Oct. OTW

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by SBASS1

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

SBASS - I have no idea what you are talking about. I no longer subscribe to the fisherman or OTW (though I debate but never get around to re-upping my OTW subscription). I think the lengths that the Fisherman goes through talking about spots and reports is to the detriment of the sport. I like and respect TC but I don't like how he puts up a lot of info on spots that are not his favorites, at the detriment of others. At the same time, The Fisherman is always reprinting articles from 3-5-10 years before when it comes to spots or methods and just throwing in new pictures. Sometimes you can tell what those articles are and sometimes not... Now this may have changed over the past year or so but I doubt it.

So you know, I am against spot specifics and have been so for some time. I think they are best handled from person to person and not widely publicized. My greatest reason for this fear is the continuing lack of access. I have gone to too many access issue meetings and read to much about lost spots to not give a damn about spots being reported in the media. That is why I tell people here to be very general about spots and not to be specific. to distribute the load and the pressure. There are more swinging sticks out there than ever before, more people owning property on the shoreline than ever before, and more outlets reporting and writing spots than ever before - this will come to a head sooner as opposed to later. This is why I say the CULTURE is the problem. It is just enhanced that the maggies are the ones that profit from it and most of us are too stupid or better, not caring about it to recognize the problem.

Flap - I respect you and your writing, I also respect your decisions on how you write and how you share. You are more of the example on what to do instead of how it is typically done. You also have a significant advantage over Steve when it comes to writing this. I think this is only his second article, the first being a How-To.

Oh - one more thing for everyone to digest, we have all seen many articles, several by people that are members here, on these spots like the River and the Island and the Channel. So don't attack Steve from doing what others like Joe and Dave and countless others, have done. Change the culture. Change the problem. Like the problem with a health bass population is not too much commercial fishing - that's the easy target - it is more than anything the lack of good bait in the entire ecosystem. Here the solution is not to attck Steve for an article (even wrong if it may have been), but that the culture that spots and access are the key to successful writing and profit instead of being protect for what they are, dwindling resources of access for the regular surfcaster. We are cutting are own feet off when we do this...

Originally Posted by piemma

I think someone mentioned that Steve isn't on the Internet and probably doesn't own a computer. Come on!! What the heck is he writing his articles with? An IBM Selectric typewriter?

Probably, or he wrote it out and mailed it in, or he used a computer at work. Now I don't want to say I told you so but remember at the beginning of the year when we had the PMs going back and fro about spots - see what I mean??

[PNG]

Originally Posted by JohnR

SBASS - I have no idea what you are talking about. I no longer subscribe to the fisherman or OTW (though I debate but never get around to re-upping my OTW subscription). I think the lengths that the Fisherman goes through talking about spots and reports is to the detriment of the sport. I like and respect TC but I don't like how he puts up a lot of info on spots that are not his favorites, at the detriment of others. At the same time, The Fisherman is always reprinting articles from 3-5-10 years before when it comes to spots or methods and just throwing in new pictures. Sometimes you can tell what those articles are and sometimes not... Now this may have changed over the past year or so but I doubt it.

So you know, I am against spot specifics and have been so for some time. I think they are best handled from person to person and not widely publicized. My greatest reason for this fear is the continuing lack of access. I have gone to too many access issue meetings and read to much about lost spots to not give a damn about spots being reported in the media. That is why I tell people here to be very general about spots and not to be specific. to distribute the load and the pressure. There are more swinging sticks out there than ever before, more people owning property on the shoreline than ever before, and more outlets reporting and writing spots than ever before - this will come to a head sooner as opposed to later. This is why I say the CULTURE is the problem. It is just enhanced that the maggies are the ones that profit from it and most of us are too stupid or better, not caring about it to recognize the problem.

Flap - I respect you and your writing, I also respect your decisions on how you write and how you share. You are more of the example on what to do instead of how it is typically done. You also have a significant advantage over Steve when it comes to writing this. I think this is only his second article, the first being a How-To.

Oh - one more thing for everyone to digest, we have all seen many articles, several by people that are members here, on these spots like the River and the Island and the Channel. So don't attack Steve from doing what others like Joe and Dave and countless others, have done. Change the culture. Change the problem. Like the problem with a health bass population is not too much commercial fishing - that's the easy target - it is more than anything the lack of good bait in the entire ecosystem. Here the solution is not to attck Steve for an article (even wrong if it may have been), but that the culture that spots and access are the key to successful writing and profit instead of being protect for what they are, dwindling resources of access for the regular surfcaster. We are cutting are own feet off when we do this...

Probably, or he wrote it out and mailed it in, or he used a computer at work. Now I don't want to say I told you so but remember at the beginning of the year when we had the PMs going back and fro about spots - see what I mean??

You sure are windy today

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by PNG

You sure are windy today

- well, two things caused that - spots - one of my pet peeves and I am home sick today with poops and pukes so I have more time on the soap box (I really do work bell to bell in my real job) - TMI, I know...

[RIJIMMY]

Hey John, hope you feel beter, had that last weekend, never knew I could s**t/puke so much, it lasted 3 days!

I just got the magazine today and then saw all these posts so I just went and read the article.
I have debated the whole spot thing on s-b.com before, and I don't think its a big deal. I fish RI weekly and more often in the spring/fall. I fish well known, well publicized spots, always at night and almost always alone. I NEVER run into crowds. I avoid the bways and I fish spots I know produce quality and in some cases trophy fish. I think there are lots of fisherman out there, but when you starty factoring in nights, rough weather, cold etc. thousands dwindle down to tens. Then spread that out amoung the RI shore...
People will read this article, try the spots, get skunked and then go back to the spots they always fished.
Following "hot" spots is like stock market tips, once its on the street, its old news.
Is there really more to McKenna's article the Daignault has in Striper Hot Spots? I dont think so.

[Saltheart]

It takes a while to realize how damaging mass media spot talk can be. Lots of us learned back about 1997-1999. We spoke more freely then. Spots got overrun or access got shut down. We got burned and started saying less. I bet the same thing happens with Steve.


I would totally agree that Steve is a nice guy based on my limited exposure to him. I think he made a mistake to publish about spots. The guy has paid his dues and is known to be one of the best. If he wants to part with his knowledge , he's entitled to do so. I think when he gets a taste of just how big an impact a single magazine article can have , and factors that into his thinking about crowds and access , he may think twice about doing a spots article again and stick to the how to stuff.

The idea that its OK to talk about spots you no longer fish is somewhat risky. There are some who know ALL THE SPOTS. Get them pissed off enough by burning "their" spots and you may find "your" spots burned in the next issue.

[Jim H]

WOW....haven't got my new OTW yet....can't wait to see it for myself.

I might have a solution......Maybe some of you experts can write articles about some of my personal "hotspots".

Since I am pretty new to all of this and don't catch as much as the rest of you, perhaps my "hotspots" would lure the masses away from the real "hotspots".

Sort of like DIS-information.....



Not even sure if the magazines would know we were doing it? ie...every month release lots of "hotspots"....with maps and parking locations......some work....MOST don't.

Hmmmm......I may be onto something here....

a NEW magazine.

Mine will have more spots than all the rest combined! Hell...if people are willing to spend TONS of their hard earned (or state provided) money on lottery tickets with the odds of hitting it BIG in the double digit millions-to-one, just imagine how many "fisherman" would buy my HOTSPOTS magazine....playing the odds of hitting a good fishing spot!

Need a nice looking cover-girl (err....person) too. Cause besides HOTSPOTS...the only other thing that sells magazines is...well...you know

sorry, just trying to get a laugh out of some of you on a tough subject.

[RIROCKHOUND]

As someone who has done a little writing as well, I took sometime and thought about this situation. I was peeved last night when I heard about it, but now that I've reflected I'm a bit calmer on it.
When I've written, I have always tried to keep my articles spot independent; I may have mentioned a general area or location, but never exact coordinates and always boat spots.
Am I happy with what was written? I havent seen it yet, so I dont know. I know steve only in passing, and know more OF him through the grapevine of chatty fishing partners. In QL, I've known him to be a helpful guy and always pretty nice.
I dont think there was malicious intent in this article, but again I havent read it yet, and yes I probably do fish alot of those spots at different times of the year, I'm not lucky enough to have private spots, but have always done OK with public spots, I learned to fish deeper in the night and generally I avoid crowds on the water. I've fished spots since I moved to SoCo from Aquidneck I 8 years ago, and probably dont know all the regulars other than recognizing a truck or slicker color..
Yes there will probably be a few more people there and yes 'old man' Iemma and I might bitch alittle more about the people, but with the hours we keep and the nights soon to be colder there will be less and less people out there anyways.
The only part of me that is peeved is the part of me that learned spots the old fashioned way; by fishing them, by asking a few questions to people in the know and through good old trial and error,, that part of me is a bit peeved that alot of people will have a much shallowed learning curve and alot more spots easily in their repertoire

Besides most of this will blow over this fall, any increased pressure will likely be back to normal in the spring or later fall, besides once the average joe going to a spot the first time leaves with a skunk, he probably wont come back...

Bryan

[TheSpecialist]

If you guys are not happy about it, then put your money where your mouths are, and write an email to Chris Meaghan the editor of On The Water:

cjm@onthewater.com

STOP BITCHING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

[beachwalker]

Originally Posted by TheSpecialist

If you guys are not happy about it, then put your money where your mouths are, and write an email to Chris Meaghan the editor of On The Water:

cjm@onthewater.com

STOP BITCHING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

first one has to figure out what to bitch about, hehe. 10,000 responses later....

my whole beach got burned this summer and still nobody showed up.

[JohnR]

Beach - you're the excpetion to the rule - you're lucky to have a relative handful of people plying the beach at night... And its probably going to get real good for you down there now....

[beachwalker]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Beach - you're the excpetion to the rule - you're lucky to have a relative handful of people plying the beach at night... And its probably going to get real good for you down there now....

first front this weekend. Suppossed to have a high in the 60's. GOT TO GET THESE WATER TEMPS DOWN ! I AM SCARED TO SEND ANYTHING OF VALUE OUT THERE FOR FEAR OF THE FREAKIN BLUES !

Bone's and albies STILL here.....

[bassmaster]

Originally Posted by beachwalker

first one has to figure out what to bitch about, hehe. 10,000 responses later....

my whole beach got burned this summer and still nobody showed up.

cept me

[beachwalker]

Originally Posted by bassmaster

cept me

that was a sad day indeed

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by TheSpecialist

If you guys are not happy about it, then put your money where your mouths are, and write an email to Chris Meaghan the editor of On The Water:

cjm@onthewater.com

STOP BITCHING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Bill, Chris is the Publisher. Gene Bourque is the Editor. But yes I agree, spewing here isn't as good as sending off a letter or e-mail. They do cruise the sites checking on feedback as well though. They know what's being said, believe me. Hows the boat coming along?