Facebook Fishing Reports....

[plugginpete]

With the popularity of facebook I am seeing lots of crazy pics on fishing burning spots. Out at the lighthouse at montauk at night is one thing, but come on posting pics of 30 lb bass caught at debs, jones, or rm beaches and identifying the exact beach? You might as well hold the rod and reel it in for them too!
this can't be good. Where will it end? I don't think there are any moderators on facebook. I have a few spring bay spots that are small and secluded right next to residential areas. Too many people show up and it's game over.
What do you guys think can be done about it?

[DarkSkies]

It's been brought to my attention that there are guys out there with some pretty specific facebook pages.

I'm not talking about the people who post their fish pics, videos, and pics of good times.
Nothing wrong with that.
Facebook has become another extension of our lives.


I'm not on it, just don't have the time for what could become another addictive use of my limited time. But I do see the value in it.

And there are many out there who use it for an extension of their business or social network.
I surely see the value in that.

There's a member here, SharkHart, who has a facebook page, videos, pics, the whole 9 years. I haven't seen it because I'm not registered on Facebook. I've been told it's a great page, informative, and has some awesome video.,

Some other members here have them as well, some friends in other states document all their catches this way. It becomes sort of a fishing log for them.

[DarkSkies]

I was wondering about the following things, and issues, in no particular order.....

1. Facebook has no one who moderates fishing reports, so you can be as specific as you like. How is it that some guys are so specific that they list exact street addresses, when and where they caught fish? There's something about that level of specificity that just doesn't seem smart to me.

2. Sharing is caring...is it a good idea to share the jetty or beach where you are getting fish daily, with the whole anonymous world of facebook?

3. What happens when your specific reports, start bringing in crowds to places that really can't handle them? Who should bear responsibility for this?

4. What does it say about someone's self-esteem, that they have to put out daily reports showing exactly where they are catching fish? Do you not realize that these "facebook friends" are not your real friends? How many of them can you call at 3am when your Mom or Dad just died, or you need someone to talk to? How many of them will extend their hand of friendship outside the internet, if you are desperately in need of help with something you are working on?








I ask these questions not to start a fight or trouble with people.
As I mentioned, there are many productive and valuable uses of facebook, and it's a good tool for networking for some folks.

What I'm referring to is the small segment of folks who are bolstering their self-esteem by banging their own drum showing strangers exactly where to catch a fish without doing the work.


All opinions welcome, thanks, folks!

[finchaser]

just more people who need the internet to catch a fish

[jigfreak]

Different generation Dark. Mommy and Daddy gave them everything, half of them never had to work in the summer for minimum wage, and they all think the world revolves around them. You think face is bad you should check out twitter, 10 word blurbs about things that most of us would be embarassed to talk about. The young kids don't look at it that way. Everything is on the internet for the taking. Give away a fishing spot and Mary the HS cheerleader you had the hots for might come and bump uglies with you for one last time - NOT!

[fishinmission78]

If thats the only way you can get attention you are a loser that even being on facebook can't help. Some nice chicks on there, though.

[plugcrazy]

Ego, baby, ego.

[bababooey]

Give away a fishing spot and Mary the HS cheerleader you had the hots for might come and bump uglies with you for one last time - NOT!

You mean Mary the HS cheerleader won't meet me for a quickie if I tell her where the big bass are? All I have for her is big wood, I guess she's not interested. (And the HS cheerleader I had the hots for was named MaryJane, blonde, petite, perfect breastisis, and a petite butt to die for!) When she did her splits at the games, I would capture a mental pic. She became my fantasy material for the night time, ruined a lot of sheets over her. But I digress, we are talking about popularity here, and the kings and queens of facebook. How can I get to a place in time where I have 10,000 facebook friends? Does anyone on this site have over 1000 fb friends? Come on fess up!

[storminsteve]

Bababooey I would give anything to be a fly on the wall during your high school years. You could make a sit-com out of it from some of the stories I have read here, lol.

[dogfish]

. (And the HS cheerleader I had the hots for was named MaryJane, blonde, petite, perfect breastisis, and a petite butt to die for!) When she did her splits at the games, I would capture a mental pic. She became my fantasy material for the night time, ruined a lot of sheets over her.ig:

TMI dude, and your post is useless without pics.

[dogfish]

BB, did she look anything like any of these tasty kakes?

[jigfreak]

Would love to taste the frosting on all of them.

[stripercrazy]

Thread of the week. More cheerleader pics, please.

[DarkSkies]

I wanted to let this fade away, but apparently it won't..it's only gonna get worse thanks to these "Facebook Fruit Loops" and their incessant need to feel superior by posting where the fish are....

Here's the latest.... edited so as not to bring even more people up there....

[facebook guys talking freely...
.C**** ********
** report: Got em good. NOBODY on the beach, I had them all to myself. Working today so left around 11:30, stopped in the back, now I know where everyone was.... Report chasers, think ahead of the curve, dont be the top of the bell....

4 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading...

Reply by **** ****** ----
1. **** nice job , i was out front as well , between me and a friend got 7 up to 19#s all on sp minnows

Reply by **** *******----
2.Never made it there had fish at my first stop on the way. Went 3 for 5 on eels up to 30 inches
2 hours ago via mobile · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading....













*********
I'm posting the (edited) sections here to show that specific facebook reports can have an effect on the fishing and the enjoyment of all who fish in one area, because people tend to concentrate on the red X, as if that's the only place that will hold fish.

Facts:
1. There is now a night bite, finally.

2. The sandeels have moved in, and some of them are huge.

3. Because of this, you will have some decent fishing if you pay attention to bait, size of bait, and the structure. There is a lot of meaning in the sentence I just typed. Anyone who understands it will be able to get some nice fish. Those who don't, will rush to a spot named on the internet anyway, not paying attention to the key factors, and create a cluster eff of crossed lines and bad feelings among those who are there and want to do their best to catch some fish.

Let's face it, folks, we are all starving for fish this fall...despite what anyone says, this fall fishing from Montauk to NJ has been dismal so far. I've gotten fish to 25#, but had to work my a** off for every one. Losing sleep, walking around like a zombie in the daytime, and generally putting home repair tasks off, all for a chance at some bigger bass. And everytime I think I'm dialed into the pattern, it changes...

We accept that, and deal with it, because that's fishin, and the way it's supposed to be...at least it was in the era I grew up in....







The tool who wrote the report above considers us to be "friends". After today I think that will change, he may not like me too much anymore. (Boo hoo, I'l cry myself to sleep at night....).

Believe me, I'll have plenty more specific criticisms to say the next time I run into him on the beach....not that it would do much good here....

The guy above who made this report, and went into way more detail than I have edited..is famous for such internet phrases as...

"Spot burning is not an issue"
"Fish move, we can give locations freely because a report is only good the exact moment it is posted, after that the fish will be gone."

(I have news for you, genius, when sandeels are around, fish do NOT move, they set in for the duration...and leading them to a very specific spot that can hold 20-40 anglers comfortably, and gets insane after that number is reached, is not only irresponsible, but short sighted and incredibly stupid....)

Furthermore, this "bright guy" has had the audacity to PM some members here when he didn't like their reports in the past, telling them.."a word to the wise"
It's wise not to bring hundreds of people to a spot that they will not be able to fish effectively, if hundreds of them show up.....those words are wise, too...






**********
Added news, just came in....
Because of this genius, and others on facebook just like him, guys were streaming into 3 tackle shops in Ocean county preparing for road trips North...

What some of these folks don't realize is that these same fish are in the exact area they live in. The reason some of them are not catching is they are not paying precise enough attention to exact forage, structure, and feeding times....some of them have teen bass right under their noses and don't know...all it takes is opening the eyes and brain a little wider to understand that when sandeels are around, they will be evenly distributed in many areas where the water is clean.....






Lesson learned here...
If you're serious about your fishing, make sure you always have Plan B, C, and D in effect in case you get someplace that is over-run by crowds...

And be careful how much you brag about the fishing. If not, the next day you may share your space with the guy you told, and 500 of his closest friends and family....


OK, rant over...

[jigfreak]

2. The sandeels have moved in, and some of them are huge.

Word, I snagged some that were 11" last night.

[ledhead36]

When you post on facebook no one checks the story or edits you unless you are describing how to rob a bank,, and then maybe they would get involved. People should know this and decide how they want to share info based on that. Unfortunately there are people who want to be king of the fishing world there. You will always have that on facebook. All I want out of that site is to check up on some old friends and see what my old girlfriends are up to.

[finchaser]

IMO people who post about what a great fisherman they are on Facebook are bigger losers than people who chase INTERNET fish and reports from the Fisherman magazine that are a week old.

[surfstix1963]

I always wondered how many people actually realize the reports are a week old and their headed in the wrong direction when the the fish are probably right at their feet.Good one Bob

[DarkSkies]

Pete, it's getting worse every year.



A newbie was out a few weeks ago, had some hot fishing on a rockpile.
Got some good numbers, was proud of his ability and his catching, so he filmed it...

Nothing wrong with that, right?

But, then, ho posted it on the internet,,,for the world to see...
Nothing wrong with that, either, right?
Absolutely not....

What he foolishly did, was turn the camera around more than once, to show the shoreline and the exact jetty he was fishing...

Question:
What's the big deal about that Dark, no one owns access in NJ, shouldn't we all have the right to fish wherever we want?
My Answer:
When you do something like that, showing the exact location, people may not know the reason you caught 27 fish was due to a special set of circumstances, blitz conditions, or an abnormal concentration of bait..

They see that video, and stream to that specific site...resulting in crowds...litter, guys pizzing on the property of private homeowners, and leaving fish racks in the garbage cans of private homeowners......

Eventually, behavior like this causes us to lose access, and we ALL suffer, for the ego-driven behavior of a selfish few....

[DarkSkies]

I thougt this could be an appeal to the Go-Pro video camera fishermen out there.

I'm asking ya's, politely, to have a sense of reason when you're filming.
I specifically don't include the yakkers in this, because I feel their videos are more like boating videos, it's harder IMO to burn spots if you're somewhere on the water that the fish move through...

But on the jetties, inlet pockets, and shorelines, there are places that fish hold for weeks at a time...

For anyone who wants to come back at me with that tired argument -
"Dark, get over yourself, fish move, there is no point complaining about spot burning because we all know that fish move from one spot to the next, and quite often"

My response to the above would be that the person uttering that mantra, doesn't have that much surf experience under their belt, or doesn't fish often enough to know how ludicrous that statement really is....



Example - Monmouth Beach Rocks, Big Monmouth and Little Monmouth....
Now that they don't exist to be useful for fishing anymore, I can talk about them...these little and big jetties were scenes of some of the hottest fishing in NJ, for weeks at a time, for those of us who followed the patterns and kept quiet about it...

I'm not talking about blitz fishing, which was all a lot of self-proclaimed internet sharpies considered when they saw and learned about the fish that were there...but night after night of solid fishing, when I and guys who paid attention, would have consistent double digit catches, of quality fish, teen fish and bigger, up to 40#, on artificials, for weeks at a time.......

For those who want to think about passing along that tired old argument about fish moving,, I would ask you if you knew about this fishery we had, and is now probably gone until the storms uncover the structure again, years from now...think about the above paragraphs before you pass out the dogma on the internet that "fish move".