The Outdoor Line Forum

The following letter showed up in my email inbox and I think it's fair to post it here as it's a interesting point of discussion.
I have withheld the name and hometown of the sender and before I give my opinion I would like to get some feedback from the members of this forum.
Suffice it to say that this gentleman takes issue with the way we've promoted and described a local fishery.... Read on....

"Good Evening,


First off, I want to say I am an avid listener to the Outdoor Line and have followed many of yours and Robbo's blogs for quite awhile. I have listened in on many a show and when I can't access the show live, I grab a podcast.


From one sportsman to another, I know that we both care very much for our precious resources that we have left here in the Pacific Northwest, mainly our salmon fisheries. On that note, I have grown pretty concerned, and actually rather confused as time has gone on, after listening to many a show.


In listening in, I have heard numerous talks that are giving out explicit information to areas that, simply put, do not need pressure....period! As we know already, The Westside of San Juans, is probably the most threatened piece of water right now in Washington, but yet, there have been several guests on the show lately talking about when, where and how to fish it. Why? Why would you guys call in special guests to draw MORE attention to these areas that are already being threatened by NOAA, to close down? As a sportsman, from --------------, these are my home waters. I appreciate not having the mobs or mayhem that MA8 thru MA11 see annually. However, all of these guests you continue to bring on, do nothing but throw more people up into these areas.


Why?


We are already under fire by environmentalists, so the last thing we need is more pressure from sportsmen and exposure online, giving environmentalists another reason to say the sportsman is causing harm to these specifically sensitive areas.


I know that you are fully aware of the threats we face, so why not help in preserving these areas? Obviously, the Juans are no secret. People can grab a map, or a chart and figure them out...and that is fine. However, doing the homework for internet jockeys and advertising areas on a broadcast that do not need the pressure, in my opinion as well as many others, is completely unnecessary.


I know many that have offered information to you guys only to have it exploited on the air.


I am not sure what you stand to gain by broadcasting these things on the air, but I know that you are highly educated and know exactly what it is I am talking about.


Please, take all this into consideration the next time you choose to do a story on a particular region. We are all in this together, so let's all work together in preserving some of our last great pieces of water here in Washington.


Thank you for your time,
----- --------"

Sounds like he really doesn't like us

He didnt mention that he liked tobecks blogs.

I dont see a problem with that. So you talk about whats workin and hot spots to fish. Alot of websites do. Its not like your on air talkin about how to find wild steelhead.

I think the listener in question raises a very interesting and difficult issue that needs discussion.

It has been clear that in this day of instant information and the expection of immediate success that we in the fishing community are working hard to drive each and every fishery to both commonally and mediocrity.

The sharing the location of the current "hot bite" and the latest and best "how to info" with the region's angling community often results in an overwhelming of the fishery. Many of today's anglers are dyunamically different than in the past. Average skill of the angler on the water today is much higher than in the past. Not only do we have better information we are better equiped, we are more mobile (both on the water and getting to fishing locations) and finally more of us have more time to pursue our favorite hobby. The result is that this arm of more skilled anglers who are better informed and equip are constantly chasing the best fishing by quickly targeting the current "hot spot".

Can anyone really be surprised that there is black lash from some?

The irony is that as the angler community chases the best fishing further and further afield not only does fishing in general and the fish in particular suffer many anglers question what happen to the fishing that once was.

For better or worst programs like Outdoor line and the personalities of such shows are impaled the point of the spear in such issues. The question in my mind is what role do those folks want to take on?

The question that we each have to wrestle with are do we go down the path of "whoring out" various fisheries, try topreserve the quality of our sport by influencing management and understanding limitations and needs of the resource the supports of those fisheries, or crawl under a rock and hope that the tidal wave of knoweldge anaglers does reach our particular pet fishery. This is a difficult issue without a black or white answer we most of us opting for some sort of "gray" ansewr or approach.

One thing I do believe strongly is that the sport's leaders need to consider these issues and make conscious choices on which path they feel best supports the long term health of the sport.

I for one thank the lsitener for raising the issue and appreciate that it forced me to stop and think about my own role.

Tight lines
Curt

Smalma,

Your comments always seem to blame the recreational angler for all that ails the fish. I disagree with your or the letter writers views on this. My mission is to promote recreational angling and grow our sport. If we do not continue to grow our sport and the outdoor lifestyle then we will continue to be marginalized and eventually there won't be a recreational angling community in this state. I want people to go out and have success. I want them to have fond memories of fishing with dad or grandpa or even going out on a charter and just experiencing part of our world that most don't get to every day. I recently fished in Kona and trolled for 9 hours with not as much as a marlin in the spread. Do you think my daughters are going to want to go fishing and enjoy that part of the outdoors with their dad anymore?

Promoting the "hot bite" or successful techniques is not going to wipe out any fishing. WDFW is charged with management and proven techniques of seasons, size, and limits are working. Those techniques are in place for that specific reason ( WDFW just closed areas out of Westport for lingcod to protect yelloweye as an example). We have seen an upswing in returns here in the NW with selective fishing, and closures when needed. If nobody but locals ever fished the west side of the San Juans that area would be closed to all recreational angling. It's because so many people love to fish there, they turned out and protested and wrote letters that the area was kept open when NOAA proposed closures last year.

Recreational anglers do more for conservation, habitat, and trying to find solutions than any user group. We have also shown the willingness to sacrifice when called upon as well. The rockfish in Puget Sound is a prime example. Habitat destruction from development and bottom trawling (which still takes place in PS), and pressure from years gone by from both commercials and recreational anglers with no limits were the problem. Today's anglers were not the problem but guess what, we are sacrificing our time on the water targeting these fish for recovery. In my opinion, recovery had already started but wasn't given enough time with previous regulations but that's another discussion.

Today's fisherman are not the same as yesterday's fisherman. Gone are the days of no limits, waste, and the assumption that the fish will always be there for the taking. Today's anglers realize that we need to protect what we have. The more we grow the sport and get people who care involved, the better it will be for the fish. That in turn, is why we need to go where the fishing is good.

Salmonhawk -
I have spend decades promoting and advocating for recreational fishing (including more than 3 decades of promoting , implementing and advocating for selective fishing) in this State. As part of the effort I have always attempted to provide accurate assessments of the factors that are "ailing the fish". Typically that assessment involved pointing the "finger of blame" at factors other that fishing (you may find it hard to believe that there are many in this State that are quite happy to place the blame at the anglers feet). However there are cases where recreational fishing has had effects on the resource and I have long held that providing anglers and the fisheries managers accurate assessement of those impacts serves the long term health of the resource and ultimate the fishing that it supports. Having informed users is always in the best interest of the resource and its users.

While there is always differences of opinion and many ways to act various problems I am sadden that you seem to have difficultity with the approach I have taken but I have been at this far too long to "change my spots".

Regardless all of the above has very little to do with the topic at hand. The question that needs discussion is whether "over-hyping" of various fisheries is in the best interest of those fisheries. I suspect that most of have seen fisheries where either the quality of the fishing experiecne or the fishing itself (as measure in CPUE) declined due to increases in angler pressure. This is not placing the blame on decling fishing on the anglers but rather an acknowledgement that our collective efforts can have an impact and the shifting of that effort plays a role in that impact..

Further I guess I was suggesting that you and your co-host think a bit about your role in the fishing world and whether when and where the hyping of various fisheries is appropriate. Clearly providng some information is part of the shows role but as hinted at by Brandon where do you draw the line -he seems to suggests that its ok as long as isn't about wild steelhead. Ultimately many anglers like having that sort of detailed information unless as Nelly suggests it is in their backyard.

The question remains where will you draw the line.

If you continue to feel that provide that kind of information is indeed in the best interest of our collective fishing then I do have a suggestion for a weekly segment on the "show". And that would be the providing of detailed information on the exact location and methods of the hosts' recent in state fishing (your backyard so to speak). That information should include exact CPS cooprdinates, conditions and methods so that we all can enjoy our own success. I'm sure that providing the exact location of your favorite ling cod or crab spot will have no impact on your future success but would be appreciated by others; heck you could even post on public Florida sites the GPS numbers on all your best spots (reefs, etc) to insure that when you do visit you will be sure to have company sharing the fishing experience.

Tight lines
Curt

I am shocked the secret is out There might be fish on the west side of secret Island.

The more fisher people using that area. The better to stand up to NOOAH and the yuppie queers in them goofy boats that harrass the Orcas and worry about fishermen. The person that named off the top secret spots does a lot for sport fishing. North of Falcon. I was on the west side of Secret Island Thurs. and only saw one other boat fishin it. Eagle Point must not be top secret cause there was about a 100 boats there.

I live on Whidbey Island I sure hope Nelly doesn't bring that person on again. He might give up my secret spot Bush Point, and tell people it is a good place to fish for Slimers.

Thanks for the intelligent post Salmonhawk I agree.

Just because you know where someone fishes doesn't mean you are going to catch em.

I guess I could really care less about in the salt. Theres tons of places to fish. Alot of times when I post reports all just put area 9 and not give a specific place. Many times ive jammed out to Poss Bar on a early morning weekend to find it loaded with boats and headed to No Point just to stay away from the crowd. I drag my driftboat up to forks a ton in the fall/winter. I still put reports up but instead of naming a specific river I fish I just write that I fished the Olympic Peninsula. Tons of rivers out there to choose from. But they get crowded quick and I hate hole hoppin!

I agree 100% with the author of the letter. Not only does the letter have class it is written in a way that shouldn't offend. Why you guys doing the show can't just leave some places alone is beyond me. I hate crowds. I have spent over 100k in 10 years to learn the salmon fisheries in washington between boats, gear, rods, gas, books, charts, and never did I rely on anyone to help me. Telling someone to use this hotspot flasher, this leader length, and this spoon and fish at this depth at this speed makes me sick. For starters some of the areas you describe on your show are tough fisheries and require some boat driving skills to fish without screwing everyone else up so now we have a group of newbies who shouldn't be there in the first place and wouldn't be if you didn't tell them it was easy.

honeybadger wrote:I agree 100% with the author of the letter. Not only does the letter have class it is written in a way that shouldn't offend. Why you guys doing the show can't just leave some places alone is beyond me. I hate crowds. I have spent over 100k in 10 years to learn the salmon fisheries in washington between boats, gear, rods, gas, books, charts, and never did I rely on anyone to help me. Telling someone to use this hotspot flasher, this leader length, and this spoon and fish at this depth at this speed makes me sick. For starters some of the areas you describe on your show are tough fisheries and require some boat driving skills to fish without screwing everyone else up so now we have a group of newbies who shouldn't be there in the first place and wouldn't be if you didn't tell them it was easy.

If you have only been at it 10 years you are a newbie.