Don't Tell People About Your Fishing Spots.

[Mista bass]

I guess I'm kind of ranting. My did brought me to this off the beaten path fishing hole that he fished when he was a kid. I've been fishing it for years with him since I was a kid and we rarely, if ever, saw anyone else here. Last year I made the mistake of telling a buddy where it was. He decided to tell a bunch of his friends, they told their friends, his friends told their friends, and so on. Now this season every time I go, there is at least 3-5 other people fishing it. I used to be able to go here and pull a bass out every other cast. Now I'm lucky if I get a fish every hour. You can tell the pressure really ruined the fishing. I'll never tell anyone about my fishing spots again. Fishing will never be the same here and it's really frustrating. I know I don't own the water, but when someone tells you about a special fishing spot of theirs you don't go blab about it to all your friends.

[Felix77]

Hard lesson to learn ... I know.

[Dylcook91]

I only tell your friends where the ponds are that you know suck

[yugrac]

I have found a few great smallmouth holes in a local river way out in the middle of nowhere, nothing but corn, birds and snakes around, I tell NO ONE where they are. There are no banks that you can fish from, its almost straight up on the sides, you wade in downstream and walk to them.

[Catch 22]

BTDT

I have a few spots so secret  that I blindfold myself before I go there.

[EvanT123]

I have found a few great smallmouth holes in a local river way out in the middle of nowhere, nothing but corn, birds and snakes around, I tell NO ONE where they are. There are no banks that you can fish from, its almost straight up on the sides, you wade in downstream and walk to them.

Yup have a few like this and the current/flow dictates if they are viable or not. TELL NO ONE!!!

[Paul Roberts]

... when someone tells you about a special fishing spot of theirs you don't go blab about it to all your friends.

Yeah, that is a tough lesson learned. Now you know to be careful who you share what with. I share waters and info depending on how sensitive the spot is and how well I know and respect the person. It's worthwhile getting to know the anglers that share your waters. If you can come to an understanding -you'll often know which ones (they aren't "starry eyed")- sharing info can pay off in the return.

[Ozark_Basser]

First rule of fight club, you do not talk about fight club lol.

I was bank fishing one of my favorite spots on the Little Buffalo River in January. It's on private land so only a few people can access it by car. I know almost all of them and none of them think it's worth their time in the winter. I generally keep it to myself that it's probably the most productive hole on the whole river in winter. They bunch up there and some big ones too. Well one day I was on the bank fishing and a group of floaters came by and one said, " What are you doing man?" He was looking at me like i was crazy with a big jig rod and a hoodie on lol. I cast out my jig and said, "Fishing for smallmouth, man." Wouldn't you know a got a bite right after I said it. I set the hook reeled in a nice 16 incher, and those drunk floaters went crazy lol. They threw their hands in the air and came over, watched me catch a few more decent sized ones and chatted a bit before leaving. Well ever since then, I haven't caught a decent sized smallie out of that hole, and I've seen tons of floaters too every time I go. Hillfolk around here don't practice catch and release.

[Paul Roberts]

First rule of fight club, you do not talk about fight club lol.

I was bank fishing one of my favorite spots on the Little Buffalo River in January. It's on private land so only a few people can access it by car. I know almost all of them and none of them think it's worth their time in the winter. I generally keep it to myself that it's probably the most productive hole on the whole river in winter. They bunch up there and some big ones too. Well one day I was on the bank fishing and a group of floaters came by and one said, " What are you doing man?" He was looking at me like i was crazy with a big jig rod and a hoodie on lol. I cast out my jig and said, "Fishing for smallmouth, man." Wouldn't you know a got a bite right after I said it. I set the hook reeled in a nice 16 incher, and those drunk floaters went crazy lol. They threw their hands in the air and came over, watched me catch a few more decent sized ones and chatted a bit before leaving. Well ever since then, I haven't caught a decent sized smallie out of that hole, and I've seen tons of floaters too every time I go. Hillfolk around here don't practice catch and release.

Ouch! Hate to say this... be the proverbial messenger and all... but winter habitat can be especially sensitive to over-fishing. In some river systems, one such hole could represent virtually all the winter habitat there is for a surprisingly long stretch of river. Bass are habitual and if there were large ones there, they may owe their existence to that one hole. Hope it's a good sized river with good winter habitat throughout, and your winters aren't too severe. I see you're in AR; guess winters won't be too harsh there. Still... best to be extra careful when fish stack up in places, and winter in moving waters is one of those times and places.

[b_spill]

My fishing partner and I always tell people if they ask where we caught the fish that "we caught them in the gravel pit." If they ask how, we say, "a few different techniques but mainly with a rod and reel." haha. I know it's kind of sarcastic but it always generates a chuckle or two.

[Ozark_Basser]

Ouch! Hate to say this... be the proverbial messenger and all... but winter habitat can be especially sensitive to over-fishing. In some river systems, one such hole could represent virtually all the winter habitat there is for a surprisingly long stretch of river. Bass are habitual and if there were large ones there, they may owe their existence to that one hole. Hope it's a good sized river with good winter habitat throughout, and your winters aren't too severe. I see you're in AR; guess winters won't be too harsh there. Still... best to be extra careful when fish stack up in places, and winter in moving waters is one of those times and places.

I believe you are right. From spring through fall, the bite really slows down in this hole and they seem to spread out into the shallower areas and in eddies etc. A good healthy population stay here though. There are a couple of largemouth 4-5 lbs that never leave, and it seems like they have been this size for about three years lol. I'll see them cruising the bluff wall in spring but I've never seen where they make beds. I have caught the four pounder but never the larger one. I've floated the entire river. Well, the parts that are floatable. The upper half goes dry in many places. As for the bottom half, there are only a couple of good deep holes that would seem like suitable wintering holes. The water never freezes over though. The lowest temperature it got this winter was 36 degrees Fahrenheit according to USGS. But I can't buy a bite in any eddies or other "warm water" spots in the winter. In this hole, if I can just get one to bite, I can usually catch quite a few, especially in the winter. I guess I just want to blame it on the floaters, but me hammering it all winter didn't help lol.

[Paul Roberts]

36F is enough to bunch those fish up pretty good. C&R might educate them some, but intense C&K could alter things for some time to come. Hopefully most of those floaters will lose interest. That's an advantage die-hards have over the rest of the crowd lol. Neat there are LM there too.

[gulfcaptain]

Look at it this way, now you hvae a pressured water to advance your technique since the days of fishing in a barrel are over.  Anyone can catch fish when they bite like that, now you have to earn those bites and catch the ones that are a bit tougher.   Spots I fish I would kill for a fish an hr.  That would be great in some LA/OC area city park lakes.  I have spots where I fish off the beaten path that  I have taken 2 people to.  They are told prior that these are my spots, that they aren't to be fished without me, and if I find out otherwise, well then they won't be fishing with me again.  

[Paul Roberts]

Look at it this way, now you hvae a pressured water to advance your technique since the days of fishing in a barrel are over.  Anyone can catch fish when they bite like that, now you have to earn those bites and catch the ones that are a bit tougher.   ...

Good point. I too fish many popular public waters and they've taught me a lot. (That said, those barrels don't come along all that often and worth protecting.)

[scaleface]

Giva a man fish and you feed him for a day

 

Teach a man to fish and... well... there goes your fishing spot .

[Senko lover]

This is kind of a depressing thread.

[slimshad]

When someone asks where did you catch them, say most of them were hooked in the top lip!

[Bluebasser86]

[Oregon Native]

Lessons learned

[wytstang]

Fisherman--Man where did you catch those fish?

Me *with a smirk on my face*--In the water.

[Preytorien]

I fish in a little pond near my in-laws house. It's just outside of a subdivision and there are kids EVERYWHERE in that subdivision. The pond is pretty dirty looking, but has great fishing. I've never seen anyone else there, not even a footprint. A couple days ago, while I was walking back to my car at my in-laws a guy sitting on his porch waved and we struck up a conversation, eventually he asked me about fishing and asked if I had done any good in that pond. I played it down, I said yea I've caught a few, really acting like it was nothing. i doubt many people would take little kids down there since it's got heavy brush around the edge, casting takes some good sidearm casting skill. But I didn't want to chance that every guy over 12yrs old in that neighborhood would swarm that spot. Besides, they have 2 nice little ponds actually IN their neighborhood to visit - lots of bluegill and little bass for the kids to learn on.

[Thornback]

Look at it this way -- you were a good sport and you made a few fishermen happy. You did the right thing when you shared. I bet your parents are proud of you. Those who share will be rewarded in many ways. I'm always up front when asked about any spot that I had good luck at.

[Mainebass1984]

 I tell very very few people my spots. There are people that you can trust and other people that just want your spot. They don't realize the time and effort that goes into finding a really good spot. They want all the benefits after putting in no work. I hate how people will steal your spot. Then comes tournament time and they are camped out on the spot you showed them or told them about. It is irritating. Apparently some people just cant find fish.

[Dyerbassman]

I can almost guarantee that as much as I like to believe my spots are secret, someone else is fishing them when I'm not.

[RanndomUndead]

I always tell my story about great fishing spots, i just give them the wrong location. /snicker