Three times as many “guests viewers” as members

[RavensDfense]

Years ago I booked a charter with a guide in Ft. Lauderdale. I called him a few days before the trip and asked him what type of fish we were likely to catch. His reply was accurate but silly ("the dumb, hungry ones").

Come to think of it, I don't know if I've ever caught a smart one! Good going on the fish today, too!

[manlystanley]

Years ago I booked a charter with a guide in Ft. Lauderdale. I called him a few days before the trip and asked him what type of fish we were likely to catch. His reply was accurate but silly ("the dumb, hungry ones").

I feel fortunate when I can encounter some dumb, hungry fish. For example this morning Mark and I encountered and caught nearly 100 stripers to 25" fishing from my center console in shallow water using very light tackle. Mark caught the largest fish (25") on topwater. It was my most productive day of the year to date.

Stan is drooling, while taking a break from messing with his stupid patio door!!!!!

[bignose]

[QUOTE=J.A. Veil;154913
I feel fortunate when I can encounter some dumb, hungry fish. For example this morning Mark and I encountered and caught nearly 100 stripers to 25" fishing from my center console in shallow water using very light tackle. Mark caught the largest fish (25") on topwater. It was my most productive day of the year to date.[/QUOTE]



Sounds like you hit the motherlode of "village idiot fish." Makes for a real good day, one that will spoil you for the rest of the year! Sweet!
Talk about expectations, the next time you go out thinking that you've got them dialed in, you get a lesson in humility. Fishing is like that, sometimes.

[Mark]

Striper thumb:

P1030612.jpg

You know you're having a good day on the water when you lip so many stripers your iPhone does not recognize your thumbprint.

Here's the 25 incher:

P1030597.jpg

It hit one of my hand-assembled poppers. I bought the bodies from Jann's Netcraft. I added a single in-line hook on the back of the lure and dressed it with bucktail. I've had good success with them last year and of course today, hooking 8 stripers on top. But the above is the largest striper I've caught with them to date.

As to the original topic of this thread, I'm ambivalent about it. I understand how some worry about spot burning. But fish move their locations a lot -- especially stripers. They can be thick in a given area for days or only hours. If you're a good angler, you'll know where to look in a given body of water (even on your first visit) that gives you the highest probability of catching. You'll do that by reading currents, fishing structure, noticing bird or baitfish activity, or making assumptions about the terrain under the surface by the slope of the nearby shoreline. And then the fish may be there or not. If they are, it depends your choice of lure/fly and your skill in casting and manipulating it as to whether you'll catch them.

So I really do not put much value on knowing precise locations when folks give their reports. I don't expect to know them and frankly I don't need to know them.

However, what I find most useful is when a Snaggedline poster reveals the kind of tackle used -- fly, conventional; what flies or lures were used; and any environmental conditions that may have impacted the bite. I've tried to do that in most of the trip reports I write here without revealing precise locations, other than a given pond or general tidal area. I really appreciate it when other posters do the same.

[willf650]

Three times as many “guests viewers” as members

I fish from a kayak, boat or bank. I specifically turn off the gps in my phone and crop images when taking pictures in order to mask any info of where fish were caught.

I have two friends who are addicted to Facebook and updating their “status”. I specifically don’t take them with me to certain locations. My circle of fishing friends have also taken to calling places by their code name when we talk about them and these individuals are around.

Got this girl Tuesday from the boat but she’s still out there for someone else’s turn with her. Sorry I was in a boat that day.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Yak Fish]

I wonder how our sport will eventually evolve. Historically in the relatively short period of our sport, we've been characterized by kindness, generosity and willingness to help. Folks early in their learning curve seem to share more willingly. As we've become better and invested the time, perhaps we're getting more secretive? The internet is also getting more powerful, with forums like these having more exposure. I'm often surprised to hear from random folks reports they've seen online. It spreads fast. Because we've tended to be a more sharing group, perhaps that's why we're getting a lot of the guest stalkers.

[kevinfry]

I wonder how our sport will eventually evolve. Historically in the relatively short period of our sport, we've been characterized by kindness, generosity and willingness to help. Folks early in their learning curve seem to share more willingly. As we've become better and invested the time, perhaps we're getting more secretive? The internet is also getting more powerful, with forums like these having more exposure. I'm often surprised to hear from random folks reports they've seen online. It spreads fast. Because we've tended to be a more sharing group, perhaps that's why we're getting a lot of the guest stalkers.

I think we can keep that, stay sharing with things not related to "spots", be sharing with members via IM.

btw, do guests have access to view pics? I thought they weren't

kf

[Mark]

My observation is that this forum has definitely changed. The proper decorum remains and that’s fantastic. I would not be a member otherwise. But I believe fewer experienced folks contribute regularly and that’s unfortunate because they have much to share.

A few regional groups have developed as a result of Snaggedline. I presume they have a backchannel of information flowing within their groups. That’s fine and only natural. But I would encourage them to continue to share with Snaggedline members at large.

Additionally, I thoroughly enjoy seeing all kinds of reports even if I do not partake in that particular style of kayak fishing. Reports of catching big reds off shore or cut bait anglers banging the pilings at the CBBT are equally interesting to me. As are pond outings for panfish. Kayaks give us a variety of ways to catch fish. It’s great that they are all discussed here. It’s even better when posters describe techniques, lures, baits, conditions, etc. In other words, posts that provide more than photos of fish are the best in my opinion.

As to gawkers, I hope we do not limit our input because they are present. We can become so secretive that we become irrelevant. Frankly, most boaters cannot go where I catch fish. I’ve never seen a Jon boat or glitter boat beside me on an Eastern Shore pond among the cypress trees, locked in the middle of pads or cruising two feet off the shoreline. In the Severn and other tidal waters, no boats can reach many of the areas where I go lest they bottom out or ruin their props on rocks. Nor can they maneuver in a tight area like I can. I can troll several laps over an oyster bed in the time it takes a motor boat to make one pass, turn and come back for another. Again, the beauty of a kayak is that it lets us travel darned near everywhere a fish can go. It gives us a reach most other anglers will never have.

So, unless you’re worried about your fellow Snaggedline members overwhelming your favorite spots, I think we can safely share general locations here. Further, I suspect most learned Snaggedliners will know where to fish in a given area anyway, even on their first visit. Their understanding of currents, structure, depth and fish habits in general will lead most knowledgeable anglers precisely to the areas we may be most concerned about protecting.

There are few real secrets in life anyway. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”

[ronaultmtd]

Love the Ben Franklin quote...so true..and yeah you are all right...I enjoy showing fellow kayakers what ever I can and sharing...I get as much pleasure of one of our Snaggedline members catching a big fish when fishing with me as I do catching one...sharing techniques that we have found that work in our local waters, lures, colors, rigging, specialty kayak hacks...is very enjoyable...if not for Moc, Bill and Kevin taking me under their wing....

[Mark]

...if not for Moc, Bill and Kevin taking me under their wing....

I am grateful to Raptor (Terry Hill who moved to NC ) for introducing me to the sport. Also I deeply appreciate John Veil, Harry Steiner and John Rentch, each whom I met on Snaggedline and who continue to show me the way on the water. Were it not for Snaggedline, and those on it who share information and their time freely, I would not be able to enjoy this terrific pastime as much as I do.

[Yak Fish]

To Mark's point, many of the experienced anglers don't share as much as they used to. I'm definitely guilty of that. It's largely because I wanted to share more and I didn't want to take away from others' inputs. If anglers want to know what I have to say, they'll come to my page and I don't feel guilty about saying too much :-) It's my home there and all are welcome. Here, I'm a guest and I don't want to be the guy that posts a ton of stuff. It drowns out others, I think.

The other part is that there's a natural turnover and it's good. The experienced guys can only answer the same question so many times. Then newer guys can answer them as they get re-asked. It gets more variety in the answers and I think that's a good thing.

This forum continues to be the best and has incredible contributors that I respect immensely. So many have contributed to the sport in their own ways and it's awesome.