Spotburn thread

[rockhopper]

One of those sites metnioned in this thread burned Demo big time. You had guys fishing it that had never heard of it before. All they heard was that big fish were all over the beach. That was a slight exxageration too, but no one wanted to point that out.

[rip316]

That reminds me of last year when the fishermen magazine had that power plan on the front page, I believe with a pic of a guy with a bass. The next day some guys I know that fish the area were so pist because these guys came out of nowhere and too k the place over.

[DarkSkies]

That reminds me of last year when the fishermen magazine had that power plan on the front page, I believe with a pic of a guy with a bass. The next day some guys I know that fish the area were so pist because these guys came out of nowhere and too k the place over.

You'll notice we dance around mentioning things like that here, Rip.

The longer you fish, the better you learn to read between the lines with some reports. You don't have to have a specific location if you fish a lot of areas. You automatically know where the likelihood is of fish being caught according to the stage of the year.

That's why a blanket statement of: "Fish move, spot burning is not an issue..." gets to me.

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 5 specific places in LI and NJ where fish held in an area or spot, or came in at different times every day, for sustained time periods in 2009. What purpose does it solve by encouraging thousands of internet lurkers to flock to those areas?

If people live around there, it only motivates them to go to their mayor or chief of police and further restrict parking.

If people don't live around there, there could be handicapped fishermen or old timers who fish there every day. They have no interest in the internet. They would have to find somewhere else to fish as a "hot-spot" becomes temporarily over-run by internet/tackle shop report chasers.

What's the point in doing that to those old-timers? True, tbey don't own those places, but they don't deserve to be blitzkrieged by the Viking Hordes either.


Reports are always encouraged. A specific report is a lot better than one where a guy comes on the internet to brag how he killed them with no details. To me, that's just feeding one's ego.

However, I feel that all moderators of internet sites bear a moral responsibility to do their best to avoid concentrating fishermen too intensely in one area. If the bite is good, people will find out about it soon enough. I feel the moral responsibility to do the right thing and not burn spots to increase membership does lie with us site owners.

Some take this responsibility seriously, some don't. I have no control over that. I can only tell ya we take it seriously here.

[BassBuddah]

One of those sites metnioned in this thread burned Demo big time. You had guys fishing it that had never heard of it before. All they heard was that big fish were all over the beach. That was a slight exxageration too, but no one wanted to point that out.

That place looked like they were giving away free Vs's a few times this fall.

[DarkSkies]

The beginning of the season invariably spurs talk about spot burning.

I was going to let this thread lay undisturbed. Today I tried to explain something somewhere else, so might as welll post my response here....


The OP:

"I've shared some things on here, and lost some good fishing spots because of it. Say that place gets over run, and the trash really piles up. The local town gets sick of it, so they put an end to it.
To whoever said its a big river, with plenty of room? Finding a place to wet a line, and finding a place to catch fish are 2 different things.
I'd be willing to bet that most guys have a place they like to fish, and only a couple guys know about it."


My response agreeing with him:

*******, we have the same problems in north Jersey. Guys started catching bass in Raritan bay spring 2009. One genius bragged about his location and town on the internet. The next day there were 75 people in a 350' stretch of beach because he had to satisfy his ego by saying he got 25 bass there.

He's still bragging about it this year, and doesn't realize the damage he caused with his specific report. Here's what the place looked like:









Another nearby town got overrun by fishermen after a series of internet reports giving out the exact location as a "bass hotspot" and descriptions and pics of big fish people were landing.

Fishermen were leaving trash all over the place and homeowners were pissed. That town started ticketing fishermen on previously unenforced parking violations. We had to do a beach cleanup there to try to get back in the good graces of the homeowners.

That's just the back bay area, there are more stories like that.







As for the ocean, in Monmouth county, we (surf fishermen) lost access at St Alphonse's retreat because after a mad-dog bite, some guy snuck into the priest's sanctuary to use their bathroom without permission, and gave the priest a hard time when he was caught. Some guy was also caught cleaning fish near a religious statue.

A few blocks away from that, the town enacted severely restrictive parking regulations after it received complaints of pissing on lawns and fishermen tresspassing, cleaning fish, leaving the racks in homeowner garbage cans, and other things like that. Another place lost by people being too free with specific intel on the internet.

Last Fall 2009 in Mantoloking, the town clamped down and changed the parking regs after a few noreasters destroyed the public fishermen walkways. Fishermen were using private homeowner access areas to get to the beach, leaving their litter on private property as they did it. I wouldn't say the Mantoloking case was pure spot burning. It was more a case of careless fishermen. It still caused trouble for those of us who fished that area regularly.

It might be different for people like **** or others who fish from boats, but for shore fishermen it's a big issue.

So I'm not trying to pass judgement here. Wanting to help people is admirable. Lots of times in helping people new friendships are forged. If that's a goal of someone who's fishing, that's great. I didn't read any malice in the sentences ******* posted.

But there are a lot of guys who have been fishing areas for a long time. The primary reason they're out there at all hours of the night is to catch fish, or catch bigger fish when no one else is around.

There are sites out there where you'll be censored or banned for even complaining about spot burning. The admins encourage it to bring traffic and revenue to the site.

I have to give you guys credit for at least being able to have this discussion.

I'm just tryiing to point out, that there is a balance between helping and giving too much information. For the guys who fish from shore, sedges, bay or river banks, specific spot info can sometimes hurt us because you never know how many lurkers are reading a report.

A spot doesn't belong to any one person or group. We all need to learn to share. However, I'm not willing to share a place with 300 guys at a time because of a specific internet report.
That's all.

[7deadlyplugs]

What gets me about spot burning are the cell phones and intel. If someone passes info on to you then you should not be passing it along as well. If everyone said I'll just tell my buddy and then he tells his buddy you end up with mayhem on the beach.

[hookset]

I consider that spot burning. He wanted to show the fish which is all well and good, but I bet tomorrow there will be lots of guys there.

[storminsteve]

The OP:

"I've shared some things on here, and lost some good fishing spots because of it. Say that place gets over run, and the trash really piles up. The local town gets sick of it, so they put an end to it.


My response agreeing with him:





Fishermen were leaving trash all over the place and homeowners were pissed. That town started ticketing fishermen on previously unenforced parking violations. We had to do a beach cleanup there to try to get back in the good graces of the homeowners.

As for the ocean, in Monmouth county, we (surf fishermen) lost access at St Alphonse's retreat because after a mad-dog bite, some guy snuck into the priest's sanctuary to use their bathroom without permission, and gave the priest a hard time when he was caught. Some guy was also caught cleaning fish near a religious statue.

A few blocks away from that, the town enacted severely restrictive parking regulations after it received complaints of pissing on lawns and fishermen tresspassing, cleaning fish, leaving the racks in homeowner garbage cans, and other things like that. Another place lost by people being too free with specific intel on the internet.

I'm just tryiing to point out, that there is a balance between helping and giving too much information. For the guys who fish from shore, sedges, bay or river banks, specific spot info can sometimes hurt us because you never know how many lurkers are reading a report.

Well-said, dark, too much disrespect could lead to this.

[stripermania]

Talk about spot burning! There is a web site which I came across that actually has a map on their home page. The map has an arrow which pin points the EXACT area where the fish were caught giving complete description of the type, bait used and size of fish.

I bet every day those spots get over-run with fishermen. I'd rather not fish than fish two inches apart from someone else.

[Jackbass]

I know the website you are talking about. He has toned that down to the point where you need to get the map from him with the locations numbered on it. In fact that location is all about hiking so many of your lurkers aren't even going to venture into a lot of those areas.

That being said i would never post my favorite holes for everyone to burn

[DarkSkies]

If it hasn't happened already as I post this at 8:15 pm Fri nignt... I predict a major NJ spotburn will be broadcast from one of the most glory-hungry spot-burners out there, complete with revealing video and maps to get you exactly to the patch of sand that's 200 yards long and comfortably holds about 50 anglers tops.

I've gotten so many angry phone calls and pms about it already today, it's only a matter of time before it gets broadcast to the world.

Thank you Mr Tackle shop video entrepeneur, boldly burning spots with more accuracy and at the speed of light, we salute you...

You heard it here first....

[jigfreak]

I went to the site, he didn't burn it yet, Dark. Probably will in a few days, though. I remember he did it around this time last year.What a tool, I hate that guy.

[crosseyedbass]

Can't stand when people do that.

[EddyRider]

The ultimate spot burn is the new issue of "On The Water", the four corners of RB article with detailed maps and directions to fishing Great Kills, J-Bay, The Hook and Union Beach. There is enough people out there already. There is no need to be pumping out articles like this that will bring every idiot in to fish the spots they read about...

Writing like this is done for self-gratification and with no regard for the spots or those that are locals or regulars there. Its actually a shame.

[storminsteve]

The ultimate spot burn is the new issue of "On The Water", the four corners of RB article with detailed maps and directions to fishing Great Kills, J-Bay, The Hook and Union Beach. There is enough people out there already. There is no need to be pumping out articles like this that will bring every idiot in to fish the spots they read about...

Writing like this is done for self-gratification and with no regard for the spots or those that are locals or regulars there. Its actually a shame.

Right on eddy rider, the tackle shops, newspapers and magazines all tell the guys where the fish are, but is it necessary to post detailed maps and directions? ***? They are not the ones who have to pay a price if an area becomes too crowded and shut down. BTW, welcome to stripers and anglers.

[EddyRider]

Thanks Steve. Been lurking around for awhile but thought this thread was a good place to jump in.

What burns me is the authors are usually fishing guys that don't seem to mind burning the spots to get accreditation and pats on the back, then in 6 months they are usually the first one bitchin that their spots are being over run by googans..

[buckethead]

Thanks Steve. Been lurking around for awhile but thought this thread was a good place to jump in.

What burns me is the authors are usually fishing guys that don't seem to mind burning the spots to get accreditation and pats on the back, then in 6 months they are usually the first one bitchin that their spots are being over run by googans..

Kind of gives new meaning to the word "ironic", doesn't it?
Too many people are out for glory in this world, either by proving to the whole world they know where the fish are or by incessantly needing to weigh in every fish they catch at a tackle shop. I read the other day a bass was weighed at 7.5lbs. Why would you even weigh in a bass like that? At 28" that would be a very skinny bass. Just take it home and eat it with some baked potatoes and a good wine. But no, ego takes over and people have to put themselves on the internet map, either by weighing all the fish they catch or posting up about where the hottest action is even if all the locals and regulars then have hell to pay for the next 2 weeks because of the spot burning.
btw welcome to S&A EddyRider.

[EddyRider]

Thanks Bucket,
The funny part is the author lives in the Trenton NJ area and doesn't even live near the water and is burning these spots in NY without even thinking twice about it. I have seen it happen to my hometown in South Seaside Park and IBSP, the sedge islands where never popular or busy and we have a house in the park still that overlooks that area and I have been fishing back there since I was a baby.

Then the same author started to fish back there and then the articles started and then the seminars started and so on and so on, until the sedges were swamped with guys and he finally admitted that it was a mistake, but yet turns around and burns these spots for the glory and recognition..

I don't get it.

[fishinmission78]

Then the same author starting to fish back there and then the articles started and then the seminars started and so on and so on, until the sedges were swamped with guys and he finally admitted that it was a mistake, but yet turns around and burns these spots for the glory and recognition..

I don't get it.

If this is the guy I think it is, I don't get it either. His ego and denial are bigger than the Nile river.
Welcome to the site.

[albiealert]

Writing like this is done for self-gratification and with no regard for the spots or those that are locals or regulars there. Its actually a shame.

I bet he wouldn't do that in Ct. We have hardly any access at all except for some state parks, the rivers, and certain marinas. If he did that up here I bet guys would try to kill him. Spots are so valued because they are so scarce. Guys don't get it. Welcome to Stripers and Anglers, Eddyrider, dso you just fish NJ or do you ever fish other states?