I'm feeling violated and not in a good way

[fishin_magician]

If the spot was that important to you, then don't take them there. That's what I would recommend.

Participation in this sport is on the increase and the dissemination of information is faster and more accurate than ever before. Secrets seldom stay secrets for long. As a fisher, it is frustrating when your success or knowledge is outed by other individuals when that was not your intention in certain instances. I can remember many times that happened to me. Next thing I know there was 35 boats on that area in 30 minutes. Not fun.

I have even had my guests on a few occasions tell me to keep my mouth shut and tell no one. That tells me they appreciate it.

There are a group of individuals who have chartered every firm in my area multiple times a season who now have set up their own charter business (illegal) and are now prawning, crabbing, and fishing areas using all the techniques and knowledge of those who they chartered from. It's at the point now that going there means company from other individuals and traps and so on. Where I used to share successes, In recent times I filter out the critical details.

I think you just learned a few things. As much fishing real estate as there is, there isn't enough sometimes.

People on these forums love love love information which makes it easy....so drawing the line at salmon for "anything goes" is BS.

I had some certain patterns for certain lure made last July made and lo and behold Prostaff got their hands on it via a picture and now these items are being sold in a store on VI. It's only a matter of time until it takes off. That wasn't my intention.

If something is really important to you, don't share it because eventually, it won't be yours to enjoy or give you that advantage when the going gets tough.

 

[triplenickel]

Took my little sister and BIL pine picking in my favourite spot a couple years back. Get a text a couple weeks later when I'm back at work with a pic of them and 3-4 other campers from Victoria there. I was bummed, never again! Fishing spots, whatever, they move all the time.

 

[cracked_ribs]

If one person knows something, it's a secret.
If two people know it's public knowledge.
If three people know it's been shouted from the rooftops.

I get being annoyed by it - I think I would be too, just because I'm very hesitant to share information with third parties and I'm often surprised when others aren't - but the minute you reveal stuff like this, the secret is unfortunately out.

 

[halimark]

Same thing has cauced me grief many times, not so much with salmon as they move around, did show and ask "firefighter buddy" to keep hali, prawn and snapper hole to themselves after we anchored, caught and I showed them. Imagine my surprise when I showed up a couple months later and a firefighter derby was anchored on my reef. Same has happened to secret prawn hole, ledges. Took my friend into my good blacktail road/trail one weekend a few years ago with promise to keep secret and not hunt it, 2 weeks later he and his other friends set up tent camp there. Now I am very closed mouth and careful what, where and who goes with me to any place not publically known. Fishin_magician says it well.

HM

 

[RODNREEL]

After reading all the posts and seeing the different opinions it seems that good intended people are getting burnt .Fishin_magician's post sums it up.
A couple years ago I was lucky enough to go on a charter with some customers from work. We all met our guide at the marina parking lot for a chat about the days plan. After we had finished our talk one of the guests pulls a gps out of his pocket.The guide looks at me I look at guests and there discussing whether they have enough batteries or not. I asked this character to put his gps back in my truck. He wasn't happy but he did it. Fishing that day wasn't great and I wasn't surprised. When we got back to the dock our guide took me aside and apologized for the lack of fish, he said he didn't feel comfortable taking this crew to his honey holes. He then offered to take me out another time at a reduced rate.
On the way home I listened to these guys complaining about how they didn't get there limits.
At the end of the day some people need educated and deserve a second chance and some people are a feminine hygiene product.
As for my friend we'll go out again but once bitten twice shy.

 

[halimark]

I know a guy who got radar installed on his boat, he NEVER goes out when waves are over 1 ft, never in fog, or when there is a possibility. When I asked him why he purchased his answer was, "now I can sit on anchor and get the waypoint of every hali boat anchored" and he has.

HM

 

[fogged in]

As for my friend we'll go out again but once bitten twice shy.[/QUOTE]

Has your friend seen your post??
He may not want to go out with you again?

 

[Harps]

Where's the spot?

 

[fishin_magician]

I know a guy who got radar installed on his boat, he NEVER goes out when waves are over 1 ft, never in fog, or when there is a possibility. When I asked him why he purchased his answer was, "now I can sit on anchor and get the waypoint of every hali boat anchored" and he has.

HM

True that! that's not the first time that has happened! A guy I know did just that in Bamfield, Uki, Tofino, Renfrew and Sooke. He just put a track on the boats and then Way pointed their route and the went out and duplicated the results. He also has done that with Commercial Prawn boats in around Vancouver. Lol.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I would be pretty mad if I was the guy, and I found out you were venting on a public forum ( no offence to you). I mean you showed him the spot. Why would he not go there? If you want it for your own then don't show anybody. Most of time most of secret spots aren't secret anyway.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I would be pretty mad if I was the guy, and you were venting on a public forum ( no offence to you). I mean you showed him the spot. Why would he not go there? If you want it for you own then don't show anybody. Most of time most of secret spots aren't secret anyway.

Usually when dirty laundry gets aired like this it is directed at another forum member. I wouldn't be surprised if they met on the forums and his buddy showed another forum member the spot. Obviously way more to the story. I doubt it's even a secret spot but probably a sensitive spot that if a lot of people fish it there will be more issues then it just being over fished.

Sandheads right now is kinda like that to much fishing pressure and certain interest groups could get upset and it could be shut down. You kinda have to fish the boundary. The Cap also for us is one of those areas, while not secret if people know there's fish there it turns into a gong show. It also has the potential to be shut if there is too much shenanigans with the freighters.

I'm sure there is lots of other locations around the west coast with similar issues.

I have come to lean there is way more to what people spew on here then decent fishing reports and god forbid you report about a spot thats producing.

I could be way off the mark but hey I'm a conspiracy

 

[halimark]

Not venting just telling a story, yes "radar guy" knows as we have discussed over beer's, call those **** chucking sessions, now all know how tight lipped I am when it comes to spots I have spent gas, time and worked hard to find. There are no bad feelings with those who I still know, (hunting story guy moved to Ont, and firefighter relationship went separate ways after incident), in JDF how many boats pull up, weighpoint then take off? Secrecy of the places WAS discussed and agreed upon BEFORE I took them there, they broke their promise. One spot was changed to a RCA, I still yell at him when I see him fishing there. Other friends have gotten hali limits from my spots and to this day they are tight lipped, those pers are welcome in my boat and we still fish together when we can. All I ask is stick to your word, I would sit at any table to discuss with those I speak about, I use no names but I promise they do know and can read.

HM

 

[fishin_magician]

Usually when dirty laundry gets aired like this it is directed at another forum member. I wouldn't be surprised if they met on the forums and his buddy showed another forum member the spot. Obviously way more to the story. I doubt it's even a secret spot but probably a sensitive spot that if a lot of people fish it there will be more issues then it just being over fished.

Sandheads right now is kinda like that to much fishing pressure and certain interest groups could get upset and it could be shut down. You kinda have to fish the boundary. The Cap also for us is one of those areas, while not secret if people know there's fish there it turns into a gong show. It also has the potential to be shut if there is too much shenanigans with the freighters.

I'm sure there is lots of other locations around the west coast with similar issues.

I have come to lean there is way more to what people spew on here then decent fishing reports and god forbid you report about a spot thats producing.

I could be way off the mark but hey I'm a conspiracy

No conspiracies.

No one gives a crap about the Cap. It's a manufactured fishery. The local guides association and their net pen program are solely responsible for the enhancement of Thst fishery. It extends the guides season to mid October and allows charters to be sold with increased margins to make bank on unrelenting expenses. It would be a shame if it is killed because of the traffic however.

The Fraser fishery though, is something we should care about. While people are targeting and bonking mid teens to low twenties as they have in 29-3 and 29-4 over the past 2 weeks and specifically this past weekend... there is non retention in the river.

Well, fish don't respect Fisheries boundaries. Expect and anticipate non retention 29-3 and 29-4 in following years. The recent fishing behaviours demonstrate...if you leave it open...it will be fished.

DFO is well aware of who is fishing off Sandheads and choking the boundaries right now. They also know how many are getting hooked too.

Ultimately, the power is knowledge and with knowledge comes great responsibility.....and fishers must do things responsibly. This subject has already been a super hot topic on Fishing with Rod for years now as streams, ditches and rivers suddenly have literally hundreds and thousands of rods harassing everything with fins. The in fighting over there is enough to drive anyone to drink... and if you take a weekend to go heck out what goes on in the rivers and streams from Mission to Hope you will be gob smacked at the fishing pressure. You will also be amazed at just what swims past us at the mouth.

Let's not go down that road and be more responsible and more sporting and conservationist than them.

 

[fishin solo]

No conspiracies.

No one gives a crap about the Cap. It's a manufactured fishery. The local guides association and their net pen program are solely responsible for the enhancement of Thst fishery. It extends the guides season to mid October and allows charters to be sold with increased margins to make bank on unrelenting expenses. It would be a shame if it is killed because of the traffic however.

The Fraser fishery though, is something we should care about. While people are targeting and bonking mid teens to low twenties as they have in 29-3 and 29-4 over the past 2 weeks and specifically this past weekend... there is non retention in the river.

Well, fish don't respect Fisheries boundaries. Expect and anticipate non retention 29-3 and 29-4 in following years. The recent fishing behaviours demonstrate...if you leave it open...it will be fished.

DFO is well aware of who is fishing off Sandheads and choking the boundaries right now. They also know how many are getting hooked too.

Ultimately, the power is knowledge and with knowledge comes great responsibility.....and fishers must do things responsibly. This subject has already been a super hot topic on Fishing with Rod for years now as streams, ditches and rivers suddenly have literally hundreds and thousands of rods harassing everything with fins. The in fighting over there is enough to drive anyone to drink... and if you take a weekend to go heck out what goes on in the rivers and streams from Mission to Hope you will be gob smacked at the fishing pressure. You will also be amazed at just what swims past us at the mouth.

Let's not go down that road and be more responsible and more sporting and conservationist than them.

so if dfo knows whats being caught and going on in the sandheads areas that they left open why aren't they closing retention? where are you getting your facts?

 

[fishin_magician]

so if dfo knows whats being caught and going on in the sandheads areas that they left open why aren't they closing retention? where are you getting your facts?

A Fisheries Management action is rarely made without a meeting and consultations. Observations are made by Creel Surveys, extrapolation of known harvest rates and observation of fishing pressure. Fisheries Managers aren't dummies. They see everyone out there.

They also read this entire forum. As do First Nations Groups, Fraser Valley Guides, etc.



Don't you worry....the fishing pressure and other interest groups will wind up being discussed at some table either formally or informally. Never mind the emails and stuff we don't see. I can imagine the "what's good for the goose is good for the gander"

On a personal note, it would really suck for All of us if we couldn't keep Chinook across the Gulf or out in the offshore waters that the majority of fishing water around Vancouver is. Basically non-retention and basically they're going to have to fish in Area 28 or 17---Harbour, Howe Sound or Gulf Islands. Despite the fact that we don't fish the boundaries and intercept Fraser Chinooks in offshore waters miles from the boundaries . Do you see any guide boats fishing the boundaries at Sandheads right now? have you? Wow....that sucks for publicity for those interested in going fishing if offshore was closed too.

Personally, going fishing for 8-12 pound and the average lunker 12-15 pound Puget Sound Chinook or Squamish white doesn't do it for me anymore...so I wait for months like August and September when I get a legitimate chance to catch a 20 plus pounder when it's fair game for everyone...