why?

[robbfishing]

why do people post the names and exact spots to fish on lakes ??  went to one of my favorite spots yesterday that another shanty member posted on where to go and where to fish    ive been fishing there for years never seen anyone there except for him  once    guess what  yesterday 6 VECHICLES  THATS NICE!! no room for me

[billditrite]

an unfortunate side effect of all this info available to us . people dont really understand how many others are actually  reading this stuff     happens all over and its really tough to combat as there will always be someone who doesnt see the harm in sharing a little info, and BANG! you cant find a place to park at "your" spot.

2 things you can do to slow it a little...use your states R&C board that is available to members only and share location specific info in private messages rather than the forums.

[robbfishing]

if i tell somebody where to fish i always pm them

[rich81]

if i tell somebody where to fish i always pm them

thats the best way to do it

[Bottle_O_Moxie]

Scott is right - this site and state forum has it's pros and cons.  Information sharing is a double-edged sword.

Highland Lake in Windham/Falmouth was relatively quiet in the past.
Soon there will be parking area sign-up sheets and lottery type drawings for the hot spots to enable all the folks that fish there to be able to fit on that little lake. 

Just my guess, but all the 'Hey guys, look at this here picture of the fish I caught' and 'No - look at all these I caught in there!' and 'Oh yeah? - This nice one caught this morning was the smallest we got' type of well-intentioned sharing will have an effect on the body of water.  Eventually all the nice fish will be caught due to the heavy pressure and it will turn into skunkville.  Or the increasing crowds will have the usual share of bad apples that will make an ice fishing event on a certain pond less desirable.  Then it will be a cycle that turns it quiet again. How long is the cycle?  Will the fish have a chance to recover in quantity & size in between those cycles?
I don't know anyone here have a guess?

Again, I think the sharing is well intentioned but only time will tell if it's possible to have a favorite spot anymore unless you hike to an inaccessable part of a big lake or to a hard-to-reach small pond. And if some nice fish come out of there - do what we were taught as kids to do......Keep your mouth shut at the bait shop and boat ramps or lie like hell about where it came from and don't provide any clues. 

[pikehater]

why do people post the names and exact spots to fish on lakes ??  went to one of my favorite spots yesterday that another shanty member posted on where to go and where to fish    I've been fishing there for years never seen anyone there except for him  once    guess what  yesterday 6 VECHICLES  THATS NICE!! no room for me

I couldn't agree more robb.  I was quite frustrated early last week when I saw somebody post fairly specific info about one of my favorite lakes to fish.  I only get there two to three times a season but look forward to every trip.  Its a fairly slow lake, but it's one of my favorites because its not fished very hard (i hate fishing with crowds).  Ironically I had plans to fish this lake on Saturday anyway.  I wonder if it was a coincidence that there were more people fishing this lake than I've ever seen in one day in my life (I've been fishing here for 15 years).  I'm new to this site and enjoy it, but I wonder if careless posting can spoil peoples favorite lakes and even specific spots on those lakes.  I love helping people out and giving pointers when I can, but I think people should PM when they want to get specific or not post at all.  There is no need for someone to make a post that says "Hey I've been to Specific Lake every weekend this year and have caught brook trout, tougue, and salmon in the cove of the boat launch.  Just wanted everyone to know".  The real fisherman will find the fish on there own.  The lurkers will come and ruin your favorite, and in my case, quiet spot. 

Just my opinion.

[fishfry]

I tell no one where I get them, lurkers on this site can bust their butt to find the hotspot just like I had to!! Or tell 'em it was a different lake than I was on.

[dirk327]

I agree with you all.  Are there any true secrets for ice fishing any more?? Everyone with internet has access to stocking reports, fishing reports and obviously this site.  It can be frustrating but I think people finding out where someone is catching fish is inevitable....Holes drilled in the ice and tracks in the snow are a little hard to cover up too!

[jimmyclaude]

Its good to see you guys are from maine... "Can't get there from here"
Your taxes must suck having ownership of a whole lake.
Come fish @ my house.. Just throw back what your not eating

Jimmy Claude    <"(((((((><

[livinbass]

Its good to see you guys are from maine... "Can't get there from here"
Your taxes must suck having ownership of a whole lake.
Come fish @ my house.. Just throw back what your not eating

Jimmy Claude    <"(((((((><

[robbfishing]

Its good to see you guys are from maine... "Can't get there from here"
Your taxes must suck having ownership of a whole lake.
Come fish @ my house.. Just throw back what your not eating

Jimmy Claude    <"(((((((><

[livinbass]

Its good to see you guys are from maine... "Can't get there from here"
Your taxes must suck having ownership of a whole lake.
Come fish @ my house.. Just throw back what your not eating

Jimmy Claude    <"(((((((><

We dont own the lakes.

[robbfishing]

i think what hes saying is because we are complaining about all the pressure our "spots"are getting we think we "own"the lake   pretty ironic considering where he lives

[Mainehazmt]

april 15th of each year theres a part of it that says we own some of it   lol

[Jigga]

Just my guess, but all the 'Hey guys, look at this here picture of the fish I caught' and 'No - look at all these I caught in there!' and 'Oh yeah? - This nice one caught this morning was the smallest we got' type of well-intentioned sharing will have an effect on the body of water. 

Isn't that the whole point of a forum?  I mostly come here to admire pictures of peoples fishing trips.  It's cool too see how the day went whether fish were caught or not.   Most of the good posts here get buried in a bunch of useless banter that should be sent in PM's. 

Personally I think people should not start a report post without a picture.  It's the only way to believe a fisherman. 
I do agree people should keep the spot nameless......or maybe mention another place to throw off the lurkers on here.

As far as fishing pressure goes, that has been and always will be an issue.  But the more people that buy licenses and fish, the more lakes will get stocked.

[Mainehazmt]

Personally I dont "Have to catch" food   its all about getting out    something to do in the winter   maybe meet new friends  granted I like my space but it isnt like Ill starve to death if I dont catch something or shoot something

[dadstacklebox]

 These are State waters here, not private property! Some of these lakes were jewels before most here were born. Teaming with great fish. Then many built there homes and camps around them, making it there secret spot. Slowly they turned these spots into a polluted mud puddle with no fish in them. Us sportsman with the help from the state clean it up and add more fish. Then the process starts all over again. Highland lake is a good example of this. Everyone is proud of Maine waters and the fish teaming in them.
  So lets remember, it's not your secret spot, it's our spot. When you pull your hand out of the water, you will not leave a hole!   :embarassed:

[pegasus]

I thought all fishermen were liars?

[gldndemon]

Well, let me get this straight    You guys like to meet new members on the ice but only a select few & only a few at a time . Am i close ? I told a local bait shop about my good luck & even told him to tell anyone looking to fish that had nice fish. Since that time 2 weeks ago, i have had to juggle for a place to park. I got to meet many new guys & traded info . Now, i probably met some lifelong fishing buddies when i go to the different local places . You guys crying about other fellas being at "your" hot spots , well you should probably start your own site . I mean you should have someone who is unbiased read some of your posts !! What ever happened to " the more the merrier " .

[Loves To Fish]

why do people post the names and exact spots to fish on lakes ??  went to one of my favorite spots yesterday that another shanty member posted on where to go and where to fish    ive been fishing there for years never seen anyone there except for him  once    guess what  yesterday 6 VECHICLES  THATS NICE!! no room for me

RF,
     The only reason I post pics and tell people about my fishing trips is that I have been sharing fishing information all my life. I have met, via internet, many wonderful fishermen and fisherwomen on this site, who like me, like to share and trade information. I thought this forum was mostly filled with people willing to do the same. I thought people might enjoy pics and someone's day's adventures. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I need to keep my trips a secret so the jealousy won't run rampant.
Someone else pointed out that the lakes of Maine belong to all of us and not just the people who live on the lake or nearby. I travel all across the State to fine new and great waters to fish. Maybe some of you folks complaining might want to try the same. If a particular body of water is being hit hard, you have more than 6,000 other bodies of water to go to. I've never claimed that "my" body of water is too crowded, I just find another one to fish. There's lots of fish for everyone to enjoy.
PS. I have lots of folks PM or call me on where the hot spots are so their family can enjoy a nice day and catch some fish too. They've called back to thank me for the info. Shouldn't life be like that?

Well said gldnemon!!!!!!!!!!

[Mainehazmt]

well I dont know about only a few at a time  about 30 + of us are meeting at moosehead lake  that has 74,890 acres  hmm think there is enough room for those that want to spread out to do so  or just huddle together in shanty town  

[Loves To Fish]

Personally I dont "Have to catch" food   its all about getting out    something to do in the winter   maybe meet new friends  granted I like my space but it isnt like Ill starve to death if I dont catch something or shoot something

There's nothing wrong with that MHM. I think a lot of people like to see pics of fish caught. I know I do. And they don't have to be big fish either. I just enjoy looking at other people's catches and hearing what kind of day they experienced. 
It's not about " Hey, look at what I caught", it's more about, "Hey, had a great time on such and such lake, here's some pics". Nothing more and nothing less.

[ztc]

im sorry robb but "spit" happens! people are allways going to be fishing and if you heard about a great spot to fish you would be there too! You dont own the lake so get over it! And allot of people do share their spots on this site with pro's and con's but it happens.So now you can either cry about people fishing your honny hole or go out and find a new one. just my .02

[wardens worry]

Its good to see you guys are from maine... "Can't get there from here"
Your taxes must suck having ownership of a whole lake.
Come fish @ my house.. Just throw back what your not eating

Jimmy Claude    <"(((((((><

That's easy to swallow when all you are catching are perch!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[toguefisha]

Well said Dads and Dennis.

[Icefish_master]

People are well in their rights to fish where ever they want. They paid for a fishing license too. Yeah it sucks when people are fishing one of your favorite areas, but look on the bright side, it's a chance to change up and find a new hot spot. 

[dylanfthomas]

As far as specific tips go such as fishing depths and what equipment to use I appreciate the tips and advice. I also appreciate being pointed in the right direction. However to me a good part of the fun is finding on my own where the fish are. I travel all during the week so I spend a lot of time researching, which I enjoy. I am a brand new ice fisherman this year. I moved here from Florida this past summer. I am a sixth generation Floridian and have been a fisherman of many years. I appreciate and respect all advice that has been given on this site.

[s fontinalis]

If we are allowed to get upset with camp owners and others restricting access to many bodies of water, then we should not be upset by having to share a little bit of water with fellow icefisherman. I am happy just to get out, whether or not there is someone fishing next to me or not. After all fishing isn't really about the fish is it.

Also, I have been given chances to try new places thanks to the kindness of people on this site willing to help out a fellow fisherman, and I am thankful for every person that is willing to share "their" spot.

[smeltslayer]

I think if you dont like this site go somewhere else. This site is about showing off your fish and sharing spots. Nobody owns the water. My take off Ice Shanty.

[rude the dude]

I don't worry about people in my spots. I'm usually the first one there . Try getting up a little earliar and quit whining.