Apparently, you tell one buddy and...

Tmdfam · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:55 pm

who cares? I dont. Its all public waters. If you wnat to know where i fish and what i cuaght i will tell you. i post reports all the time when and wehre fish were caught. Its called fishing for a reason and not catching. If you cant catch fish oh well not my fault, but rest assured i will give every angler the best information i can as i have learned many lessons and important information on this site and many others.

just my 2 cents

jaeforceone · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:11 pm

tadpole wrote:

I've been staked out in a "favorite" spot and seen people come around the corner and immediately be disappointed that I'm there. I wave them in - please fish next to me, and maybe I'll learn something. I've also had a spot in mind and found it occupied - I try to move off a respectful distance, or go on around the next bend.

What a truly humble response :cheers:

jaeforceone · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:24 pm

another thread like this was mentioned in a capmel forum recently because their administrators laid down the law about sharing specific locations. Here is a post I found on the capmel forum where this may be applicable.

Quote:

From terryinflorida: http://forums.capmel.com/post/show_sing ... stcount=20

I had a sweet honey hole, that I could fish anytime and be sure to get really great action. It was the last spot I would go to while I was making my rounds looking for the bite, to preserve the action there and guarantee future bite. It was a spot that I would normally only fish when by myself, but what fun is that I would think to yourself. I basically could call this spot my own for a good 5 years and it was slightly hidden from the normal passerby, had everything you would want. Tons of great grass, loaded with oyster bars and sandbars here and there throughout, and the occasional mullet and bait fish that were unafraid, that would swim under the boat and all around that would help draw in the big fish to the area. It was a true fish haven and I knew it.

The one and only time I took a buddy there and I swear this is the honest truth, there was a family on a rented pontoon passing by at quite a distance and yelled to us asking if we were catching anything? My buddy picked up a redfish and a trout out of the cooler and held them up for them to see, before I could stop him.

The next time I passed by this spot, I saw the family right in the middle of it. The next time I passed by it was teamed with boats. Then I slowly saw the boats get less and less over time, when I finally felt it may be less violated as it was being as of late, I went back to try to see how badly the bite had been affected and of course it was shot out. The grass had been all torn up, even the oyster bars were tracked through by people propellers. There were no mullet, no bait fish, they must have drew further inland from the area or out but they weren't there any more. There was trash, beer bottles and soda cans...

It wasn't just the fish that were abused, they might have returned. It was the area that was just decimated and ruined and it killed me to see it afterward. It kills me every time I have to pass by it and I still check in time from time to see what state it is in and it hasn't changed, that type of abuse takes a very long time to recover if it ever does.

I lost my spot that quick, more over the area was virtually destroyed. You can rest assured that I laid into that guy, as you can see I don't call him buddy anymore! Seriously though, he still is but he will never live that crap down, that is for sure and he has seen the spot and what had happened to it. He will never let that go himself and learned a valuable lesson from that one simple act, he definitely has owned the responsibility of it.

Now remember, this wasn't a public forum on the world wide net, this was my buddy holding up two fish to a family that was passing by. When you take into consideration that each person who has a real issue with someone giving away a great area to fish to everyone on the world wide web, just might have and very well could have had an experience like I did and are trying to make sure this type of situation doesn't happen again. I didn't even understand the possible outcome, until I got to see it firsthand.

It was the fact that too many people were basically competing over an area, in the stampede they abused it and the ecosystem was devastated by it. Had it been one fisherman, two, even ten, the area might have had a chance but it was used whatever day it was during the week, by many each time, at a time. I could only imagine had it been a leak on the net that was able to be viewed by millions...

Don't think for a minute it wouldn't happen to that spot someone would want to share here publicly, like I said to begin with it isn't really a matter of if that information will get abused but when. If it is good information, it will get used by everyone that thinks it is useful, who has the means.

Just my experience and opinion...

Stalker1211 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:54 pm

Hmmm...sad story. I can understand how spots can be destroyed by careless anglers hearing about a "secret spot". I'm not sure if I ever stated the specifics as to why I created this post, but I'll state it. Members of another forum are frustrated with a few individuals for posting their success on said forum. The anglers with this success posted their report, stating that they have landed several nice sized Bull Reds at Haulover Canal. In short, Haulover Canal is no secret spot. As you probably already know jaeforceone, it is the only passageway between Mosquito Lagoon and IRL. The water varies from 15-20ft in the main channel and boats pass and fish this canal frequently. Again, this is no secret spot. It is the only main canal in Titusville and many are aware of it's presence and ability to hold giant fish. Fish have no choice but to traverse through this canal when passing between ML and IRL. It is the deepest, narrowest area in Titusville. There are usually many boats, both during the week and weekend, fishing and hanging out in this canal. It has been this way for many years now and people continue to fish this canal, but not all with success.

What has frustrated me over the past few days is that other members believe we should not post the area we have had success at on a public forum, i.e. Haulover Canal, for fear that it may leak out onto public search engines. My report, for example, is now featured under the first 10 results when searching "Haulover Canal Fishing Report". This has been made possible by posting my success on JaxKayak and said forum. Many anglers, when they post a report, list their reports as being from IRL or ML, or even the launch ramps in the area like Beacon 42 and WSEG down here in Titusville; just like you guys listing your success at Browns Creek, Sisters, Simpsons, Hanna Mills, so on so forth. I'm sure there are not many of you out there that title your report "St. Johns River". All of these areas are general, but anyone can play Devils Advocate to the success of other anglers. I just so happened to have success at Haulover. In my report, I stated no details as to technique's used, specific areas fish were caught (places were referred to as "this next area..."), or even time of day and conditions. I simply expressed my success at Haulover Canal, only including details as to the actual fight itself. Now other anglers are concerned that this report, now being public, will attract yahoos around the state and crowd this Canal with the hopes of landing a few fish.

Is there any promise that these "yahoos", or other anglers, know how to target the fish in this Canal with success? No. Will a surplus of boats for the next few weeks affect the fishability of the Canal, considering it is just as inconsistent as any other deep cut or shallow flat? No. Does my report now mean that anglers should no longer post which general area they had their success that day, with the fear that others are watching and may lead to the demise of a fishing area? No. This is not a shallow flat. This isn't even a quiet feeder creek with a deep hole. This is Haulover Canal: a place that is just as popular as Sebastian Inlet, Ponce Inlet, Boca Grande Pass or any other recognized structured landmass.

Would anyone in their right mind consider this canal a "secret spot", knowing full well that everyone must traverse through this canal to access our huge lagoons? And even if any angler considered it to be a "secret spot", is that "spot" not already someone else's? Even someone that I probably have never met?

Here is what I know. Fishing is fishing, not catching. Sebastian Inlet is a deep area, but still produces fish year after year. People fish Haulover, Sebastian and other places regularly and continue to have success. My report will not lead to the demise of an area, and neither will yours if you so happen to land a few Bull Reds, Doormat Flounder or Gator Trout up in Jacksonville. Go Fish, Be Kind to Others, Have Fun. And, most importantly, remind others that the fish are out there; all they have to do is go catch them :cool:

morocco_madness · **Joined:** Sat Sep 25, 2010 7:06 pm **Posts:** 399

Well said stalker.

jaeforceone · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:04 am

The reason I added that story was only because it shared the other perspective. It didn't mean I was disagreeing with any of your points.

islandspeed2001 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:38 am

The only thing I will say is that to me Haulover Canal is not a "general" area. If you have fished it, you should know it is a fairly small defined area with limited places to fish. It's not like saying you caught the fish in the NMZ. When I saw your fishing report, I could imagine the scrabble that would occur the next weekend or two with folks fishing that exact area.

Do any of you remember the scene from the movie "Jaws" when everyone and their brother were out trying the catch the shark. It was a circus and zoo out there.

For the sake of the fish alone, I don't think I would have be that specific

KayakMike · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:08 am

Jerry there is a big difference btwn Haulover Canal down in the Lagoon and our Haulover Creek

islandspeed2001 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:20 am

KayakMike wrote:

Jerry there is a big difference btwn Haulover Canal down in the Lagoon and our Haulover Creek

Okey Dokey.... you got me. Have edited my previous post to Haulover Canal

Stalker1211 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:49 am

Jaeforce: It's all good, man, hope I didn't come off as offended by you. I'm usually horrible at playing Devils Advocate. It's just been a rough couple days with friends on the forum down this way. It's starting to clear up though :cool:

Thanks everyone for your advice and POV, it helps more than you know