Fishing with friends... Bad or Good?

Paul Roberts · July 18, 2009

This really is a good question -one every serious angler confronts.

First, you have to decide where other anglers fit into your fishing. Dunno about you but my fishing time is precious. I am not much interested in talking about golf or girls when I'm fishing. I'm front, center and present on the water in front of me. Too much water, too little time that sort of thing. I make no apologies for it. It can be fun to fish with others, but that may end up being be a whole different thing from what you want. If it's social time great! You decide, ahead of time.

Just who the other anglers are though, matters, a lot. Careful sharing can be beneficial to you and another angler. But, losing fishing time, or a good spot, sucks and can happen by sharing too much with the wrong person. And that's key.

You have to feel out other anglers and see who they are, and where they fit in to your fishing. Many anglers will not understand the ethics that can be involved. Either they are willing to steal, or they just don't know any better. Good anglers have discovered a thing or two and it deserves respect. You should expect it from others as well.

Here's my general rule of thumb: I share nothing (about locations) with anyone that I got from another angler that shared with me. That's just proper etiquette. If I share a location with someone, I am allowing them to fish that particular water anytime. Conversely, if someone shares a location with me, I feel free to fish it. But I won't pass that right along to anyone else.

As hard-*** as this might sound, I for one am not secretive. Fishing opportunities come and go in time and space and we just can't come close to covering it all. There's plenty of room except in certain chunks of precious space-time. It's your job to identify these (either on your own or via a partner), and both a right and responsibility to share or withhold them.

I share info, but the depth of that info depends on what I might get in return. This is not mercenary what I'm after isn't more fishing spots I'm overwhelmed as it is. It's good information I'm after, and to avoid the gut-ache of having 10 guys on something I shared with the wrong angler.