Secrets?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Don Hogue on January 26, 2011 at 10:19am

Paul,

While I can't disagree with you entirely, think how much of the general consensus is based on the following two ideas:

1.  If I learn about other lures, techniques to use - I can improve as a bass fisherman.

2.  Getting information on where to catch bass is often considered "cheating" or at least is frowned upon by many in the bass fishing world.  Look at the various tournaments that have a "no information" rule prior to the tournament. 

 

Paul Harmon said:

I feel that one mans technique dosen't work for others. I have sent freinds to a spot and gave them the baits to use and they blanked, I'll roll up and pull fish out using the same thing, with the same thing happening to me. It's having confidence in what you use. I have a go to bait I use when all things go south, a 4'' jerrys green pumpkin tube, I fish it with total confidence, my freinds will give me their tubes cause they don't catch fish with them. on Banks in the spring you can't beat a speed trap in crystal craw

Permalink Reply by BJ Krestian on January 26, 2011 at 10:36am

I don't post very much because of time.  When I do want to, what I have to say would just be a reiteration of what someone else has said.  I enjoy the site, and enjoy sharing.  I just don't want to repeat what has already been said by others in the same thread.

 

Besides, I now get to fish out of a boat maybe 10 times a year.  I won't be doing any tournaments this year unless it is a Long Lake (Spokane) tournament.  This April, I will be hitting a couple of bank spots on Lower Granite, and hope to get my son out with me every chance we can go.

 

So, for EVERYONE that posts on this site "Thanks!"  Your stories and questions are great and always get me to thinking about fishing.

 

BJ

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on January 26, 2011 at 11:35am

That is very interesting that the Elite's share so much practice info Don.  I guess I never realized that.  The information that they gain in return must be pretty valuable!  I cannot imagine any other benefit sharing information before a tournament would give you. I guess they must feel that they are better off trying to take in all the information they can even if they have to give up infomation to gain it.  Did you get a sense that the Elite pros would only share with select individuals or were they talking to almost everyone?  This whole concept of when to share information confuses me which is why I am glad you brought this topic up.  It's good to see everyone's view points on the subject!

Permalink Reply by Paul Harmon on January 26, 2011 at 11:40am

Don Hogue said:

Paul,

While I can't disagree with you entirely, think how much of the general consensus is based on the following two ideas:

1.  If I learn about other lures, techniques to use - I can improve as a bass fisherman.

2.  Getting information on where to catch bass is often considered "cheating" or at least is frowned upon by many in the bass fishing world.  Look at the various tournaments that have a "no information" rule prior to the tournament. 

 

Paul Harmon said:

I feel that one mans technique dosen't work for others. I have sent freinds to a spot and gave them the baits to use and they blanked, I'll roll up and pull fish out using the same thing, with the same thing happening to me. It's having confidence in what you use. I have a go to bait I use when all things go south, a 4'' jerrys green pumpkin tube, I fish it with total confidence, my freinds will give me their tubes cause they don't catch fish with them. on Banks in the spring you can't beat a speed trap in crystal craw

very true

Permalink Reply by Daniel Easley on January 26, 2011 at 12:00pm

This is coming from a guy who doesn't have a whole lot of fishing secrets, so take it with a grain of salt.

Like the old saying goes "A secret is something you tell one person at a time". I can't think of any fishing secrets I wouldn't share with any one of you guys. There are a few I wouldn't post on line because if I did the small lakes I like to fish would be overrun, but if l ran into you on the lake or on the boat launch or even sportco id probably be more than happy to share any useful knowledge I might have to offer. That doesn't mean I wouldn't post any of my secrets here on wafish, if I had any useful secrets in the first place.

The only secrets that are sacred to me are the ones that arnt my own. If somebody shares one of there own secrets with me, that doesn't necessarily mean that its my secret to share with other people.

Permalink Reply by Pat on January 26, 2011 at 12:36pm

you will ALWAYS get more useful inforamtion with this attitiude

Daniel Easley said:

The only secrets that are sacred to me are the ones that arnt my own. If somebody shares one of there own secrets with me, that doesn't necessarily mean that its my secret to share with other people.

Permalink Reply by Don Hogue on January 26, 2011 at 2:59pm

My sense of it was that there were/are groups of them that share information, but there was also things that they shared with me or even asked of me and I certainly wasn't part of any clique there. 

I think many of them had the attitude that Ron expressed in his post - that there is more to be gained by sharing than not.  Even if it's just a matter of somebody helping you our with a mechanical issue because you helped them out with a fishing pattern earlier.  Camaraderie seemed to be important/valued more so than any thoughts of protecting information. 

For example:

http://www.basszone.com/2011quickflips/swindle1.htm

David Parnicky said:

That is very interesting that the Elite's share so much practice info Don.  I guess I never realized that.  The information that they gain in return must be pretty valuable!  I cannot imagine any other benefit sharing information before a tournament would give you. I guess they must feel that they are better off trying to take in all the information they can even if they have to give up infomation to gain it.  Did you get a sense that the Elite pros would only share with select individuals or were they talking to almost everyone?  This whole concept of when to share information confuses me which is why I am glad you brought this topic up.  It's good to see everyone's view points on the subject!

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on January 26, 2011 at 5:12pm

That makes sense.  After reading the article you attached, it definately seems that Swindle would have spent his practice beating his head against the wall fishing the banks and never would have won without sharing information with Scroggins.  At the same time though, it seems how he applied what he learned from Scroggins was what got him the win. It seems that implementing the lipless crank in the cold water triggered a few bites that the carolina rig would not have gotten. 

 

So therefore, can it be determined that successful tournament angling has nothing to do with trying to figure out something that others don't know about and everything to do with applying what others already know better than they do?  This seems like a safe assumption and I definately agree that to do well in tournaments, an angler needs all the help they can get in figuring out the fish as quickly as possible.  Information sharing would definately help you figure the fish out better and noone would want to share information with someone that had a reputation for being tight lipped. 

 

Also, You bring up a good point about others helping with mechanical issues too.  I always just assumed people would automatically be willing to lend a hand in that department, but mechanical failures are common place with boats and getting help with them would be ease many headaches for many.  Fishing information is a very small price to pay if someone helps you get your boat back in top shape.

Don Hogue said:

My sense of it was that there were/are groups of them that share information, but there was also things that they shared with me or even asked of me and I certainly wasn't part of any clique there. 

I think many of them had the attitude that Ron expressed in his post - that there is more to be gained by sharing than not.  Even if it's just a matter of somebody helping you our with a mechanical issue because you helped them out with a fishing pattern earlier.  Camaraderie seemed to be important/valued more so than any thoughts of protecting information. 

For example:

http://www.basszone.com/2011quickflips/swindle1.htm

David Parnicky said:

That is very interesting that the Elite's share so much practice info Don.  I guess I never realized that.  The information that they gain in return must be pretty valuable!  I cannot imagine any other benefit sharing information before a tournament would give you. I guess they must feel that they are better off trying to take in all the information they can even if they have to give up infomation to gain it.  Did you get a sense that the Elite pros would only share with select individuals or were they talking to almost everyone?  This whole concept of when to share information confuses me which is why I am glad you brought this topic up.  It's good to see everyone's view points on the subject!

Permalink Reply by Ben Holten on January 26, 2011 at 5:46pm

I think a lot of us sort of work together with a tight nit group and give a few hints on spots we know and guys help us out when we travell off our water.

Permalink Reply by Ron Baugher on January 27, 2011 at 7:29am

I will share what little I have figured out on my own.  A lot of my knowledge was gained by fishing the qualifiers and watching the boaters i draw, so to me this info is not mine to share.  I have drawn some amazing fisherman, and the most important things I have learned are equipment subtleties and areas within a specific lake that produce.  Thanks and fish on.

Permalink Reply by Don Hogue on January 27, 2011 at 8:29am

It cuts both ways.  Tournament or not, angling will always be about finding stuff that others don't know about or don't understand the potential of - otherwise, we would all be fishing in the same location because that's all we know.   

At the same time, I can't pretend I live in a vacuum and that everything that goes into a successful day of fishing was all "ME".  I started the whole thread for a couple of reasons.  One, was the discussion on "backreeling"  I just assumed everyone knew about this, just that some chose not to do it.  They other was the "shallow crankbait" thread.  I've long been in love with the Speed Trap.  Until a few days ago, it was something I would rather not talk about.  But really, who am I kidding?  It's no secret, much less MY secret.   

I did three seminars for the Tri City Sportsman show last weekend.  Two of the seminars I spent describing how to locate bass on the Columbia and how to "Hunt for Trophy Smallmouth".  Not basic stuff either, very detailed with maps, pictures...heavy on theory.  I walked away from both wondering if people realized how much information I just gave away on those topics.  Within the time I had, I let everything fly - all I knew on both topics.  Most of it stuff I've never heard or read anywhere else.  So after it was over, I wondered if those who attended thought they were getting a bunch of bull...like Marc said, many will just assume you aren't telling the truth.  After all, who would give up that kind of info?  But maybe I'm just full of myself.  Maybe all serious bass fisherman know what I talked about, which is why I didn't see many familiar faces in the crowd. 

David Parnicky said:

So therefore, can it be determined that successful tournament angling has nothing to do with trying to figure out something that others don't know about and everything to do with applying what others already know better than they do?  This seems like a safe assumption and I definately agree that to do well in tournaments, an angler needs all the help they can get in figuring out the fish as quickly as possible.  Information sharing would definately help you figure the fish out better and noone would want to share information with someone that had a reputation for being tight lipped. 

 

Permalink Reply by Mark Maderos on January 27, 2011 at 11:04am

I am from the school of share info.  It comes from my belief in growing the sport.  If we as tourney anglers want bigger tournies, with more money to fish for, then WE have to grow the sport.  We have to help people get into and involved in bass fishing.  We have to work with our sponsors, manufactures, weekend anglers, youth, etc... to get them more involved in the sport.  Weather they become tourney anglers or not is irrelevent.  They are all important in the sport growning, and the industry growing.  Most techniques, spots, secret lures, or what ever you want to call doesn't really matter to me and I am more than willing to share info.  Like Don, I had a winter smallie seminar yesterday and the Puyallup sportsman show.  I pulled  out the Washington and Sammamish maps and literally pointed out many productive area's to catch winter smallies and then equated that info into how it would help those anlers become better anglers in the spring, summer, and fall.  Why, because it's important to help other anglers.

  Like Marc said, and as I have had conversations with many anglers.  Telling someone about a secret spot, lure, whatever, has never really hurt me very much.  People can only take the info you give them and translate it into sucess when they have had time to integrate it into fishing sucess and then have confidence in it themselves.  How many times has a good tourney angler gone right in behind another good tourney angler and slay them, when the first guy to the spot barely could catch a keeper?  I can't count the times when I have been on both sides of this equation.  It comes down to confidence, and competence.  Many people probadly think your giving a line of sh!t anyways.  These are the anglers that just don't grow much as anglers.  People who think a different way to rig a dropshot, or wont try a new technique are the ones who limit themselves. 

  I believe in try everything at least twice before writing it off as dumb, ineffective, not productive.  I can't count the number of ways I have tried old lures with a new twist of rigging it.  Or, trying new water when I have plenty of productive water that I already know of.  Why, because I want to grow as an angler and I also want to help others grow as anglers.

 

Mark

  Sharing new info to other anglers to me

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