"Where'd you catch that at????"

[FishHard247]

ok so I live in a small town with a few good farm ponds. One of them being magnificent. I am a very proud person/fisherman and love you show off my trophies. I am full catch and release, never in my life kept a fish I've caught, they all go back so I can do it again. Well, since Google maps and google earth have come out, it has ruined it for some of guys who actually have permission to fish on someone's land. These guys just find a pond on Google earth and just go set up shop, broad daylight. Well this has killed the correct way of asking for permission because now some owners won't let anyone come fish. So, with that being said, I don't post my catches on social media anymore because the few times I did, I would get 12 messages asking where I caught it or my favorite "can you take me sometime?"  And most are people you know but don't have anything to do with!!!! So now, when I get that dreaded "where'd ya catch that at?" I try to get out of it by saying at a "buddies" or one of my clients. Furthermore, some get mad when I won't tell them but the reason I don't is because either they will call the owner and ask if they can also fish or even worse, show up and fish!!!! 

I will only take a fishing buddy with me that takes me to "his" permission ponds. That's fair but honestly, tho I do, I really don't want to do that lol. 

 

Does anyone else have this problem? Is it me with the problem? Lol.  I'm not an old codger but dang it, why would would I want to take you with me just because we know each other?  I'm sure I will get flamed a little for this but I only have a few good places and I'm not telling where they are or taking anyone with me. 

 

Disclaimer: the only time I'll fish with no permission is at the beach. There are so many public places there that you don't have to but sometimes you will get asked to leave because of whatever reason and I have always complied peacefully.

 

 

[the reel ess]

I find ponds looking on maps, but I ASK.

[mrmacwvu1]

I had a pond that I fished for years. It was a ways off the main road but could still be seen if you knew where to look. I got permission to fish there when I was a child. I fished that pond for years. I never used live bait and never littered. I would even help the farmer weedeat and mow. One day I went to the pond and it was posted no fishing/no tresspassing. I fished anyway thinking that this did not apply to me because I had fished this pond for years.Well I hear the tractor fire up and thought nothing of it as I figured the owner was just coming down to shoot the breeze with me or ask me for help. He came down and told me that I was no longer to fish there anymore as well. He was apologizing all over himself. He said that over the last year he had to clean up so much trash and was finding dead fish on the bank. He said that if he let one person fish it then everyone else would think they had permission. I said I understood and we went to his barn and drank a beer and talked. We talked about how a few people can ruin a good thing for everyone. Found out he likes to trout fish so I invited him to my cabin to trout fish and thanked him for all the years he allowed me to fish there. It is sad because that truly was a nice fishing place that was close to me.

So just a PSA take a trash bag with you and pick up after yourselves and other people. If people were responsible there were be a bunch more public access waters.

[BassMaster17]

I fish a pond nearby my house that holds some huge lunkers, I just don't let anyone know about it. if someone asks me where i caught a fish, i just name off a random lake or pond that's nearby, and we go fish that place up instead.

[J Francho]

Always obscure small waters' location, including making sure any embedded GPS/location metadata is stripped out.  Crop tight, eliminate background objects if you can.  Best plan, don't post it on social media.

[Missourifishin]

Fishing private property without permission doesn't really fly around the small town I'm originally from. Especially when you really get out in the country on the farms. It's a good way to get approached by someone with a gun. My buddy and I even call ahead to some of the places we have permission to fish just so they know we're headed out there.

 

[FishHard247]

I pick up ALL trash, mine or not. 

[ClackerBuzz]

Best response:  It's called a secret spot for a reason

[avidone1]

Only a total lameass would demand to know your fishing spot.  I like to ask people what they caught it on, but never where.

 

[Bluebasser86]

Someone ask where you caught it tell them "right in the mouth". 

If someone started demanding to know where I caught a fish and I didn't want to tell then I'd block them. I'm not dealing with anyone acting like that and then they shouldn't be able to see your pictures anymore.

[WRB]

Private Property or No Trespassing signs makes clear you shouldn't be fishing there without permission. If the pond or small lake isn't posted you should be able to fish there.

You can share fishing information without disclosing exactly where you fish if you believe the fishery or spot would be damaged by over harvesting.

Tom

[BassThumb]

On April 29, 2016 at 2:10 PM, J Francho said:

Always obscure small waters' location, including making sure any embedded GPS/location metadata is stripped out.  Crop tight, eliminate background objects if you can.  Best plan, don't post it on social media.

How does one access or remove this metadata? 

Does it show up for all pictures posted to sites like BR?

[.ghoti.]

I always say in the water when asked that question. Depending on who is asking there may or may not be another word before water.

[J Francho]

On 4/30/2016 at 3:56 PM, BassThumb said:

How does one access or remove this metadata? 

Does it show up for all pictures posted to sites like BR?

There's some info here:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-ways-to-remove-exif-metadata-from-photos-and-why-you-might-want-to/

Basically, make a copy of the image file, select the images, right click, and choose remove personal data...

[(='_'=)]

 

[Ratherbfishing]

If someone gets their panties in a twist because I won't tell them where I caught something, my first step would be to "unfriend" them or otherwise tell them where to place their heads. 

[fishinfiend]

i never reveal my secret spots… ever

[blckshirt98]

Not too many secret spots out here in Cali because of so many people and so few places.  Only thing that's "secret" is when a spot has a hot bite - in that case I have a couple of people that I'll trade information with via PMs, but otherwise will avoid giving that info out.  People used to post public info in a local fishing forum but what would always happen is the next weekend the location would be "fished out" and the shoreline would be covered in trash.

Growing up almost 30 years ago I had a friend who liked to hike and would scout out the local hills (before they were all developed with houses) and found a couple of nice spots that were loaded with fish. I think they were on private ranches or part of the state park, but nobody fished them except us.  I caught my first bass there actually on a live minnow caught in a trap from a local creek - nothing like the excitement of seeing your curled up mono line straightening and shooting out when a bass takes it!  Anyways one of the lakes I knew had been completely filled in for housing, the other one I still saw on Google Earth so decided to try it out.  When I got there my heart just sank, The entire shoreline all around was just littered with trash.  I managed to get one small bass but otherwise that spot was completely fished out.  Also it was no longer a secret because they had built a bunch of houses right up to the lake.  Never been back since, I'll just hold onto the memories I had as a kid.

[Catch 22]

We had a local pond closed because of trash,but reopened after a group got together and cleaned it up. It was nice of the owner to do so.The pond is right beside the road so not all the trash comes from fishermen.Of course the cleanups will have to be perpetual.

I lost two other places just this year because of the trashites.

 

[Avalonjohn44]

I wish I had a secret spot. I live in the northern VA Ant Hill, and nearly every place I go is a mess of trash, discarded night crawler tins, a snarl of string and illegals that don't have driver's licenses let alone fishing licenses.

[Hurricane]

I'll tell friends about secret spots, but I don't broadcast it to the world...

[Deplorable Fisherman]

I used to tell everyone I caught 'em at Lake Nunya, but everyone knows where that's at now. So I send them to my new favorite body of water, Nodouches Lake. You'd be surprised how many people google search Nodouches Lake! Haha

[lakeannaangler]

On Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 9:08 PM, Avalonjohn44 said:

I wish I had a secret spot. I live in the northern VA Ant Hill, and nearly every place I go is a mess of trash, discarded night crawler tins, a snarl of string and illegals that don't have driver's licenses let alone fishing licenses.

I live in elkton Va and it is just like this. Some people just dont know how to pick up their junk and then i have to come along and pick it up.