[Smackdaddy53]

Mixed bag, but I'll agree that giving a googan a camera hasn't helped their behavior. I see a world of difference between guys like Estrada and Wild Fly Productions and the bros out here ripping in no wake zones and casting on Tarpon at Robbies from the point and posting it to Tik Tok. There's some quality work being done that is serving a great purpose shedding light on the FL and beyond waters and the issues surrounding access and clean water. Then there's the clowns like Googan Squad and their ilk. Can't put them all in the same basket.

There is a huge negative stereotype and it sucks for the guys that respect the resource and other people. The other 98% are disrespectful and annoying.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

You forgot “and giant douche’s”

Agree! I had a badass back lake that was only accessible on low tide by laying flat in a kayak and walking your way through a culvert with your hands on the top. Redfish everywhere and zero pressure other than a few of us that knew about it. A couple of years later one of them took the wrong idiot and he shot a video of how to get there and everything. It wasn’t long and the land owner drove rebar across both ends because people started dragging kayaks across the guy’s property and ruined it for everyone. This was about 12-14 years ago.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Hunting and fishing are meant to be shared with loved ones, not the entire world on YouTube or social media. Pictures and videos should be created to remember those trips and not for likes or subscriptions. If someone cannot enjoy the outdoors without the need to create “content” then they need to reevaluate why they’re there in the first place. When I hear “content” I hear notoriety. Notoriety seeking will be the death of the true reason to hunt and fish.

All of these YouTubers are seeking fame and/or money. There’s not some divine reason or master plan to save the fisheries.

As cool as some of these videos are, I miss the days when all you had to show for a trip was a blurry Polaroid or two or a newspaper clipping if you caught a good one.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Same thing with our Tarpon Fishery here in VA. Wasn't necessarily a secret, but there was an unwritten rule for the few that fished it that you wouldn't blow it up on social media or really talk about it other than the, "Yea, saw a few". About 5 years ago a dude moved to the area and begged some old timers to take him out...a year later he started a guide business targeting Tarpon. A couple of posts on Instagram and an article in the VA Sportsman and it's night and day. Used to be rare to see another skiff fishing the area on any given day and now you have skiffs and tower boats burning through the flat....sucks. Even had a guy on here ask me about the Tarpon fishery saying that he was desperate to learn it. Told him I couldn't speak on it, but gave him some good info on other redfish spots and tactics. Dude went on to say I was being "Shady".... Same guy just started a guide business this summer in Va Beach.

Some folks think they are entitled to other people’s knowledge. That is not the case. It is a privilege when people share with you and to be grateful you should be respectful with how you use your new found intel…same old song and dance for the last 15-20 years with people here and fishing spots too.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Salt Strong

 

[Smackdaddy53]

You can film fishing and even give hints and tips without spot burn. Disclose up front you will not disclose spots and avoid filming landmarks. That is an ethical way of doing this if it is something you really want to do.

Explaining bait choices, gear, and non specific things are fine. Worst comes to worstedit out or blurr landmarks and don’t give names.

Of course you can but lots of them don’t. We’re not discussing hypotheticals.
Lots of people watch content just so they can potlick areas instead of figuring out patterns and how to fish conditions. It’s gotten so bad that now SaltStrong has a friggin app that shows people where to go based on conditions. People are so ate up with instant gratification that they can’t even learn how to find fish n their own. SaltStrong should be ashamed to be whoring out the resource like that. Cheesy as hell if you ask me.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

I completely agree but to be fair it was only a matter of time until this happened, it was inevitable with technology (hell most of the old codgers despised GPS when it came out) and people are going to take advantage of that technology and situations to make money and/or get attention, that's just human nature. And unfortunately all the new tech translates very well into the fishing industry so of course it's going to suffer the consequences of that. I talked here about how I used to be a photographer for a living, and when digital cameras came out it made it all WAY easier (sound familiar?), changed everything and I was out of work pretty quickly after that. Sure I was upset over it and thought about the "what ifs" but ultimately I moved on to something else. I suspect in this case it could go the same way, with guides and other people making a living at it having to move on to other things whether it's because they are losing money or are just sick of all the people taking over the fisheries they worked so hard for.

For me it was both. I worked hard on my craft, put in my time, nurtured relationships, all for it to mean basically nothing at the end because any Joe Blow can pick up a digital camera now and get acceptable images out of it. Just like any Joe Blow can now get a skiff, watch some youtube videos, join Salt Strong and get on some fish with barely any effort when before all this it could take years to figure it all out.

There’s no excuse

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Reminds me of guides on Calcasieu scattering popcorn or bread to get the seagulls working, all the boats run to the birds, the guide slips off to the now unoccupied reefs where the fish actually are.

Fritos work better…they leave a nice “fish” slick behind for googans to cast at.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Yea man that Life of Fly video makes me want to get some chickens every time I watch it!

If you do, keep them in a pen or they will shit all over everything.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

that’s the bad attitude that everyone has. Every “spot” is someone’s, we all can share the land. You don’t have a right to it more than the other millions of people. Entitlement is crazy here I see.

Entitlement or tired of people being disrespectful on the water? There are some unwritten rules to go by and I’m thinking you don’t know them. How old are you so we have some context to work with…

 

[Smackdaddy53]

You are not talking about fishing though. You’re talking about bringing unnecessary attention to an area so you can stroke whatever complex you have that makes you seek recognition from strangers. I’m 34 btw but I understood not pimping out areas when I was 18. Maybe it’s just the turkey hunter in me.

Some of these guys will never understand. They are not the same breed, they whine and cry about entitlement and how none of us should be so secretive. The same reason I came up with the legend of Zephyr Cove a long time ago. I had people chasing fake spots and it was well deserved.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

No, you are making a lot of assumptions base on your limited frame of reference. When I started sight fishing, there were a lot of places I was fishing that literally no one had ever fished through because they were only accessible in a shallow draft boat being push poled and virtually no one else in the area was set up to do that. I don't think anybody "owns the water" or "owns a spot", I don't get mad at someone being in a spot I've fished undisturbed for years because I can find fish elsewhere, and if they did the work and figured it out they've earned the right to be there. But I do get pissed at someone stumbling into one of those spots and blowing it up online because the spot will then be loaded with people who didn't do the work. Just because you have a "right" to fish somewhere, doesn't mean that it "is right" to ruin the place. Believe me you don't have to "give GPS coordinates" to blow up a spot. As mentioned before just showing an identifiable ramp can often be enough, and for all of your talk about it being a "free country" you gripe about people blurring backgrounds...guess what, they are "free" to do that as well.

I've been doing this long enough to see a lot of spots get absolutely ruined this way. You would be surprised at how quickly fish change their behavior in reaction to pressure. Add to that a lot of places I fish are changing because of erosion and subsidence as well so each of those spots I've kept guarded becomes even more precious. There are areas of my state that I just won't fish anymore because I don't want to deal with the traffic, and anytime you see me post fish pictures or a fishing report, there's never any more info than I was "in the marsh" in either the text, or what I show in the background. Honestly your post here reek of immaturity and entitlement. You're not entitled to anything from anyone here, nobody has to point you in the right direction, show you spots or really share anything with you at all. Frankly they will be doing you a favor if they don't because it's all so much more rewarding when you do it for yourself.

P.S. Stay off my lawn.

Best post on this thread right here.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

I can’t figure out how to lock the post if it’s even possible

But I have come to the conclusion to just continue taking pictures of my fish and focus on the fishing and catching part. Thanks for everybody’s advice.

Do you still love poleskiffing bro?

 

[Smackdaddy53]

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Mods please close the thread

Oh hell no!!! You gon’ learn today!

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Personally, I think there isn't much difference between guides and Youtubers. Both have to promote themselves enough to keep making money. However, neither needs to blow up a spot and exploit their area to "advertise".

The main difference between the two is that a guide is locked down to a general area. A videographer doesn't have a home turf to draw people to or keep them away from. I've seen guides and "content creators" both do things the right way and wrong way. Be one of those that does it the right way.

WTF are you talking about?

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Speaking of the right way ... Years ago, I was fishing a public but hidden creek, near a bike trail, known only by us locals that fish it. Mad the mistake of taking the bike path out. A few minutes later, a clown comes over a hill, sees me, and screeches to a halt. The GoPro is on his helmet. Starts pumping me for where exactly, what I fish for, how to ... Cut him off and asked if he was recording. He said "yeah, for my Youtube Channel." Tried to explain what was polite, and he cut me off, saying "I don't care." Replied "I do, and you don't have my consent to use my image, nor any anything I say." He was surprised to learn that I could withdraw what he assumed, then p****d. Said "don't give a s%%t," and went on my way.

Aww Finnegan doesn’t like people that stand up for themselves. He wants us all to tolerate weak people’s BS.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

I was responding to the story (sad) not the post! Go enjoy your friends and family.

I’m at work. Mind your business.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Sorry you have to work today. I'm sure your family thanksgiving time is waiting for you when you get home. Remembering the iPhone recorded fishing trip you shared with me of your son on the bow months ago still brings me smiles. This is the recording trip post right? Don't go for bait thrown out there.

We eat three times today…I’ll make it home for round three! We always cook out here if we work Thanksgiving or Christmas, we won’t miss a meal!
Yeah I have a ton of videos of he and I fishing and from the first boat ride when he was two. Dude is a little stud, sight casting with a spinning reel and nothing but soft plastics at 7 years old. I don’t even have to call fish any more, he usually sees them before I do and fires off a cast before I know it.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Dude save the dumb memes for the off topic threads k thanks