OTW

[JohnR]

Flap - it is a shame that things like "spots" have come to this. It is a shame when you can't say online that you got a good fish last night or put up a picture because you will be inundated with PMs, Emails, Phone Calls about where you were. Or that people say you are full of BS, you were lying. All that. Yeh, it is frequent enough both online and offline. It truly is a shame that you can't give detailed locations on a spot without hordes of people running amok. Yeh - you are right, there ARE NO SECRET SPOTS. Nobody says there are, really. ABout every place HAS been fished before, some more so than others, often due to access issues or simply how willing one is going to go to fish a place.

It is also a SHAME that entities have to PROMOTE locations in order to SELL stuff. It does not spread the "wealth" so to speak of fishing pressure evenly across spots that can handle it better. Access and the Fish - are not those the TWO MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS to us as surfcasters? We spend so much time, often innefficiently, working the fish issue, yet we as a group are so harsh on access. You think the ratio of anglers to those that go to fisheries meetings is tough, imagine the ratio that goes to ACCESS issues. Yeh, I go when I can. Not often enough or as much as I'd like but I go. You do too. You know what is at stake here. And we are fortunate enough that you know the balance between writing about access and speaking generally.

Flap, as for losing respect for MikeP on his comment - do you REALLY think Mike is advocating slashing OTW's tires? Really? I know Mike a little and I think we can all agree that he is making notice of what potentially might happen by OTHERS. And I truly hope something like that would not happen, and truly hope nobody from here would do just that. Would I put money on that not happening? Uh, no... Some have more impulse than brains... Mike is in the brains camp.

I guess it pisses off a lot of people that I take this stand but as being someone that persues access issues when I can, I hate to see it face loss due to making money.

I also get that ill feeling in the pit of my stomach about this whole McKenna thing. Really torn. He really is a great guy, an awesome surfcaster, that in my opinion has made a large, unnintentional mistake. He has tried to do something good. And he is taking the heat unproportional to what he has done, certainly when compared to all of those that have done it before - including members here. But does an atmosphere that fosters that make it all OK? Becuase it is traditional to burn stuff in ALL of the different medias? I've done it here too and I'm pissed that I did. In fact, next revision of the site has NO reports section. Sure, a lot less people will sign up as members, but I think it is the responsible thing to do either way. Plenty of places online and in print to get SPOTS & Reports Anyway, I'm really sickened over this stuff. Steve is getting hammered, certainly more than deserved, and others are going to profit from it. Sucks.


#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& - did you change your mind on what you said before you talked to me or after? Your earlier posts on this thread don't necessarily jive with your phone call...

I habe more to say on this but I need to get back to my real job.

Oh, Laptew - WTF do you think is wrong with dragging a camera crew and staff down a PRIVATE road to FILM ? Do people walk that private road to fish? Yep. Do you think the handful of wealthy people living in there are nice enough to look the other way when anglers respecfully walk down there? How long will that last with film crews walking down there? Do you think the handful of wealthy people in there would really react if a crew of 10 walked down with cameras and equip bags? Obviously, this is not the first time you have dragged cameras and crews down there to FILM fishing.

Is getting he right shot MORE important than access to a location? Ask yourself that. I trruly hope you advised against going into there with a film crew - though somehow I doubt it.

[fishweewee]

never underestimate the reach of the internet.

nowadays, you could have a bunch of dudes from siberia flock to your favorite spots if they felt like it.

[JohnR]

Oh, one very important thing for people to remember - the show was not (and hopefully won't be) about spots - it is a How To show!!

First let me set the record straight and explain the storyline for the show.
Every shoot starts with a goal, an objective, a theme. I thought their audience (and every member of this board) would enjoy seeing a tribute segment to the surf angler…especially one the deviled into the hard-core world of night fishing. When is the last time you saw a surf fishing show, never mind one at night? How about a show that shares the intimate secrets of how to catch big fish on soft plastics? How about a show where the talent is someone who has perfected the technique to the point where he has given up fishing with live eels (something he had done for 33 years)? Soon we may not be able to fish with eels; I would think an alternative method would come in pretty handy.

The shoot took place at Beavertail State Park, an area where Arthur Clarke caught a 65-pound striper 69 years ago this October…it was the largest shore-caught striper for almost 36 years. He caught it on his patented eel bob rig. Why not fish those historic waters with a 21st century version of that rig?

Plenty of time was dedicated to showing the step-by-step rigging. Then the camera turned on Steve as he demonstrated how to fish the Slugo to its fullest potential. The wind was blowing from the SW and there was plenty of salt spray in the air. It was just before sunset and with the third oldest lighthouse in the US as a backdrop Steve and Chris Megan (Publisher of OTW) fished the rising tide. I shot the anglers from a water’s edge perspective you'll never see unless the camera is protected by an underwater housing. The setting was beautiful, but only a few fish hit the plastic, and only one was landed.

Under the cover of darkness we switched spots and then introduced the viewers to “The East Coast of Narragansett.” Not “F,” not “A,” not “X” marks the spot.

So let's not jump over Steve, and OTW if it is a How To show...

[eelman]

I am sure Mike meant his remark in a funny fasion however, its the thousands of people who lurk and read and it only takes one nut to acually do something as malicious as slash someones tires.

[Fish_Eye]

John,

Oh, Laptew - WTF do you think is wrong with dragging a camera crew and staff down a PRIVATE road to FILM ? Do people walk that private road to fish? Yep. Do you think the handful of wealthy people living in there are nice enough to look the other way when anglers respecfully walk down there? How long will that last with film crews walking down there? Do you think the handful of wealthy people in there would really react if a crew of 10 walked down with cameras and equip bags? Obviously, this is not the first time you have dragged cameras and crews down there to FILM fishing.

Did you read my earlier post?

The crew was made up of four people that walked in under the cover of darkness and left a couple of hours later. I made certain, as did Steve, that nothing revealed where we were fishing. What the hell is wrong with that? A show featuring a top angler using a productive technique on a pitch-black shoreline. The only on camera reference was to the East shore of Narragansett Bay. As far as people profitting on that show, yes it's business but it is the business of entertaining and informing people. My whole follow up to the post that announced the arrival of the OTW crew was to assure everyone that it was not a where to piece it was all about how to fish plastic. In my humble opinion I think we did justice to a very special way of fishing, one that's seldom seen on the silver screen. I'm sure everyone that watches the show will be very impressed by the footage and even more impressed at the sensitivity to limited access nature of the location. I've quite honestly never seen such a kangaroo court where everyone is guilty until proven innocent. To set the record straight, I've been diving that area since 1973 and I've filmed fishing off the shoreline there only once before...and I never gave up where we were fishing.

No one is more sensitive to access issues, I've suffered as much as anyone when it comes to lost spots. In fact I sent a previous thread from S-B to a young writer for The Fisherman who's working on a new surf fishing book and I suggested he make sure that it wasn't another "where to" book -- fortunately it will not be.

I'm willing to roll up my sleeves and help solve the problem and I'll bet there are a lot of others here that feel that way.

Where do we start?

[JohnR]

You know something Mike - I did read and reread your post about that and put a follow up for people. And I understand what you are saying about a how to. But you HAVE previously filmed their and spread it on the net. Hopefully you would not do THAT again.

People - I think these threads are not doing anyone any real good (other than exposure for OTW)

I think we all need to settle down on the spot issue and back off. We also need to see people NOT burn McKenna in effigy unless they are perfectly willing to hang in effigy everyone that has ever scribed or posted about a spot... Let's give this a rest...