Catching Heck for Posting Here!

Just gotta vent a little frustration with some local anglers and bait shop people in my area. It seems some of the more greedy, hoarding, backwoods ‘s who are moaning to people I know about my posting pool 14 reports on the site. It seems that they believe I should not be helping others catch “THEIR” fish. I’ve not heard any of this first hand, just through the grape vine, as these fellas don’t talk to me much. These are the type that learn a couple ways to catch fish, catch as many as they can, and will NEVER share any tips or techniques outside their circle of crony’s. The bait shop is now selling ringworms from this site, baits that I told them where terrific on the river. I’ve shared a lot of info with some of the employees, and some are good guys, but it really frosts my pumpkin that these guys are running me down to my friends and family for sharing what I have learned here and on the water!
These are the same guys who buy or lease all the best hunting ground in the area to keep others from shooting “their” deer and game. I just do not understand people of this vein. In days gone by, I’d have gone and brought the down, now I’ll just let it out here. Thanks for letting me vent!
John

I feel for you John as I’ve been in those same shoes.

I’m not sure if you plan to be at the GTG this weekend but if you are, we’ll chat about this over beers if you’ve got the time. If you can’t make it know this… some of the guys that were the most dead-set against this site and my sharing of fishing info, those same guys that might have been a little hard on me behind my back, are now some of the most deeply involved and most supportive people of both me and this site. Actually it kinda makes me chuckle now that I think about it.

You will have some guys you’ll never win over but the majority will brace for impact and then once nothing bad happens they’ll lighten the heck up and see that getting more people on the water learning about fishing and having a good time plus learning about selective harvest and resource stewardship from you is only a good thing.

If it feels right and makes the majority of the people happy including yourself, do it.

Yeah, this kind of thing has been going on for some time. I heard about guys having to take their old decals (you know the ones) off of their boats because of all the guff they were getting from others.

Here’s my observation, in general, thus far. For anglers who are strongly to strictly catch and release, it doesn’t seem to matter too much to them, unless it’s tourney time. Even then, most are very cool about it. But for the guys that insist on fishing not being worth it unless you put something on the table, these are the ones I catch the most flack from. Granted, the “nothing more” than meat hunters love these websites to hoard in and take advantage of the info but far be it from the favor being returned.

Not to generalize people, there are exceptions to every rule, but there is a majority of mentalities that take offense to what we do here, and they seem to be highly related to the weekend meat hunter, that wants his old honey hole left alone. He did the work, found the pattern, and found happiness in solitude and success. Well, news for ya…… if you thought of it, it’s only a matter of time before someone else thinks of it too. Get over it!

I was an active fish keeper until this website came into my life. The education available here changed everything, because “I” was willing to change. The facts are the facts and if we act as responsible, conservation preserving sportsmen and women, there’s plenty out there for everyone.

I’m also finding in this region that there are plenty of overlooked fisheries too. If I want to ditch the crowds, it’s not hard. But if you’re on the Mississippi, give me a break! It’s the largest river system in the nation and bound to get a visitor or two. Better to share and educate to prepare ourselves and future generations for preservation practices that’ll benefit everyone.

When the limit on panfish is 10, do you need all 10? Do you need 10 every day? The logical answer……. the healthy answer, to both questions is “no”. Limit your rewards to sweeten the quality of the catch and the priviledge of the experience.

This whole issue comes down to values. This world is full of givers and takers. This place is intended for givers and the takers need to change. Not leave or go somewhere else…… just change.

Ask them this Rooster:

“If I tell someone about ‘your’ hot spot, they catch a trophy because of it, and release it so you still have a chance to catch it, how can you get mad at anyone? Should you groan over someone fishing your favorite area or congratulate them on the great catch and ask them what they did to get it?” More flies with honey than vinegar, right?

Secrecy is, in my opinion, more costly to our sport than sharing the info and teaching others to share in our conservation practices. “United we conquer, divided we fall.” This is good advice for conservation as well.

One more thing, and I may live to regret this, but I’ve even chosen to put my handle on the sides of my boat. That way the good guys can come visit…… or the “opposition”.. it’s an open door. But I figure if they’re willing to talk about things, that’s the first step to considering new ideals. If anyone wants to rattle my cage or swamp my boat, I’ll just have to realize that not everyone was born to be kind to others and is thus likely to be incapable of such mannerisms. I’ll keep fishing regardless.

Rooster,

You might be gettin a ribbin that you are not used to behind you back but one things for certain….. those guys are most likely on the site daily checking things out . Seen it a hundred times, they hate it but they can’t stay away from it. It surprising how the drive to learn can intruge an angler!

Maybe a little misinformation is in order here? Like just last week I got into the slab crappies useing 2lb wing clipped bantum roosters in black and gold fishing right below the rollers on pool 4. But really, dont sweat it, just go fishing and forget it.stuart

well also you have to remember no mater what they say and point thier finger at you, there is always 3 fingers pointing back at them. I believe that no mater what we do, someone will never be happy and feel it is thier job to voice thier opinion and then try to get thier buddies to follow along. I also believe in what kid said, do we need to keep our daily limit every time that we fish. what about just going out and wetting a line and tossing them huge slabs back into the water unless you don’t have a meal of fish in the freezer. I am mostly all catch and release unless the ol timmer that can’t fish needs some, then i go out pan fishing for him and bring him a few.

I think that you should have thicker feathers and look at it this way, you are making yourself a better angler/person because you are not affraid to stop and help out with pointers, techniques, or even presentation. They are just mad at themselves because they do no know as much as you or they are affraid that you might be right. also I like what dustin had to say, more than likely they are here checking it out and trying to learn what you know.

shane

I do have to say some people around here I was telling about the website and love the idea others hate it. They asked why I would want to ruin “our fishin” I told them I don’t own the water and anyone can fish. I think a website like this is awesome and has increased my knowledge not only about fishing but about tons of stuff I didn’t know. I mean there are plenty of fish for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you tell me your secret spot and favorite baits. A lot of it is presentation, time of day, weather conditions, feeding conditions. All of this we can’t control. I get sick of hearing all the negative things from people. “My” fish what a joke…just keep the site up and running guys this is the best thing in the world.

This happens all the time. Ask those people who are complaining to get involved with the site. I have found that the same complainers are the ones most likely to share info on web sites, they just feel left out. I see it happen all the time.

As others have said, they are here reading the reports daily, they just don’t post.

Funny how so often you will hear behind your back and nobody steps forward to say how they feel or their concerns. Everything that was posted above is dead on in my book. I for one of those at first when I started searching the internet years ago for fishing info. After realizing that all the information out there had made me a better fisherman, I then became enlightened and saw the beauty of sharing information back to the world as a way of saying thanks!

I have gotten nasty grams on my truck window after a day’s of fishing as I am sure James and Dustin and others have as well, but for every one bad egg that does not understand what we are trying to accomplish there are 100 others that are forever grateful and thats why we do what we do!

Don’t sweat it!

I am fairly new to the walleye fishing world. I have been actively chasing for about 5 years and only getting serious the last 3. This website and the people on it have enlightened me and taught me many things about fishing, conservation, and life. I owe a lot to this website and especially a few on it (James, Dustin, Gary and now Steve ). I would like to take the time to say thanks for sharing and the help/advice, and I believe this site helps us all as sportsmen and strenghtens our fisheries in the long run. I have always considered myself a sportsman but this site has really helped me truly solidfy the meaning behind it. Thanks Again and Keep Up The Good Work. I have been sharing the knowledge I have gained through this site with others and having a blast doing it!

It’s funny how a little fear causes people to react. If these are your friends, I hope they read this and just discuss the topic with you. This same mentality is what I grew up in, “hoard the fish, they are all mine”. Luckily I stumbled onto this site 4 years ago, I’ve learned so much it isn’t funny. I wish I had time to try all the knowledge I’ve gained from this very site.

James is a truly great human being, plus he is a pretty good stick in the boat. He continues to surround himself with intelligent anglers, I don’t see an end to this great wealth of knowledge.

Just think, if each of us were to help teach one person about selective harvest and catch/release and they each teach one person. It’s a never ending pyramid!! It won’t take long and the small minority of meat hogs will soon fade away.

Keep posting, I love reading about someone catching fish!!!!

#1:
Complain all you want about this site……..I made lots of friends here…………..ALSO, how can you complain about a group of people for what they are doing tomorrow (ARM)………..Are you insane???? How many “small time” sportsman do you know that goes out and gives kids a chance like what James and crew is doing tomorrow????? Good grief……..I give the guy and his staff alot of respect and credit for doing what they are doing…………..No, it ain’t on a weekend……..It is during the WORK WEEK!!!! Volunteer time……….

#2:
Complain all you want about reports………just because someone said the fish are biting or biting on a “special” lure………..doesn’t mean you are going to catch them!!!!

I watched 10 boats one day in the back channel, walleye fishing…….Problem was, only 2 boats were catching ALL the walleyes (I was one of them)……….

I also have been on the river and watched 10 boats catch tons of walleyes and I was the only one who didn’t……..

So, just stating that the fish are biting, or hot on a “special” lure doesn’t mean squat if you don’t know how to get them to bite……..Everyone and their brother knows you can catch sauger all day in the spring by the dam. But how many know “today” how to catch them on the river. The river changes everyday…………Reports are from yesterday, when the water was at a different level, different weather, different temp, different time of year.

I know lots of folks who fish the river, and read reports all day long and still can’t catch a fish.

When I first started browsing this website, I bought some ringworms……..thought it was a gimic or joke……A few of my buddies even laughed at me and called me a “sucker”…just a sales pitch from another “wannabee pro” ( ) to sell his “magic lure”…………Then I tried to fish the dang things and didn’t do so well………..Then I really caught grief for being a sucker from my buddies…….

It took a day in the water with James to teach me…….I’ll be dipped in $#!+……..The stupid things do work!!!! I guess he isn’t a wannabee By the way, one of my buddies who called me a sucker is also hooked on plastics……….he went with me that day I went with James…….

So with all my babbling………My point is this………you can have all the reports and talk about all the presentation business you want………..But if you can’t pattern the fish, it don’t mean squat………….

I wonder if these people also complain about all the fishing magazines that talk about how to catch fish??????

Confession from a former IDA “grumbler” . I learned about this site 4-5 years ago. I saw somebody (Tuck?) on TV catching walleyes on the Miss. R. Sorry, I don’t remember the name of the TV show. Anyway, they were promoting the fishery and the website. Man, was I ticked when I got onto this site and viewed what information was available….for free no less ! My first thought was “well there goes the neighborhood !! I fish pool 3 backwaters mostly,(can’t seem to catch a walleye on pool 4 unless they’re jumpin in the boat) but I haven’t fished much the last couple of years, as family priorities come first . Anyway, the more I became aquainted with this website, the more impressed I became. I am giving credit to James and Dustin, as I know they are intimately involved, but I realize there are others who make this site what it is. To the doubters reading this post, I don’t know any of the people associated with this site personally, (I have talked to some on the river) so I’m not posting this to promote my buddies. James et. al. you have a product here to really be proud of, no foul language, no sophomoric nit-picky arguments, etc., that is such a turn-off on other sites. I know people crab about this site, because I was one of the crabbers (is that a word?) before I became familiar with what this site represents. I have personally benefitted from the knowledge posted here. I’d post fishing results myself, but most people already know how NOT to catch walleyes, which is my specialty . So, if people wanna crab there’s not much you can do about it. Let them remain bitter, and you go fishin!

AMEN!

As far as giving spots away, it’s one thing to say… “We used jigs tipped with leeches on wing dams” or say.. “Fish on the third wing dam down from the dead tree GPS coordinates XY by the black rock with 1/4 oz orange jigs with small leeches named Leroy and you’ll catch the 6 pound walleyes trhat are laying in there.

Hey Rooster I was once told Opinions are like Everybody has one.They should just keep theirs to themselves.I enjoy reading your posts and learn new things all the time and that goes for everybody on this Site,THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!!

Wow, I knew I wasn’t alone in this boat, but what a response! Many of you hit on some great keys to these whiners. Gary, I think you really hit on something that puts it all together for me. These guys where some of the “revered” walleye fishemen of this area, and gloated in the knowledge that they knew how to catch fish better than most of the other locals. Now, with the sharing info found here, they have lost a great deal of the esteem which they were so proud of, and it upsets them that it is given to anyone freely.

Thanks mostly to this site, and from lots of hard work and a lot of luck on my part, I have reached and surpassed these “esteemed” fishermen in the ability to consistently find and catch fish. These guys fish hard for the fish when they are most vulnerable, and hammer them ceaslessly. When finding fish gets a little more difficult, they go on to another species or another hobby. I think it upsets them that others are learning from this site how to catch fish when they are not stacked by the dam, or piled up along shore during high water. I know several of these guys “secret” spots, and, out of consideration for them, as I learned where they fished by watching them, I have never given any of them away, not once! It is a tempting propostiton to do so now, but I will not. I have generally written about community spots and general tactics, not done as Kevin spoke of, giving exact specifics on exact locations, tackle, and presentations for a given time.

These guys where never friends of mine, but I used admire them for their ability, now I pitty them for their pettiness. One in particular, was adept at finding larger fish, and does not believe in releasing “his” fish for others to enjoy. His wife let it slip once while bragging on her husbands fish catching ability that he brought home limits of fish for several days, with none smaller than 3 pounds. That just makes my blood boil . He, of course, was a huge opponent of our new slot limit on Iowa/Illinois boundry waters, where all 20-27″ fish must be released. That, along with the closing of our local dam from December to April, will seriously curtail his freezer stock. SO SAD .

I take little credit for all I have learned the past few years, but have experienced what many of you here have certainly experienced. I call it a breakthrough year for me. It just seems that all the info, tidbits, trials and errors, and understanding of walleyes and their tendancies have just all suddenly fallen together in a logical fashion in my head, and patterning has become paramount to my time on the water. It is such a great feeling to be confident each and every time out that I will find fish! I owe most all of this ability to this site, and to a sudden realization that studying and analyzing all the available info and variables before wetting a line would make my fishing experience much more productive!

I have to admit I was a meat hunter when I came here, and I still keep some for the family and occasionally to give away to friends, but now, again thanks to this site, I am much more selective, and greatly enjoy releasing most of the fish I catch. I was one of the most vocal supporters of out slot and dam closing, and I think that may be at the heart of the malice they are now feeling. I say, like I tell my children, you don’t have to like it, but you do have to deal with it! Maybe there is hope for these guys, maybe not. I will certainly lose no sleep over it either way!

Thanks to all for sharing and understanding .

John

Oh, James, one other thing. I regret that I will not be able to make the GTG again this year. It seems to always fall on my weekend to work, and it is tough to get time off work during summer without months of prior notice, but I definetly would enjoy talking discussing this and other issues with you over a cold one! I am hoping to make a trip up later this year or next spring. Hopefully we will be able to get together then!
John

I’d like to commend everyone to offers information that helps his fellow angler. I’m am avid reader but don’t post often because I’m just really getting into fishing and don’t feel I offer too much. When you post your fishing reports, yes I do try a spot/area if it is given, but then I also try to relate the structure and FOW to other locations and actually learn something for myself. How ’bout that.

Koudos for a very good web site. Please keep the reports coming!

By far the best fishing website on the planet when it comes to fishermen being honest while at the same time trying to have a good time.

Life will always have plenty of individuals that try to “wear you down” and the best fix is to go fishing…….

Keep up the good work James and crew………

Kurt Turner

Hey 1800, you are in the right spot to learn as much as you would like about fishing. One suggestion I would make, that helped me a lot early on with this site. Rather than not post because you feel you have little to contribute, try posting question that you have or throw ideas bye us, and the replies will not only help you, but many others who read as well! You will definetly be contributing that way .
John

This is my first post,only because I hate typin and I’m not good at it.I’ve been releasing fish for years,not only because I hate cleanin fish and am not a big fish eater,but I have seen too many places get overfished,mostly ice fishin.The people I fish with still keep somethin to eat,but also realize the importance of c&r.I remember when the river was dink fish city,but is now a trophy fisherie for everyone.I caught it,I can let it go.Thanks to this site and the many other people who c&r,the limit fisherman is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Get used to it I post on a bunch of sites. I for one learn from your posts even though we are pools apart. But in my opinion the fact that they even think you are important enough to worry about should make you feel pretty good. I probably give way to much info in my posts, but whenever I get some flack and you will often my response is “next week they will be somewhere else biting on something else so whats the big deal.”
Probably the best compliment you will get and I bet a lot of guys have heard this is when you mention a specific bait that is working and at a sale price somewhere and the next time you stop in a request is made by the manager,”Could you warn us next time when you are going to post like that so we don’t run out next time”, with a smile.
Fortunately my main tackle sponsor doesn’t mind me mentioning things at other stores, and made by other companys. Keep posting BUD

Ummm…ya know? There’s nothing I could say that hasn’t been said…so I’m going to be short.

Life is Catch and Release.

If you take all the fish out of a lake without putting back…you’ll have no fish.

If you take all the money out of your savings account with out putting back…your broke.

If you just take from your marrage without putting back…you’ll be divorced.

If you take all the cookies…you’ll just have milk…

I”ve “chosen” to be a Gold Member for that reason…I support this site…because I’ve taken so much from it. (and it’s saved me lots of money, time AND given me too many laughs)

To the folks that condem the information sharing…most of them are good people…that just don’t understand or haven’t figured out how this site works.

well as it has been said, I agree that this site has offered many tips and secrets not to mention some of the best guys you would ever want to meet. i am talking of these guys that will gladely put you in thier boat just to show you what they were talking about. also be there to offer you advice about anything that you are having problems with. after this years ARM/GTG and working and playing with these guys. i have to say that this site is the best on the planet and if you are not a member, you are missing out!! there is alot of knowledge here that is, and will be offered for anything including and not including fishing. just my .02 worth of opinion.

shane