This is definitely an interesting thread with a lot of diverging views. This is a tough issue because, on one hand, you want to help out fellow anglers, or lend a hand to someone new to the sport. On the other hand, there are those who will take advantage and abuse our fishing resources. So, what to do?
In my opinion, fishing locations near a major urban centre, such as Constance Lake or Petrie Island, are going to see a lot of fishing pressure, regardless of what is posted here on FishHawk. So if you have a great day at Petrie and you post a report naming Petrie, it won’t really affect the fishing pressure over the long term. I think this applies to any body of water that is easily accessible. Lakes like Silver or Sharbot or Mississippi will see more pressure just because of their location.
However, I think that those less accessible lakes, those that require a 4X4, or hiking or portaging, should be protected. They are often more sensitive to angling pressure and being remote, are ideal for those who would ignore the regulations. If you have taken the time and energy to locate one of these lakes, I think you are within your rights to decide whom you tell. We still enjoy reading reports on such lakes, but hearing the stories and seeing the pictures is enough. We don’t need to know it was X lake using Y lure off of Z point.
To sum up this lengthy diatribe, name your fishing holes to whomever you want, but if you do post them on this site there is a chance your lake will see increased fishing pressure. And if you choose not to name the lake, I think we readers need to respect that decision. Who knows, we may find that lake on our own. All it takes is a map and some outdoor spirit.
Cheers
Opinion time
Couldn't of said it better myself Wader!
Actually there's been a lot of good discussion around this topic. Excellent thread, in my opinion.
I don't usually have much to say, but I'm slowly but surely trying to crawl my way out of "lurker" status… Not sure if I would really call myself a "lurker", but I certainly seem to fit the description. Once in a while, I might jump in and offer my opinion. But really, the amount of information I offer out, is nowhere in comparison to the information I take in. Does that make me a bad person? Is this in fact information theft? Should I be reported to the authorities? I certainly hope not…
I'm just here to read and learn more about my favorite pass time. I guess you could call me one of those weekend warrior fisherman. I don't get out fishing a lot, and enjoy fishing vicariously through the members of this board.
I share fishing stories, and offer advise when I can. But I don’t get out a whole lot, and when I do, it's to the same lake. I've got a trailer on White Lake, and every vacation, every long weekend, every time I've got more than a couple days to spare, I make the 5 hour drive up there to fish like hell. I've fished the same lake for the past 20+ years. It's where I threw my first cast, and it's probably where I'll throw my last.
As for my stance on identifying the location in your reports…
Whether you choose to disclose that information or not (or any other information for that matter), is your prerogative. I completely understand and support those who prefer not to mention the lake in which they fish.
It's nice to have a name of the lake to go with the pictures you're looking at, or report you're reading.
But honestly, it doesn't make any difference to me whether you name it or not? No! I like reading the reports all the same.
Actually there's been a lot of good discussion around this topic. Excellent thread, in my opinion.
I don't usually have much to say, but I'm slowly but surely trying to crawl my way out of "lurker" status… Not sure if I would really call myself a "lurker", but I certainly seem to fit the description. Once in a while, I might jump in and offer my opinion. But really, the amount of information I offer out, is nowhere in comparison to the information I take in. Does that make me a bad person? Is this in fact information theft? Should I be reported to the authorities? I certainly hope not…
I'm just here to read and learn more about my favorite pass time. I guess you could call me one of those weekend warrior fisherman. I don't get out fishing a lot, and enjoy fishing vicariously through the members of this board.
I share fishing stories, and offer advise when I can. But I don’t get out a whole lot, and when I do, it's to the same lake. I've got a trailer on White Lake, and every vacation, every long weekend, every time I've got more than a couple days to spare, I make the 5 hour drive up there to fish like hell. I've fished the same lake for the past 20+ years. It's where I threw my first cast, and it's probably where I'll throw my last.
As for my stance on identifying the location in your reports…
Whether you choose to disclose that information or not (or any other information for that matter), is your prerogative. I completely understand and support those who prefer not to mention the lake in which they fish.
It's nice to have a name of the lake to go with the pictures you're looking at, or report you're reading.
But honestly, it doesn't make any difference to me whether you name it or not? No! I like reading the reports all the same.
We dealt with this topic on the main board a couple of weeks ago. Some people wanted to post the names of the waters they fished and others (like me) decided to be discrete.
The reason for my discretion is the fact that there is a small number of poachers routinely view these sites looking for information. They then fish the waters mentioned with little respect for the law, taking as many fish as their clients have ordered or that their freezers can hold. They did this when the MNR's COs patrolled and now that the COs are grounded, the poachers can act with impunity.
Frankly, it would be nice to feel free to openly post this kind of info, but I think that under the circumstances it would be wisest to restrict mentioning the names of specific locations to PMs.
The reason for my discretion is the fact that there is a small number of poachers routinely view these sites looking for information. They then fish the waters mentioned with little respect for the law, taking as many fish as their clients have ordered or that their freezers can hold. They did this when the MNR's COs patrolled and now that the COs are grounded, the poachers can act with impunity.
Frankly, it would be nice to feel free to openly post this kind of info, but I think that under the circumstances it would be wisest to restrict mentioning the names of specific locations to PMs.
This is a great discussion......likely one of the best on FH in a long time....
One point I see brought up over and over in responses is the thought that poachers use FH and reports to help them abuse our resources....
While I don't doubt there are folks out there who abuse our resources....Frankly....I don't see it....I fish in the neighbourhood of 75 to 100 days a year mostly in the Eastern Ontario Region....(thank the lord for my understanding better half!).....and I can count on one hand in my 20 years of fishing that I've seen something I thought was questionable regs wise......I've never seen a boat at a ramp with more than a limit....I've never seen fish kept out OOS....I have seen guys get busted for fishing without a license...that's a harmless offence in my eyes because license fees clearly go nowhere near our MNR...
Sure we've all seen white buckets with undersized bass in them...in our opinion that's wrong....but by law it's ok....keeping 10 inch bass isn't being a poacher...stupid?...ya maybe...
One thing to keep in mind I think is that people that keep fish aren't poachers....they are exercising a right that they have....
RJ
One point I see brought up over and over in responses is the thought that poachers use FH and reports to help them abuse our resources....
While I don't doubt there are folks out there who abuse our resources....Frankly....I don't see it....I fish in the neighbourhood of 75 to 100 days a year mostly in the Eastern Ontario Region....(thank the lord for my understanding better half!).....and I can count on one hand in my 20 years of fishing that I've seen something I thought was questionable regs wise......I've never seen a boat at a ramp with more than a limit....I've never seen fish kept out OOS....I have seen guys get busted for fishing without a license...that's a harmless offence in my eyes because license fees clearly go nowhere near our MNR...
Sure we've all seen white buckets with undersized bass in them...in our opinion that's wrong....but by law it's ok....keeping 10 inch bass isn't being a poacher...stupid?...ya maybe...
One thing to keep in mind I think is that people that keep fish aren't poachers....they are exercising a right that they have....
RJ
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wolfe
- Diamond Participant
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- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 11:04 am
- Location: Marietta, NY & Wolfe Lake, Ont.
I agree that this is a good discussion, which I believe I mentioned earlier as well.RJ wrote: This is a great discussion......likely one of the best on FH in a
long time....
Sure we've all seen white buckets with undersized bass in them...in our opinion that's wrong....but by law it's ok....keeping 10 inch bass isn't being a poacher...stupid?...ya maybe...
And I also agree with RJ's second statement about undersized bass (the "stupid" part, anyway
). But to add to that, it's actually the keeping of the BIG bass (or other fish) that rankles me. Again, this doesn't necessarily classify someone as being a "poacher", BUT... I can't tell you how many times I've talked to people on Wolfe (and other lakes) who say, "Yeah, we only keep the big ones; we let all the small ones go." And I've seen their "big ones" and they're big ones, if you know what I mean. To me, this is a matter of not being educated in conservation and perpetuation of a natural resource.
Unfortunately, I have seen examples of abuse -- usually at least one time a year -- some here, some in Ontario. Last summer, a bunch of punks hauled in a stringer of good sized Wolfe Lake walleye and bass and left them tied to the dock while they swam, drank beer and wandered back and forth to their cottage. They ended up chucking the ruined fish in the woods to rot and laughed it off. Another family (same summer) proudly took in their kid's nice smallie. It also was left tied to the dock because Daddy didn't get around to filleting it. It died slow and bloated up in the ensuing hours. More food for the seagulls and raccoons.
Sorry for the rant, but I think Wader, Big Ty and others are right that it's a choice we all have whether or not to post detailed info, and perhaps exercising a little discretion is a good thing. Part of the fun of fishing is finding a hot spot on your own, isn't it? I came across a "new" spot on Wolfe Lake this year, after fishing it since I was a kid. Go figure! It tickled me to death and every time I went there this late summer and fall it produced for me. I wouldn't be giving up that spot to just anyone.
I kind of came full circle on this one after thinking a lot about it.
W.
um....wolfe wrote:And I've seen their "big ones" and they're big ones, if you know what I mean.
sorry, couldn't resistcouldn't agree more. If somebody told me exactly where to go to catch fish on a body of water I'm planning to fish I'd be disappointed. I like figuring out puzzles, which is prolly why I enjoy fishing so much.wolfe wrote: Part of the fun of fishing is finding a hot spot on your own, isn't it?
There are some very good points in this post. Well worth reading from start to finish. I have no problems naming public access lakes nor a general location on that lake. Of course, private access means just that, private, controlled access and I would never breach that trust.
It has been my experience that naming a lake and pin pointing a location on that lake does not mean that folks are going to catch anything there. Using type A lure on location X does not guarantee person B will catch squat. That is why it is called fishing and not catching.
The only thing I ask is that if and when we meet on the water, let's keep a respectable distance between boats. I really hate someone bouncing Jakes off my hull.
Of course, if you got there first, the "hole" is yours until you depart.
It has been my experience that naming a lake and pin pointing a location on that lake does not mean that folks are going to catch anything there. Using type A lure on location X does not guarantee person B will catch squat. That is why it is called fishing and not catching.
The only thing I ask is that if and when we meet on the water, let's keep a respectable distance between boats. I really hate someone bouncing Jakes off my hull.
Of course, if you got there first, the "hole" is yours until you depart.
I would like to address 2 aspects that have been discussed on this thread
1. I will agree with not posting specific sites that may result in overfishing, and have PMed some suggested lakes for people looking to fish in my specific area that are better than the lakes they are asking about.
2. I am what most would consider a lurker. I am annoyed at the critisms of lurkers presented here. They are generalizations that are not true for everyone. I am fairly new at fishing, and do not feel that I have enough knowledge to contribute regularly. I read to gain knowledge about techniques and how to get better. I have asked a couple of questions, and they have been well answered by members of this site and I greatly appreciated those responses. Will I reply to a question that has already been answered by someone more knowledgable than me? Probably not. Will I run off to "Big Fishy Lake" just because someone said they caught a fish? No. I can catch enough fish in my local lakes to keep me entertained. Just remember, sometimes the lurkers just want to learn how to do things. They may eventually feel comfortable enough to contribute more frequently if encouraged and allowed to develop their knowledge. That is why I like to read and occasionally ask questions (or in other words lurk). I can find another forum if prefered by others.
1. I will agree with not posting specific sites that may result in overfishing, and have PMed some suggested lakes for people looking to fish in my specific area that are better than the lakes they are asking about.
2. I am what most would consider a lurker. I am annoyed at the critisms of lurkers presented here. They are generalizations that are not true for everyone. I am fairly new at fishing, and do not feel that I have enough knowledge to contribute regularly. I read to gain knowledge about techniques and how to get better. I have asked a couple of questions, and they have been well answered by members of this site and I greatly appreciated those responses. Will I reply to a question that has already been answered by someone more knowledgable than me? Probably not. Will I run off to "Big Fishy Lake" just because someone said they caught a fish? No. I can catch enough fish in my local lakes to keep me entertained. Just remember, sometimes the lurkers just want to learn how to do things. They may eventually feel comfortable enough to contribute more frequently if encouraged and allowed to develop their knowledge. That is why I like to read and occasionally ask questions (or in other words lurk). I can find another forum if prefered by others.
Last edited by beeman on Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:24 am, edited 3 times in total.
Markus wrote:I saw this uplaoded on mfp this morning. Here's a couple guys that use the internet.
Are these guys doing anything wrong? I doubt it...they have PQ written all over them and are most likely within the law. But are these 2 guys someone you want fishing your local waters? Not me.
That is disturbing and sad. It's sights like these that convinced me to become a 100% C&R fisherman starting in 2007 (so far, so good). 2006 wasn't bad either - kept a total of 6 hammerhandles and one largie, but only because it was deephooked and would never have survived.
I never keep the fish I catch (and you should see the looks that people give me when I tell them that I love fishing but throw them all back).Clap_For_The_Wolfman wrote: That is disturbing and sad. It's sights like these that convinced me to become a 100% C&R fisherman starting in 2007 (so far, so good). 2006 wasn't bad either - kept a total of 6 hammerhandles and one largie, but only because it was deephooked and would never have survived.
I do sometimes keep a 2-3 fish per season for friends who like to eat them and I usually only keep the legal gut-hooked fish that would probably die anyway.
I have nothing against those who stay within the legal limits but I see plenty of immigrants who do not care about the laws and keep everything they catch. Please save your PC speeches about my mentioning of 'immigrants' because it is a fact that they do break the law the majority of the time from what I have witnessed. In Florida, it was mostly Hispanics and in Canada, it is mostly the Asians and East Asians. It is probably cultural, but it is not good for all of OUR Canadian fisheries.
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Gravelguy4
- Bronze Participant
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- Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:33 am
- Location: Bobcaygeon - Pigeon Lake
Keeping a few fish here and there isn't what we're worried about is it? THere's an interesting article in Canadian Fly Fishing magazine about the current trend to practice catch and release fishing. OF course it promotes c & r fishing but it also points out that keeping a few fish now and then is part of our sports tradition and as long as practiced responsibly, there is no harm in keeping a couple mid sized fish for a feed.
I don't think we are trying to say that all lurkers are a problem but for those of you that have posted here with your opinion, obviously you are willing to contribute when you have something to say. I can't speak for anyone else but i am concerned with those who have no intention of ever contributing anything. sharing keeps this site going.
I don't think we are trying to say that all lurkers are a problem but for those of you that have posted here with your opinion, obviously you are willing to contribute when you have something to say. I can't speak for anyone else but i am concerned with those who have no intention of ever contributing anything. sharing keeps this site going.
Nothing PC in saying that you only notice the immigrants poaching since the white people don't stand out in your eyes so they are easier to overlook. You might try listening to accents because some of the white people could be from eastern Europe or other far-flung parts of the world like Kanata.....In urban areas illegal catches by immigrants are likely a problem, but the activity isn't restricted to the immigrant population.jmikail wrote:
I have nothing against those who stay within the legal limits but I see plenty of immigrants who do not care about the laws and keep everything they catch. Please save your PC speeches about my mentioning of 'immigrants' because it is a fact that they do break the law the majority of the time from what I have witnessed. In Florida, it was mostly Hispanics and in Canada, it is mostly the Asians and East Asians. It is probably cultural, but it is not good for all of OUR Canadian fisheries.
The poaching I see is from the good ole boys from up the valley filling their white buckets with speckled trout. We've all seen them I'm sure. Sometimes it's a family affair with sallow cheeked waifs damaging the shoreline while the parents take every damn trout they catch. I have been threatened for mentioning limits to a few of them.
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almontefisher
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- Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:08 pm
- Location: Carleton Place
So I am seeing a little trend with this post....most people do not care if a "fisherman" knows the spots but are afraid of poachers etc ruining the population...Well Swamp-Donkey I am sorry about this but look at Bennett Lake. In the 80's you could catch 40 eye's in a day ( I do not keep any fish as I do not eat fish)...I am always C&R...Now when you go there you are lucky to get a nibble. IS this due to poachers and lurkers or is this due to water quality, disease and other things not mentioned??? Just adding another section to this post. I think I have a feeling on naming lakes that most will not do it due to their " honey" hole being affected.