Enough Already or Not?

[Prairiegoat]

As previously stated... there are thousands of years experience on IceShanty, but how many times have you shared how many fish you caught, what bait, and where at only to find your "secret spot" so full of holes and other people you can no longer get in on the action? It appears the number of members actually posting on IceShanty is a small percentage of the people gaining the information and I venture to say quite a number use it to their advantage with no thought of sharing their "secret spot" or how-to with anyone. So are a lot of us posting our way out of those nice old "secret spots" or are there enough areas for all? I think not in certain regions because why else are there posts depicting private waters as the holy grail of fishing? Don't get me wrong, I like to share information and if it costs me a few fish, so be it!  Just wondering out loud and question if I'm all wet or if others have similar or dissimilar feelings on the subject.

[BlueDuck]

Pretty low pressure where I fish.  I have no problem trying to help someone.....

[Thriller]

It depends...friends have posted (not necessarily on IS) information and had that occur.  If you work hard to find a honey hole, I can respect wanting to keep it a secret.  There is a lot of information that can be shared without a location.

Of course, if it is a generally known location, there is no problem with providing complete information.

I have one buddy in particular who will often swear me to secrecy when he takes me to new waters.

[vermonner]

I'll post a general area because I don't own the whole lake and Champlain is pretty big with generally good fishing, but I wouldn't put and ad in the local paper about my favorite piece of structure, a place I know the action will be good etc. so I don't get very specific on the web.  These spots were handed down to me by my father and uncle, and they earned them by trial and error.  I will bring friends though and share the info that way because I have benefitted from others sharing spots with me.

[esox13]

I have no problem telling anyone whereto/howto/withwhat as long as they are cordial about asking.

I spend a lot of time fishing tournaments -both hard and soft water (prefer ice fishing) and have had some success thanks to tireless preparation - a lot of my info for new lakes comes from talking to locals - who better knows the lake.

I do get some rude people who feel they deserve my time to fill in their lack of preparation - to them I politely decline help and walk away (there are very few of them anymore) - otherwise ice fishing is a social event and if you want to share a beverage and talk shop, I'm in.
 
There is enough water out there for everyone - it's my job to find the fish. If people are on top of "my secret spot" (whatever that means) I move on - I am always perpared with an alternate plan. That is what make ice fishing the greatest pursuit there is.

Good luck to all.
Tight lines

[john t.]

I live in central Pa. i inquired about a lake not far from my home , when i arrived there were two people in that spot. they had drove 4 hours from washington DC , because that was the closest ice . they were IS members and a good time was had by all , so losing a few fish was allright by me .

[bigredonice]

If your posting it here on IS, then it really isn't a secret spot, is it? Once you post something on a forum like this, it becomes "public knowledge" be if actual writing or pictures or whatever.  I don't really look at the shanty as a place to glean spots...I prefer to use it to help me determine ice conditions, or check out new tackle and tactics.  That is where I feel IS's strength is.  Besides, who wants to fish other people's spots?  I find that the most rewarding thing in ice fishing is getting into fish that no one else is on.  You will always have lurkers and such.  It is the nature of these forums.

[Iceshanty]

Well said Bigred, good fun, ice conditions, tackle, tactics, the iceshanty boards were created with that in mind. The best spots are the ones you put the work into finding yourself. There is nothing better than searching hard for fish and finally coming across a school on the bite all on your own leg work, true satisfaction. 



-Scott

[perch-man]

I think our southern freinds have alot more pressure on your lakes [You have More PEOPLE]So if you did find a Honey Hole I would be careful who you tell. Alot times I post the Lake Im fishing its up to them to go and try! Just be careful!

[Prairiegoat]

I think our southern friends have alot more pressure on your lakes [You have More PEOPLE]

I'm with you on that, perch-man.  Same here out west. Not a lot of pressure in the winter and most of us share info pretty freely. Seems to be more of a question out east where crowds gather. Never ever had a problem here with someone moving in on my holes uninvited and generally if someone is just coming out and I'm catching I tell them to stop, drill some holes and what bait seems to be working. Others gave me that same courtesy; so why shouldn't I do the same. I doubt there's a single one of us who hasn't benefited from other's info. A week or so ago, I was coming off the lake stopped and talked to an older gent who hadn't caught a thing. Gave him the jig I had used and cup of wax worms and bingo, trout on! That's what its all about!!!! 

[Big E]

The thing I dislike is that when I help someone, more often than not, I'm indirectly helping all their buddies and buddies' buddies as well.
I no longer tell people where I go, whether it be hunting or fishing, as I'm tired of going out to a spot where I've never seen anyone and tell a someone about it and then it becomes times square.  Not a week goes by that I'm approached by a co-worker who wants me to take them fishing or tell them where exactly to go because they know I catch fish or shoot game. 
I have a guy at work who bugs me all the time about fishing but I know he is just the 'front man' for his group of fishing friends.  When he asks, I tell a small fib about some lake I've never been to and all the fish I caught.  The next week I normally get the rundown on the lake because he didn't catch anything.   The lakes he's quiet about though I can surmize he did catch fish at.  Bingo...saves me time on scouting.   

[bigfish_1556]

All I can say is "first come, first serve". Not like we're generally giving out GPS coordinates for the most part anyhow......minus pm's to respectable individuals, that is

I have no hesitation giving out detailed info on large bodies of water, plenty of space to fish. Don't try me for info on the smaller ponds, however......

[jigmasterjr]

just because someones fishing your spot doesnt mean their gonna catch fish, a honey hole is more than a spot where fish will take anything you throw in the water and there all lunkers. A honey hole is a spot I consider that I know well enough to use tactics that work their to catch myself some fish. Ive fished right beside people before and outfished them and Ive sat by and been outfished, Its more about skill and technique than just dropping a line in the water and I dont have a problem sharing a spot or two because its this very attitude that has 'earned' me the right to some decent fishing spots I hadnt considered but were shared because of a sharing and respecting of others sharing and respecting whats all of ours not just one persons alone.

[pikemaster789]

Ill let people know what kinds of fish, what baits, and what lakes. Just not specific parts of the lake. It takes skill to find that.

[swantucky]

I have learned over the years to not blab on the net about a small spot that is producing fish,  I have in the past and been crowded out almost overnight.  Now when people ask where?? I generally tell them "in the water!!"