[dwilliamsceg]

With so much location based information and fishing intel being posted on sites like Tidalfish and others, have you ever thought about how this impacts the fishery? Some sites will not let you post locations, coords, etc.

With the glut of boats seen in very specific areas, and people phoning in bird locations as they are driving over the CBBT, have you ever stepped back and thought that telling everyone exactly where and how to catch fish may not be a good thing? Those in the know tell me that even as short as 5 years ago, the local VB and Soouthern Chesapeake waters were not fished as hard or as focused as now. There was a time when you had to hire a guide or work very hard to learn what is posted on here daily. I enjoy reading and learning but I also wonder how it may impact our sport.

I am not trying to start a flame war I was just pondering the thought and am interested in any thoughtful responses.

Dave.

 

[jamisjockey]

The fish are always on the move, so probably not. And the locals all know where to catch 'em anyways ;-)

 

[lyle]

My quick and short answer would be most definatly.

Reason:

In the years I have been fishing this area, I have seen a pronounced increase in fishing pressure. Both in number of fishermen and number of congregated boats in an area. I understand that some of it comes as more folks buy boats and search out their version of relaxation and solitude LOL. However different spots that never ( as in 3,4,5 ) years ago, ever had a boat on it or near it, now are full of boats.

Wrecks that received little or no pressure as no one bothered to search for them, now are loaded with boats, far fewer fish or all you find are the juvinile fish.

There are still many spots/numbers that some folks have in their back pockets and refuse to give out and I say good for them.

The GPS units also make a big difference as many times I have been on a hot little piece in a usually desolate spot and see boats make a drastic turn in their heading to visit me. They look around a bit and get closer and ( some even bump rub rails ) hit their mark spot, say thanks and head off... ( ALthough they have been verbally welcomed for stopping by). In my opinion that is rather rude and I have wished I had a paint ball gun aboard a few times !!!

A good for instance might be, the High Level area at cbbt, some fairly close inshore wrecks, the drains, the amount of folks eeling the easter shore area.
One report spread out over one or two fishing boards and the next day, you cant move due to the number of boats. If you thought a message on the radio used to bring lots of guests to the party, post a report on ahot bite close to shore any in the United States where people have access to a computer and a boat and watch the traffic the next day.

About 6-7 years ago, I was running a boat for a local doctor, the fishing stunk here as the water was too cold, and the fish had headed soutn for some R&R in warmer waters. So we traveled down to Corola area and filled the box for everyone on board. Not a boat in site.
Try that trip today when the water is too cold here. Ya think you would be alone or in the same type mess as the cape the last couple of days ?

The same goes for a good radar, radio and Gps hookup. You dont even need to be close any more and you can mark a location where folks are set up or drifting over.

I guess progress has its down side.

So the answer is yes, Computers and web sites and newer electronics have made a big difference.

My two cents worth.

PS: no spell check used, so deal with it ! Hahahahaha

 

[Persistence2]

Hurthing the fishery...I don't know. I'm not a scientist and don't have any data. I DO know it has changed the fishery a lot (overall) but I can't complain as I have benefitted greatly from this and other forums in learning how to fish this area.

The downside is if you rely on posts to form your gameplan, you are missing out on actually "fishing"...I'm as guilty as the next guy of doing this but I find I do best when I look at my fishing logs and stick to my gameplan (coupled with some reliable reports)

 

[Miss Christine]

I think its hurt the big fish...years ago when I use to go out at night there didn't seem like
that many people out there and no where near the amount of boat fishing the high level.
Everybody is obsessed with big fish...I'm sure there won't be many agreeing with
me but I would like to see them do away with the weight citations for stripers...
Actually over the past two years I've seen fewer small fish caught and more big fish...
(in the bay)...

 

[Icatchbigfish]

It screws up the fishing grounds! for exp. the high rise use to fish it all the time at night there would only be 3 or 4 boats, now there is a boat at every light! to say the least I dont fish the high rise any more and that was my favorite spot from when I was a kid 6 or 7 thats some years ago!

 

[Kevin Smith]

Sharing Fishing Information Via Cell Phones, Clubs, Websites

Dave,

Glad you asked this question because I have wondered about this too. Unfortunately the data used to determine the catches of recreational anglers is so tainted, it is really hard to tell if we are overfishing the stripers or not, but I don't personally think so.

What I do know that has a tremendous negative impact on the stripers is-the Menhaden Reduction Fleet. It does more damage to the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem by removing up to 105,000 metric tons of bait fish out of the bay every year. IE In the last few years there is little or no spawning Menhaden left in the Chesapeake Bay per multiple scientific studies, there is no bait in the middle bay this year and there has been almost no bite in the area around Deltaville, stripers are suffering from diseases over the last 3-4 years, and there are few, if any, trout left in the bay.

So right now I am more focused on trying to help the main food source of almost all game fish in the Chesapeake Bay including stripers--Menhaden. I do this by being active in the Coastal Conservation Association Virginia & Stripers Forever. Maybe another way to look at it is-If more people fished for stripers, hopefully more would care about the Chesapeake Bay enough to help Save the Menhanden.

Sorry for getting on my soapbox, but without Menhaden the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia's Tidal Rivers & Striper Fishing could suffer a lot more than our sharing the great fishery we have with our friends.

Kevin
Weekend Mistress
CCA VA, SF

 

[classicrockfish]

I know what you mean about the conglomerate of boats that show..and it can get very annoying. However, word does and always will get out if not by the forum then by text messages, cell phones etc...with that being said.. My intentions when I post have always been to help people. We have a lot of pressure on marriages and the family in general in this generation. The way I look at it if my posts can help a few families or married couples have fun together than I have done something. We live in a fast paced world and people have forgotten how to be civil to one another. We put money and things before people and that is wrong... This post allows people to come As They Are despite their experience,financial background, or level of education and enable them to feel like they belong to something. I can't say that is a bad thing. The people who are takers and continue to take and take and take will always find different avenues to get what they want despite this forum.. Those types of personalities as we know eventually reap what they sow... You bring up an excellent point about the fish population. It is a responsibility of EVERYONE, whether they are commercial or recreational and we all need to do our share.

 

[HARPOON]

Well put Kevin, forget about recreational pressure. I've seen the Menhaden fleet show up when the Striper bite was red hot. When they were done you coudn't find a Striper. Try catching a Striper after the menhaden are gone. You won't have to worry about boat pressure cause there will be no Stripers to catch. Ross Harpoon

HARPOON LARRY's - Killer Seafood, Virginia Beach, Virginia

 

[racn35]

ABSOLUTLY IT DOES 100 % -

1- take your EELing/ high rise response compared to 5 years ago

2- take a look at the 100's of boats in the HOT DITCH compared to 5 boats on a GREAT Day 10 years ago

3- compare 6 boats at the tower spadefishing EVN 3 YEARS AGO compared to 1500 THIS SUMMER

ABSOFCKNLUTLY IT DOES 100 % -

But who can complain, its OUR fault.......

 

[lyle]

Thats what I was talking about Jamie.
Im not saying it isnt nice to share kids. I was just pointing to the reasons for my answer...

 

[cmacdol]

Communications is Key.

Communications will also help with, Clean Water, Abiding by Laws, Conservation, Data, Increased Stock and general knowledge and understanding of our Enviroment.

Les

 

[Rob Holtz]

ABSOLUTLY IT DOES 100 % -

1- take your EELing/ high rise response compared to 5 years ago
Yep, thats why we rarely fish there anymore.
2- take a look at the 100's of boats in the HOT DITCH compared to 5 boats on a GREAT Day 10 years ago
Yep, that's why I haven't fished there in 3 years
3- compare 6 boats at the tower spadefishing EVN 3 YEARS AGO compared to 1500 THIS SUMMER
Yep, thats why i haven't fished there in many years

And the list could go on and on....
I used to post reports on here years ago but it ruined too many of my "goto" places so know I don't do it anymore.

 

[eroller]

YES! I think the information posted can turn beginners into good anglers very quickly and ultimately the more good anglers fishing..... the more fish that are taken.

 

[hale33]

:yes:YES YES YES and Bad!:yes:
10-15 years ago this time of the year, we'd only see a few boats around our Eastern shore side of the bay, now it's a mad house... we rarely go, the ramps are a zoo... Bunches of Trailer Tags from as far away as New York, New Jersey and further. Most all are taking home big cows. I was actually hoping gas would be 5 dollars a gallons just to keep people from coming. I was one of the ones posting pics on World Wide Angler and other Internet sites, thinking it was such a big area it would never be over fished (boy was I wrong), every year more and more boats came...
now we've started fishing different locations and doing well, but I would never post this area.... think we've learned a lesson

 

[hale33]

ABSOLUTLY IT DOES 100 % -

1- take your EELing/ high rise response compared to 5 years ago
Yep, thats why we rarely fish there anymore.
2- take a look at the 100's of boats in the HOT DITCH compared to 5 boats on a GREAT Day 10 years ago
Yep, that's why I haven't fished there in 3 years
3- compare 6 boats at the tower spadefishing EVN 3 YEARS AGO compared to 1500 THIS SUMMER
Yep, thats why i haven't fished there in many years

And the list could go on and on....
I used to post reports on here years ago but it ruined too many of my "goto" places so know I don't do it anymore.

DITTO! Well said Rob.... I feel guilty every time I think of how 15 years ago my dad and I enjoyed fishing around Christmas now the crowds around Kiptopeake make it seem like a trip to the jersey shore :38:

 

[Here We Go]

ABSOLUTLY IT DOES 100 % -

1- take your EELing/ high rise response compared to 5 years ago

2- take a look at the 100's of boats in the HOT DITCH compared to 5 boats on a GREAT Day 10 years ago

3- compare 6 boats at the tower spadefishing EVN 3 YEARS AGO compared to 1500 THIS SUMMER

ABSOFCKNLUTLY IT DOES 100 % -

But who can complain, its OUR fault.......

Amen Brother

 

[ssellard]

More Fisherman = More Money in the Economy.
More Fisherman = More Conservationist "Eventualy"
More Conservationist = More Conservation Money
More Consevation Money = Better Lobbing Efforts
Better & More Lobbing Efforts = Better Decisions Made On Behalf Of Anglers,Fisheries,Enviroment,Stock Assments,Managment Practices,Law Enforcement,Protection,Habitat,Artifical Reefs And On And On And On.
All Of The Above = More Fish For Everbody Everywere For Years To Come.

So Bring On The Information Sharing and Bring On More Fisherman.

All the fishing clubs,groups,organization I ever belonged to always spoke of the need and joy of introducing people to fishing and what a wonderful thing it is to take kids fishing. Well I guess all this is still good as long as they don't show up on on my body of water.

TAKE SOMEONE FISHING TODAY))

 

[eroller]

[/B]
But who can complain, its OUR fault.......

Tell us specifically with coords. where that catfishing honey hole is again.

 

[c-note]

Im going to make my new boat out of florocarbon that way the fish nor the people can see where I go...


All it is is information and the speeding up of information where information used to spread through word of mouth or the telephone or not at all. You could now have a podcast from your boat while catching fish to 50,000 people on the internet instantly.

That is going to hurt the local fishery because everyone has access to it. Luckily for me I do most of my fishing offshore where it takes more than a few minutes to hook up the boat that we used for stiper fishing last year and launch into the masses at CH.

I guess the information and people cannot be stopped because they have the rights but the fisheries from Menhaden to Marlin must be watched very closely and commercials and recs all need to be aware of what we are doing if that means strict enforcement on every level I'm all for it when it's needed. Hopefully the researchers know when that is.