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Fishing "Spots"

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fishing spots
37K views 96 replies 56 participants last post by  MikeG 
#1 ·
I was just curious how other people felt about it.

As most memebers to the board know I've been doing this along time and so have others here,we put in countless(often fishless) hours finding places to fish, often giving up sleep or family time to benefit our endevour,finding travel and feeding patterns of fish,and studying bait,wind and tidal affect,for the most part we enjoy helping others,sharing methods,tidal,moon and bait(or lure) choices....
Now comes the stickey part...the where.... I'm sure most of us here have been scorched a time or two,maybe you showed someone a favorite surf spot that can ony be fished by two or three guys,you show up at the optimum tide only to find your"buddy" and his"buddies" have the spot covered!
Or maybe a small sand bar has been producing on the dropping tide,you take someone (by boat) to the spot, you do well,the next night you return to a 3 ring circus there are three boats anchored up(you drift and plug) and no where for you to fish.... It's a free country and everyone has a right to fish where they want, what do you do?????

I dont volenteer Info when it comes to fish reporting,if asked,I'll give an acurate account of the evening(or day) weather we did well (or got skunked) I try not to give numbers of fish(unless talked into it), IMO it's not necesarry,things can change day to day,I will give a general area and average size of the fish,maybe even a tide if the conversation goes well , am I a rat????? I look at it this way, in over 40 years of fishing I 've never,not once ,asked someone where they got their fish,I've let them tell ME,but I've never asked. It works the same with me.

With all that said,I've taken lots of people(sworn to secrecy of coarse) to "secret spots" and had the best time of my life,I've made some great friends by doing this and learned a thing or two myself.....

Not the most informitive post I've ever typed,but, With fishing season right around the corner,the question is bound to come up,I was just curious how other membes felt.... I promise no more morose posts like this...just usefull information...

Roccus
 
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#68 ·
Jeff, it's been my pleasure to share my good fortune with someone that truly respects the sport we enjoy so much. You are only beginning to pick the fruits from the tree of my life. I not only have enjoyed the fleeting moments of success we have had so far, but look forward to the road trips we will both be taking to fish a few feet of shoreline we will be sharing in the future. For some unknown reason my phone seems to have lost your number, call me so I can save it again. Some huge events coming soon, real soon.
 
#74 ·
That’s an awesome post, I agree it should be required reading; there is another side to that story too though. Most folks have not been at it as long as you, and none asking that type of question fished through the bad years.

4 or 5 years ago my first post on this board was something like ‘what are the GPS cords to the hotspots!!’ Yes, I was that guy… what an ass I was. About 7 guys boo’d and hissed, but a few were nice enough to welcome me and correct my transgressions. They recognized I knew less than nothing of this hobby or it’s etiquette. In other words I was too stupid to even know what I did not know.

Over the years I’ve improved my skills immeasurably. I am still not in the class of most folks on this board (and not even in the same league as roc); but I have learned a few things and for those who ask nicely, I am happy to share. I find my success more dictated by understanding of tide, bait, light, etc than parking on that magic spot. If some dad and his kid are obviously without a clue looking and for a good time, they can have all the info they like. I have also learned that most folks are good people who just don’t yet know what they don’t know. Cut them a little slack and point them in the right direction, then see how they respond. If they are goon’s F-‘em, but It's inveitable that somone will stumble on your super secret stash honeyhole at somepoint and I’d rather have well educated guys fishing near me than goons, even if I have to teach them myself.

For the record, this is definately not meant to be a reply aimed at anyone or this thread, especially Roc who I am guessing has helped more folks then just about anyone; it's just an alternate view point.
 
#75 ·
Awe geeze... I just made this nice thoughtpost about how folks are basically good people and cut the some slack and only then do I see the locked thread from scott7980 in the new england forum which prompted this.... crap now I guess I take it all back, lol.

Well, don't let one bad apple...
 
#80 ·
great post roc! i still consider myself very green, and i will say that this site has helped me alot in the last few years, and roc you yourself have given me many great tips, all on how to's NOT how where and whens which i wouldnt ask for.
i think most 98% of people on here know you have put your time in a earned the fish you get
 
#82 ·
Definitely required reading, especially for new members like myself. It sucks to be taken advantage of and led down dead ends, especially when you r just starting out. I suppose its all part of the learning curve we all endure. If a day has gone by where u have not learned something new, you have done something wrong. Every day is a challenge that should be met with enthusiasm and the spirit to improve upon yourself in any part of your life....fishing for Stripers just enhances it all, and adds to your life experience.

And to all those "old salts" who have taken advantage of the newbies to the sport, shame on you for not bringing up the next generation of stewards of the sea in the correct manner. As Roc said....earning trust is key to sharing information...and not allowing anyone into your circle will never allow for trust to happen....:iagree:
 
#83 ·
I found this post when searching for a Veteran's day thread. I wanted to comment that Roccus explained in in a way that would bring the message home to anyone who thinks the internet is for "sharing" every piece of info that you work hard to learn on your own. It should be required reading for all new members, and all new fishermen.

He does this on a non-lecturing way without coming across as condescending or elitist. It's from the point of view of a guy who has lived through the worst, and doesn't want to ruin things as they get better. Well said. :a_goodjob:
 
#84 ·
Real cool post I totally respect the hard work you and others have put into the sport. growing up as a kid i grabbed anything and everything I could read on the subject. Now since the internet has come along its helped a whole lot. Fishing reports I use as sort of a guide to areas. I'm more concerned about technique and presentation.Spots come and go.Even though Ive been a trout fisherman till now. Its all the same hard work. Luckily my first 3 trips striper fishing Ive managed to catch a good share of schoolies. I dont think anyone should expect to be handed spots out. Im all for helping someone but to an extent.
 
#85 ·
this is the age of instant gratification. no one wants to work for it.
i am not a young man by most standards but im a kid compared to some of the old salts i have had the privilige of fishing with.
i go out 4-6 nites a week during the season and have learned the value of shut the f---- up.
roc is an inspiration because that is the true path. work and earn it
mike
 
#86 ·
Great post. I'm new to the site and just starting to catch up on my reading, but this seems like a good place to start.

I wasn't alive at the height of the pollution and overfishing, but have heard stories from the old timers. Growing up in the 80s and 90s I was lucky enough to benefit from the rebounding populations, but even luckier because I grew up around a bunch of seasoned vets (my dad and his buddies) that brought me out and showed me some of the ropes...although more often than not they would make me find the rope myself--which I respect them most for. Quite a few lessons I've had to learn the hard way, though probably not as hard as the stories I just read.

Probably the most important lesson I learned though was that the tight lipped fisherman is a stereotype for a reason, and you have to pay your dues to the fish gods before you can expect a reward. I can remember when I was still a kid seeing charter boats unloading stripers taller than I was, and wondering why no one would tell me if they got it in the river or out in the harbor...It took me a few years before I realized why.

Thanks for the good read and good advice
 
#87 ·
I totaly understand where you guys are coming from, and i get how upsetting spot burning can be. As someone who has fished allover the world in more than 15 countries succesfully and unsuccesfully over the last 18 years I understand the dedication it takes. I easily spend 30-40 hours a week fishing for Stripers (and i work fulltime) and some weeks are great and some weeks I hardly catch anything. I have made million mistakes in my lifetime when it comes to fishing, i have had many discouraging outings and even expensive long distance fishing trips and sometimes considered just giving up after a long stretch of unsuccesful weeks wondering what i was doing wrong and where the hell the fish were, but my persistence and patience and willingness to learn and ask experienced locals for advice has paid off in the long run. I get what you guys are saying about instant gratification with young people today who expect to catch fish succesfully right away but I do want to say one thing.

In this day and age when kids are caught up in drinking, and doing drugs and crime or even just stuck in the house playing video games all day long, i commend those that want to give a heathy outdoor activity like fishing a try. I dont want us to discourge them or turn them away, even if it means taking a couple noobs out a year in my area and showing them the ropes and maybe even showing them a fishing spot or two. I would be selective who i did it with but it is a risk im willing to take if it means one more person doing something a little more constructive with there time then self destruction. I know if i wasnt fishing as much as I do I would be out blowing all my money on drugs and alcohol and cheap women like I used to. So lets be careful not to discourage the next noob on this site asking for a fishing spot and link them to this great thread instead!

:a_goodjob:
 
#88 ·
EXCELLENT POST! I'M NEW TO STRIPER FISHING, I'VE BEEN TAKING MY SONS OUT. SKUNKED SO FAR,BUT LIKE ANY TYPE OF FISHING, THERE IS A LEARNING PROCESS. WE'LL GET IT. ALREADY SCOPED SOME GOOD,DESOLATE SPOTS ON SHORE. NO LUCK (OR SKILL) YET,BUT WE KNOW AS WELL AS ANYONE THAT PERSISTENCE WILL EVENTUALLY PAY OFF. I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF GOOD TECHNICAL TIPS JUST FROM READING THE OLD POSTS. BOUND TO LAY INTO SOMETHING SOON. THANKS TO ALL FOR SHARING ADVICE! :thu::usa:
 
#90 ·
I have to agree with Roccus on his post. This instant gratification without paying some sort of price is uncalled for. If you don't pay the price to learn and fish, you shouldn't be fishing. I have to say, I had someone teach me how to invest in the right gear, how to scap herring, hell he even taught me how to make my own scap net. But not once have I had the audacity to ask for hot spots to fish in. Finding those spots is by trial and error, which is called EARNED. To be as good as some of you guys that practically live the water is earned from trial and error. And unfortunately for some like Roccus, some very heavy prices were paid to learn this knowledge, such as fishing in sewer, broken arm, sunk boatS. Hell man, I am still learning about this magnificent fish and make some stupid mistakes at times, and I have been fishing for 12 years. Maybe I look at it wrong and correct me if I do, but the way I feel about it is if you don't want to work to earn your fish and learn, you shouldn't be fishing! GREAT POST ROCCUS !:thu:
 
#92 ·
But not once have I had the audacity to ask for hot spots to fish in.
Which is smart.
Something many people don't take into account is the fact that if they ask and someone tells them, the chances are 99.9% that they're lying.

You can't even fully trust the tackle shops or magazines. I weighed a fish for a tournament at a local shop last fall. They know me and know not to bother asking where.
The next week I get a call from my uncle saying he just saw a write up in the Fisherman Magazine that I had caught a good fish at the back of Sandy Hook on a Black Gibbs Danny! I don't even own a black Gibbs Danny and I hadn't been near the back of the Hook in weeks sign10.gif
 
#94 ·
dewaynelee_eckertd said:
I too am a new member. I am disabled with a breathing & walking problem. Can anyone tell me where I could go fishing without much walking?
Hey Dewayne -Lee - you just described me.
I have lung fibrosis. Usually the best place without much walking is around boat launches, docks and boat ramps. Bulkheads, piers and the like, all afford fairly easy access.
Someone will PM you with assistance if they determine your post is legitimate.
 
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