The Attitudes of Anglers...

[Brodylavoie]

I agree with OldTimer. Being a new member here I would not expect access to the reports section until I've been a member for a period of time and contribute.

In talking and posting on the forums I believe that being helpful is important. However there is a significant difference between mentioning a body of water or a generic area without providing a specific location. Everyone has that special fishing spot that they find and enjoy and I wouldn't expect anyone to tell me theirs or expect the same from me.

[keith78]

i dont mind helping people but as for exact location it wont happen from me unless ive fished with someone a few times other people fish in the same places as i do but the thing that bothers me the most is when you leave a place clean and you go back a couple days later and some slob was there and left a pile of garbage it pisses me off so when i find a nice spot not many people go i dont like to tell to many others cause if they tell 2 friends and then they tell 2 friends it never ends

[zippyFX]

Cool thread... Started before I joined.... I tend to be a more open individual... Here is my take:

- For generic information I tend to publish it; For example, if I make a catch at a well known spot I will report it as such.
- For sensitive information I tend to not publish the exact location it but will generally share via a personal message or e-mail to people I have seen active on the board.
- The only time I may not share is if the spot is either sensitive or pressured. Again I will generally share this information with people I have a raport with

As a general rule I will always share technique details.... Baits, colours, lures.... Honestly, with the fish being as finicky as they are, I am not certain they would work again so why not share?

I am a member of a couple of boards and I hate it when people sign up and ask for spots, which are usually readily provided; They always promise to send a followup but rarely do.....

On this and other boards I have had many PM discussions on specific locations that I can leverage and I have personally shared what I could even without prompting. There are many helpful people and it really has added a lot to my local area fishing knowledge. I tend to be rather bold and will PM people and directly and ask them about things they have posted, and in general everyone has been very helpful.

As an aside this is not just internet behavior.... When I bump into others at fishing spots many of them won't discuss previous catches or the techniques they use for the area. I tend to be very upfront to open things up and share what I know, and sometimes that helps. Sometime I ask questions I know the answer too, just to see how honest they are being with their responses. I have had people to tell me to cast in the wrong direction to try to avoid the hot spots. At the same time I spent 4 hours fishing with a guy who taught me how to catch walleye at a local spot (I did not catch anything and neither did he on that day).

MA I think the 15 post rule did help me be more active, I stumbled across the site via google results on some of the trip reports. I think I still would have become more active but it at least made me get involved....

My rambling $0.02

[woolyworm]

I've become much more close mouthed about fishing spots than I used to be, since I've noticed a number of places I've told people about seem to have become overrun by people. I've noticed that people I talk to about fishing, even non-fishermen, will ask where I go, so now I just tell them general areas, rather than specific locations. In some respects, I don't like being like that, because I appreciate it when someone tells me a spot to go. I ask people who I take with me to a favorite spot not to tell others about it.

That being said, however, I love to share techniques and tactics. I am always eager to learn from others and find out how they fish. Sometimes when I arrive at a spot, if someone is already there, I'll spend some time watching them to observe how they are fishing. If anyone asks me, I'll share the techniques I'm using with them. I was fishing in a derby in Hamilton this summer and was doing okay, and was approached by quite a few people who asked me what bait I was using and how I was fishing, and I would give them tips. I gave out some tackle to people who obviously needed help.