Do you have (fishing) acquaintances that are a one-way street?

[GRiver]

5 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

That actually is a good area …

And here I thought it was a secret, hahaha.
I still haven’t figured out that area…..one day boat load of fish. I’ll fish the very next day…. Same time, same places, practically same weather. Couldn’t  get fish with dynamite….go figure.  

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

Typically I am not one to start conversation. I keep a low profile when I'm out angling as it is a recreational endeavor so I appreciate the my time taunting fish. I am open to conversation and will share general information to help get someone get on fish. I will share and show them what is working for me. My goal is to help them out as they were the ones asking for assistance.

 

The goal is to improve their experience. However, I am not a guide, so the information is at the friendly advise context. This has been successful in getting a few grandparents and grand kids to a better day of catching rather than just casting. It is all about the smiles, right.

 

Most of my conversations are when I'm at the boat launch, either getting ready to go out or to conclude for the day. My friends that do go fishing are usually asking for assistance. So in the sense of this thread topic, they are one way types. They want to know what is working and I'm good with sharing that.. I suspect since my angling perspective is just for recreation, so I'm not expecting a free flow information exchange. I would welcome it but I just don't expect it. Till that time when I make that acquaintance I'll just continue here on BassResource. I greatly appreciate the dialogs that I've shared in the short time I have been affiliated. Nice to be able to share information and gain perspectives on different approaches to catching fish. Yes, good to be on-line, right?  Be well and cheers!

[BFS-Angler75]

8 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Y’all have seen my posts here, it’d take me 2 hours to explain.? As has been said, fishing is not a competition to me.  I’ll gladly give any info I have because as my old tournament partner used to say,….”You ain’t gonna catch another man’s fish”.  I also gave out all my spots guiding because a good spot is going to be a good spot regardless.  Patterns and locations on a tidal river are so specific that I could give you the full 411 and you may not catch a thing. ?

 

Thats me as well. I don't compete nor am I a professional guide, but I fish the lake closest to me every weekend (both days), so I know it really well. I tend to give out information as I'm coming in from a full day, and someone going out for a couple of hours asks me if I caught anything and where I caught it. I'll give up the info, but always give them the disclaimer that they may or may not catch anything. I do have a couple of "secret" spots but they're impossible to get to unless you're in a kayak or something that can handle 6 inches of water initially (I fish from a rigged out canoe with outriggers), even then, I'll share those with the kayakers if they feel like paddling out that far. 

 

But I agree, its not a competition, and I do this for the thrill and relaxation and to spend time with my youngest. There are some guys who frequent the lake I fish and act like everything is a big secret. They show up in these really expensive boats and a day out fishing is like the final round of MLF lol. Had a pair borrow my scale, and I had to remind them to give it back after they used it for 5 minutes. 

 

I like to share as I was once that guy who was getting skunked repeatedly, and wished someone would throw me a tip. I figured things out for myself, but I still try to be helpful when I can. 

[Functional]

Best I give out to anyone but my father and brother in law is color and bait profile. I'll typically say it's been tough to pin them down but when they bite its on "x type lure and color". Can't trust one one. 

 

My one exception is a parent with kid(s). I'll generally help them out much more than most people. Still need to judge the dynamic and adults temperament but on average they get more info. 

 

Edit: I don't have friends I can't trust and won't be a **** about sharing spot info. Also the reason I can count the amount of friends I have on one hand. Quality over quantity any day. 

[flyfisher]

Nope because I usually don't ask.  I freely give whatever information i have unless it is about a smaller flow that additional traffic could impact the fishery.  If it is on a major body of water, fair game to me.  I don't understand the not sharing mindset unless you were a trounament fisherman in an actual tournament.  

[TnRiver46]

Y’all need some better friends……..

 

I’ll tell my buddies anything , I love seeing them catch big smallies in my magic spot. I was in FLA around Christmas and they sent me this picture , they had been asking for other suggestions because the magic spot was dead from sunrise til bout 11 am. They reeled up to move and both got hit while reeling up. 
 

 

I don’t fancy the idea of laying on my death bed celebrating that I kept all my fish secrets and successes to myself . 

[Catt]

7 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I don’t fancy the idea of laying on my death bed celebrating that I kept all my fish secrets and successes to myself . 

 

One of the attributes of Bassresource is paying it forward.

 

A lot of talk about not sharing & yet here y'all are on Bassresource!

[ironbjorn]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

 

One of the attributes of Bassresource is paying it forward.

 

A lot of talk about not sharing & yet here y'all are on Bassresource!

A guy from Wisconsin sharing info with a guy from California is different than sharing with someone who fishes the exact same lake or pond.

[Bankc]

I'm on open book.  I don't believe in keeping information to myself.  My secret spots are probably known by 100 other people that I don't know and hit them up when I'm not around.  So I might as well share them with my friends too.  A high tide raises all ships, and making the people around me better will make me better as well.  

 

If I had a fishing buddy who didn't like to share that kind of information, I'd be fine with it.  I'd probably given them a hard time over it.  But that's what friends are for, right?  There's a lot of things I'll look for in a friend, but fishing secrets isn't one of them.  You can keep your fishing secrets, so long as you're willing to be labeled that guy who keeps his fishing secrets.  

Now, if all they do is take and never are willing to give, then that's not really a friendship.  So I'll move on pretty quickly.  There are a lot of people like that in this world, and I have no need for them in my life.  I'm not saying it has to be 50/50, but if I get nothing out of it, expect me to put nothing into it. 

[Darth-Baiter]

again, like all threads.. @Bankc sums it up beautifully.  thanks.

 

 

[TnRiver46]

36 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

again, like all threads.. @Bankc sums it up beautifully.  thanks.

 

 

Starting to think he might be ghandi

[Catt]

@ironbjorn If I know what your truck, boat, or kayak looks like I'll find where you're fishing.

 

 

[MAN]

I used to tell all.  But now I drive by on way home and wave every day to a guy that I shared my crappie hole with. Everyday...him, a cooler and a bucket of minnows.  Was a great spot for many years that I take my little kiddo's too and always guaranteed some big crappie and nice photo's.  Haven't caught any there lately. 

Have always been pretty open to helping others out. Always hear the dreaded stories of this happening to others,  But I finally have experienced it first hand. And I would be lying if I say it doesn't sting a little.    

[Darth-Baiter]

i'd share with anyone that has stuff to share back.  

[riverat]

 

Although I don't fish tournaments anymore, I have a nephew that does. I don't mind sharing specific information with him. Other than that, I will usually share information about what I'm catching fish on with a few guys but seldom will I reveal exact locations.

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I have a few that text for info. I don't usually ask any of them for info, but the one time I did ask one that has asked me several times for pretty exact details, I got radio silence. All I asked was "Did you fish creek x or creek y?". A couple miles worth of water still, so I wasn't asking for a lot. He doesn't get near the details he use to. 

[gimruis]

4 hours ago, Bankc said:

I'm not saying it has to be 50/50, but if I get nothing out of it, expect me to put nothing into it. 

Agreed, it can't be a dead end and it can't be a one-way street either.  The traffic has to flow both directions.

1 hour ago, MAN said:

But now I drive by on way home and wave every day to a guy that I shared my crappie hole with. Everyday...him, a cooler and a bucket of minnows. 

That's the worst.  When you share something with someone that rapes and pillages a spot to no end.  Sharing bass info is one thing, people don't tend to harvest them.  But sharing crappie or walleye info is a completely different animal here because people have no intention of releasing them.

[Zcoker]

Me and this guy started talking on a saltwater forum like Bassresource and then it was by text and sooner by phone, many a day and many a night with exciting conversations about fishing tactics for Florida. Months went by like that. One time I was going to the Keys and he said he wanted to go. I was, like, what? You're hundreds if not thousands of miles away and I'm leaving very soon. He said no problem and caught a plane to Miami. So, on my way down, I picked him up at the airport and we both headed to the Keys to spend about three days, hopping my favorite bridges and fishing for big sharks at my favorite spots. I didn't care in the least about what I taught him or the crazy spots that I shared with him, furthest thing from my mind. Our friendship grew into many more such exciting trips all over Florida, from coast to coast. We still conversed by text or by phone when he wasn't in Florida, but the conversations grew less and less frequent. His text replies became very short lived, one or three word replies. By that time, he knew most of my fishing spots as well as my fishing tactics all over the state. Yet I never thought in the least that there was something final about it. One time I was waiting for him to arrive at a new spot and I told him that once I knew he was on the road I'd give him the directions to the spot. Well, as it turned out, I was at the spot fishing, waiting for him to contact me when, lo and behold, there he suddenly was, walking down the beach toward me! I had no idea in the world how he found the spot. I never told him. Maybe a lucky guess? Or maybe he used the metadata on one of my photos that I had previously text him to locate exactly where I was at? Humm I never asked. Something wasn't right. I felt funny about the whole situation. I started to wonder what the heck was going on, why so sneaky, why so short worded, and why so unfriendly lately? Things slowed and became slower with hardly any conversation until nothing at all--gone! Once he got got what he wanted he split for good. Hard way to learn how some folks are. Rather emotional, I might add. They're only in it for their own gain or benefit. Yet I'd still probably do it all over again! 

[Pat Brown]

I don't know about y'all but I can't seem to help people.  I'll tell people exact spots and baits and retrieves and I'll still catch the fish.  It's almost like you can give people the keys and the manual but if they don't drive a lot, they won't win the race.

[Bankbeater]

I have four friends and we all share fishing lake info back and forth. Other than that I'm tight lipped unless I see someone really struggling.

[einscodek]

I usually give answers to whatever they're asking (usually a specific question with little followup) and no its not giving away the farm usually because theres usually so many factors in play that the questions people specifically ask about is just one aspect or one piece of the puzzle.  If they keep asking and probe other aspects well then they deserve more info imo and a nice conversation with knowledgeable fishermen always feel good.

[the reel ess]

I have a "friend" who owns a pond. Every time I see him around this one horse town he says "Why don't you come fish my pond sometime." So I asked him 3X and each time he said it was not a good time. I'm slow, but I get the hint. Sad, because we were pretty good friends at one point. I had a key to his gate, which I'm sure he's changed.

 

Not exactly what you asked, but he's a one way street. Not a real friend.

[scaleface]

 I'm an introvert and dont have many bass fishing acquaintances. The people who ask me questions are generally spincast , worm and hook dudes.

[the reel ess]

17 minutes ago, scaleface said:

 I'm an introvert and dont have many bass fishing acquaintances. The people who ask me questions are generally spincast , worm and hook dudes.

I have some friends, a married couple, who gave me carte blanche to fish their pond. They sometimes ask me questions and when I start with "If this, then that, except when, and then..." I see they get the 40 yard stare and I know they've stopped listening.

[Dye99]

Im a pretty avid fisherman and have been for many years. Yak bassin is my thing so anytime I can help someone with the limited knowledge Ive acquired I will.

I don't give out too many of my spots unless Im taking you there though.

 

Having lived in three states in the last 15 years, Im proud to say Ive without a doubt got a lot of friends into kayak bass fishing that weren't interested initially.

I have a few back up boats just to take people out.

Nothing is cooler than looking at a friends social media of him showing off his new finder, or new rod/reel while catching fish that when you met him didnt know a zebco33 from a Metanium.

 

Now their wives are a different story. Before they starting hanging with me they had money!

I love the community I have of bass fishermen, as long as they are good people, who care about the longevity of not only the sport but the water and fish we need I will always share what I can. 

Life is pretty short on this blue marble and Im a firm believer it would be a more enjoyable place if more people fished.