ever read it.

Yep - Gene Bourque has got to be laughing and loving this. McKenna (who really is a nice guy and an helluva angler) gets to write an article that details things to the n'th degree, which pisses off the masses, and people flock to the stores that don't subscribe... They will have fewer maggies come back at the end of the month with no income, get 10% of their subscribers that let the maggie lapse to renew, and sign up another bunch of new people. All the while someone else will take the heat... Good for him and OTW but sucks for Steve. And I like OTW, but this is where I think the maggies are sacrificing access for profit and that is completely irresponsible.

I like Gene Bourque (I'm assuming its Gene in this case but I could VERY well be wrong). I respect him and think he's a nice guy but as an editor, he has just had an article published that will generate a lot of buzz where someone else will take the hit and the maggies will move a bit better on the shelf...

As for Steve - I doubt he knew what would come of this. He is not online and has little concept of what it is like on the 'net, I don't think he even owns a computer. But I would hate to see him made out unfairly as the bad guy in all of this as he is always helping out people, new and old to the sport. He is someone that does this, not for the coin, but to give a little back that he has earned over the years. He is always giving out help at the shop he works at, when you see him at the wall in spring, or when he runs across a newbie angler - he is always offering some advice. So please don't trash him personally - and keep in mind he can't defend himself here.

In my oprinion this article might not be the wisest choice for doing that, but I can tell you that I don't think it would be malicious... I have not read the article yet so I can't completely guage how it was but if it was as detailed and burning as it seems, then he was wrong for writing it. So argue the point but don't personally attack him on this, again - ARGUE the point.

I would also hate to see a lot of people that have chased spots, people, and reports throw Steve under the bus for what he wrote. I would also hate to see people that have praised his seminar and gladly soaked up that info or those that have seen him in the shop jump on him personally about it. Instead, jump on the culture that pushes this....

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

You're right! More incentive for them to write about spots.
The mighty $$$$

Dave - I don't think the paltry amount he got paid entered his thinking very much. It won't pay for gas for a month to fish those spots. It is more incentive for the Maggies to encourage it though. 'Course, this raises another question - how much is it worth in dollars to lose access to a spot that can't handle much public pressure? What is the price tag on a spot?

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Dave - I don't think the paltry amount he got paid entered his thinking very much. It won't pay for gas for a month to fish those spots. It is more incentive for the Maggies to encourage it though. 'Course, this raises another question - how much is it worth in dollars to lose access to a spot that can't handle much public pressure? What is the price tag on a spot?

I wasn't just refering to Steve, more about writers in general.
Can you put a price on a spot? I don't think any of us guys who are serious about this "Striper Catching sickness" could. Hell, most of us neglect our families to catch fricken fish How pathetic are we???

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by fishaholic18

I wasn't just refering to Steve, more about writers in general.
Can you put a price on a spot? I don't think any of us guys who are serious about this "Striper Catching sickness" could. Hell, most of us neglect our families to catch fricken fish How pathetic are we???

We are pretty pathetic sometimes. Maybe Canalman learned from his very detailed Wesport expose a couple years back, and maybe Steve will learn from this one. The maggies are loving the pot being stirred - free advertising... And you know, someone will just do it next month, and the month after, then someone else....

[SBASS1]

Oh he just promoted it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JohnR who did TC buy his cod/blackfish #'s from this year...

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Yep - Gene Bourque has got to be laughing and loving this. McKenna (who really is a nice guy and an helluva angler) gets to write an article that details things to the n'th degree,... <snipped>

I am not so sure I agree w/your argument. I mean no one forced Steve (as far as I know) to write anything. If there is a beef, it (in my opinion) should be with him. Since as you say, it wasn't a big pay-day for Steve. It's not like he was blinded by the money or anything. Up to today I had nothing but praise for Steve. I agree w/all the good things that have been said about him. I can't help but think what his response would be if someone was so specific w/one of his spots. My guess is he would be pissed. Maybe not. Maybe he has so many spots that losing 1-2 is no big deal to him.

Maybe that gets to the root of the problem, or his decision. Perhaps he felt he was outing a few well known spots, no big deal. In his arsenal, they were trivial. To others, just getting started, they were our "Big Guns"

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by JFigliuolo

I am not so sure I agree w/your argument. I mean no one forced Steve (as far as I know) to write anything. If there is a beef, it (in my opinion) should be with him. Since as you say, it wasn't a big pay-day for Steve. It's not like he was blinded by the money or anything. Up to today I had nothing but praise for Steve. I agree w/all the good things that have been said about him. I can't help but think what his response would be if someone was so specific w/one of his spots. Probably not as bad as ours as he has collected so many.

Maybe that gets to the root of the problem, or his decision. Perhaps he felt he was outing a few well known spots, no big deal. In his arsenal, they were trivial. To others, just getting started, they were our "Big Guns"

No one forced Steve to write it and he's not a starving writer, but he probably thought he was doing a good thing, or at least not realizing how bad it would be. I have not read it yet but I am preparing myself to be pissed at it (I'm sure the article will be great but that's the point - too good). And yes, I think Steve weas wrong in writing it if it is as detailed as some are suggesting. So, Steve should get some beef but I think people need to realize he may have effed up but he likely was not being malicious about it. What I am really saying is that we, as the angling community, need to be more responsible with access, and the commercial ordganizations that profit from the angling community - ESPECIALLY THE MEDIA - must be more responsible with the impact that results when they make a profit. So how much is access worth? What $200 an article?

[Flaptail]

I write for On the Water. I try to keep the specifics of "Spots" ( I hate that juvenile terminology) I prefer locations to an absolute minimum, Anyone can pick up the paper and read on Thursday evening or Friday evening here on Cape what is going on where. All the local tackle shops are disgorging info in large doses. The two major Cape papers that I read, the Times and the Enterprise have weekely report sections that spew the same. The difficult task in writing is where to draw the line. New writers, and I was the same ten years ago when I started, sometimes need direction from Editors as to what may be appropriate and what not may be. The editor gives his or her advice and the writer is usually free to take the counsel as given and either retract certain items or leave them in. In the case of the article in question it is very apparent to me that, in fact, if there was no spots specifically mentioned, there would be no article. The author in question had to have made a conscious decision to go ahead and keep the article as was written and if he was as in tune to the general consensus of the local fishing fraternity, he had to have known the eventual outcome. The editors have always made me aware of the risk and benefits of pieces I have submitted for publication. I have to mention a few locations in my monthly piece but as for the specifics, that's where I leave the readers to thier own investigative skills.
I like to stress technique rather than locations. If your technique is up to snuff the location stuff will fall into place with a simple recon of the beach before you at the time. I don't write for the money, God knows it ain't much and the accountant at tax time keeps telling me that it ain't worth the extra cost for him to complete my returns with it included. I don't do it to beat my chest either. When I enter a tackle shop I usally keep my mouth shut, ears open and a low profile ( tough at 6"6'). I come into buy and leave. I don't like being pumped for info, followed or badgered for invites to join me fishing I fish because I love to, it's that simple and write because I feel I can help people as people have helped me and others have helped them before my time. A modicum of sharing is healthy, disgorging all for the sake of seeing your name is not. KNow one remembers much of the good anymore but the bad, ah, that is never far from wagging tongues.

[bassmaster]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

I write for On the Water. I follow Bassmaster cause He is my god: