To Tell or Not To Tell

[VAbacklash]

It's probably happened to most of us, you take a friend along with you bass fishing and you hit your favorite "secret" holes. The next time you go, there sits your friend fishing your spot and he has two of his buddies with him. It's happened to me and little did I know that my friend was marking "my spots" with his GPS. So now my secret holes have become the community holes.

After responding to another forum member's comment about others on this forum being tight lipped about giving out the hows' and wheres' of bass fishing, I thought I would ask how others felt. What info are you willing to share with others that fish the same waters as you? Are you vague or do you share all the information you have? Do you feel that they need to work as hard as you did to locate their own holes or do you try to help them out?

As for me, I usually tell all I know. Being a "bank beater or "slop" fisherman, I usually fish community holes anyway. I'm not a money tournament fisherman but, I understand their need to keep their locations, tactics and lure selection quiet. I kinda feel that a secret honey hole goes community as soon as someone sees you boat a fish out of it.

[BucketmouthAngler13]

When I find a nice spot I only let my closest friends know about it and make them swear to secrecy. They do the same to me, and so far our golden brushpiles and bass-filled ponds have been kept a good secret. If one of us tells someone else, they are banned from the spot on the threat of your rods thrown into the water and  a good black eye. So far so good.

[Siebert Outdoors]

If someone shows me a spot I dont tell.  Some of the places I fish no one else does because they look so stupid no one thinks there is fish there.  For example a mud bank.  How many of you guys catch fish off mud banks.  Probably not many.  Add a stump or other structure heee hee secret spot.  

My typcal response is when asked I will give type of location but not the location.  I dont spoon feed except for the best of buds.  If I'm catching fish on a main lake point in 20 ft of water thats what I will say but the rest is up to them.  

[Guest the_muddy_man]

I have shared spots and what they are taking with a few on the forum who live by me and fish the same waters. There is enough fish to go around. If I don't know you thats a whole different story. I hate when some one comes practically in your boat and says " Are They bitting here?" I always say no they are bitting on the other side ;D Why would I be fishing there in the first place and not the other side? I once had Ron laughing so hard I thought he was gonna fall out of the boat Some mook came right on us as I was reeling in a nice fish and asked if they were bittin With a straight face and my rod bent into a U I said NO!! He got a bit upset and puttered away FOOL!!!!

 I look at it this way If I take someone to a spot more than likely they will give it up. If I let someone use a rod and reel chances are it can get broken. If I know this going in then I have to accept these things when they happen If the spot is that sweet only me and Ron know it and thats it.

[New 2 Bass]

I tell.

[Guest avid]

Like all things fishing related, I like to have fun.

So, I like to be "cagey" about it.  And see how clever the other guy is, and if he is willing to "give a little to get a little"

It may go something like this.

Him  "How they bitin' today?

Me.  "About the same"

Him. " Whatcha usin'?

Me.  "Usaual stuff"

Him.  " I caught some nice ones on a crankbait the ohter day"

Me.  " Yeah the blue/chrome rattlin trap usually works pretty good"

Him " You use soft plastics much?

Me  " yup"

And so it goes ......I love this game when the other player realizes that is a fun and fair way to share information.  Then there's those other guys.......... >

[Marty]

I hardly tell anyone about the ponds that I fish from shore, except my two trusted fishing partners. I'm much more willing to talk about the bigger waters that we fish from boats.

[Guest Texas_Bass_Pro]

I have shared some spots with friends and vice versa.  We all understand that what we share between each other is just that......between us!!

[Long Mike]

TBP, I PM'd you before I read your post here.  Point taken.  You may disregard my PM if you see fit.

Mike

[BASS fisherman]

I look at it like this, if someone is willing to share a honey hole with me (that sounds so dirty), I would keep it a secret.  They trusted me enough to tell me, and I wouldn't want to break that trust.

[5bass]

I will take others to my proven spots if they are not boat owners!  ;D

There are just some spots that dont need to be broadcast. I am one that sinks brushpiles every year and I just dont want people sitting on them when I want to fish 'em. Plus,I did all the work to attract those bass to that certain spot....not the other guy. It's like I'm the one that studied for the test and someone who didnt study wants to copy my paper. Aint happenin'. I hate to be like that sometimes but I learned the hard way and it wont happen again.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

In RI it goes somthing like this,....

"Whatchya catchin all them on?"

"The bottom"

;D

[KYbass1276]

I fish private owned water myself.  I personally don't mind takeing someone to my honey holes as long as I know there as serious about C&R as I am.   But if they aren't then I don't take them.  I beleve in selected harvest and all I don't keep but I understand some like to keep a couple here and there and thats fine.  But I don't like the ones who try to keep everything they catch or someone who catches a Five pounder and wants to get it mounted.  I have had a couple spots ruined by people keeping more than there fair share so I cautious on who I take anymore.

[Guest Texas_Bass_Pro]

TBP, I PM'd you before I read your post here. Point taken. You may disregard my PM if you see fit.

Mike

I sent you a PM

[Clayton]

i share and have been shared with, and some respect it and others dont.  But the bottom line is the better fisherman will catch the fish.

[=Matt 5.0=]

In RI it goes somthing like this,....

"Whatchya catchin all them on?"

"The bottom"

;D

Yep, pretty much... 8-)

[craigaria]

If I have a good spot I fish it no matter who is in the boat with me. The whole reason I am going fishing is to catch fish, and I want my buddy to catch fish too. I will admit that it is frustrating to show up to the lake and see the same buddy fishing your spot, but you can't catch em' all.

On the other hand, I will not tell others (people I don't know) where I am fishing at. I will tell them how I am catching the fish, but that is about it.

Also, it is a give and take thing. If I show a buddy a good spot, I expect him to share with his spots also...

[bassnleo]

I'm all about helping people out.......

BUT

I'm mainly a tournament fisherman. I have put alot of hours in to find the honey holes and I'm not much of bank beater.

I have been burned by more than 1 person.

I tell ya what I'm catchin em on, how deep, what kind of cover, etc...but my spots are MY spots, go out and do some searching on your own, that's the only way you will get better. Catchin em's easy, finding them is the challenge.

[NBR]

In small fisheries I don't tell. Bigger areas yes I tell. I don't go to another guys spot unless I ask him. If a friend was putting my spots on GPS without saying anythings to me I'd find another friend.

[bass109]

"secret" holes.

Some people need a few secrets to catch more fish in their area but dont forget that fishing is still all about having fun, most of the time i forget that. :

[Valascus]

I will usually help out folks that I know and trust not to tell anyone else about the area. Granted I don't really have any big fish honey holes, but if I did, I would tell my buddies about it and help them hook a good fish. To me it's all about possibly getting someone who is not so into the sport hooked on it and teaching them something new. Sometimes the only way to do that is to show them the thrill of catching a quality fish or a good quantity of fish. If that means showing them a honey hole then I will.

If I were fishing with a member of this site at a place I knew well I would have no qualms about divulging the info on the area...but again...that is as long as it's just between us.

[dink]

On my home lake, I share everything with anyone who asks.  I do this mainly because most bass fishermen who fish my lake only give it a chance from sunrise to about 11:00 am at the latest.  I try to tell people to stick it out for a whole day, but they never listen.  Oh well, I try.

Conversely, in tournaments I will usually only divulge baits and generalize the type of water I am fishing IF I am returning to that lake soon for another tourney.  If not, I'll answer any question.

[Bud]

I feel like fivebasslimit.  

I don't mind taking someone who don't fish the same body of water all the time or out of town guest.  

[SuthernProg]

The paranoia exhibited by some of our bass club members about not wanting to let some secrets out has all but killed any "fun" fishing talk at our meetings. I think that has been the biggest disappointment with my club. We spend 2 hours at a meeting, and you never discuss techniques or lures or anything like that because everyone's holding close to the chest. We fish one tourney a month...what are the odds a discussion on how the chatterbait should be fished will screw someone out of a good finish somewhere at the least, a month down the road what with condition changes, tides, etc etc? It can be discouraging. And this isn't what one would call a big money club.

Prog

[justfishin]

I have five very close fishing buddies that I share with, as they do also. We keep it in our inner circle but, if I am on the water and I see some young guys or some old timers struggling or not fishing a good area I usually help them out. I watched a couple of young guys struggling the other year trying to fish a river hole that I knew was dead water and went over to talk to them and they said they heard about the Susque being so good and could not catch a thing. I told them to bank their boat and I took them to some spots and we ended up fishing all day and had a great day. They had fun, I had fun. Your personality really comes to light will you are on the water. In other words how you interact with your fishing and other people kind of reflects who you are in other aspects of life. Just by reading this post I can see some personalitys appear and get a pretty good feel of who these guys are. I just went through this giving secrets away problem on this site. Some people got a tude about me talking about the Susque but, you know what, screw them. I like to share in my older years. I won't post anymore about smallie fishing and such but, if I am on the river I will help all I can. There is a difference between a person guiding just for the money and the guy guiding for money as well as fun. I have been sitting back and just reading all the post but, I had to get my two cents in this one. Have a good day. IMO.