Your Buddy's Secret Spot

[Darrells]

A Buddy invites you to go fishing in his secret spot to fish. Do you go back without his permission or knowledge of it.

(a) public water or not it is his spot
(b)public water so I'll go back if I want to
(c) only when he is out of town

Please comment on your answer. There is no right or wrong answer.

[Darrells]

I feel that if I am asked to accompany someone to an area that they have caught fish then I am their guest. To me it is a common courtesy not to return without an invitation regardless of the situation.

[jem]

I'd say you owe them the courtesy of asking if you can return... if you want to keep them as a friend.

[craiggamesh]

I agree with Matt. I made the mistake of taking some guys I met my freshman year in college to some secret duck hunting spots. The university I went to my first year was in my home town, so I was the "local knowledge". I transferred to a larger university my sophomore year and when I came back to hunt the next year, every one of my spots had been shot up by the new crop of students that were shown my spots by the guys I had shown the previous year.

[Bemm 52]

The Guy across the road from me is a keen fisho............although it be boat

I've been out to his secret spots with him they are productive............................a challenge in metro Sydney.......................he didn't swear me to secretcy or anything but his intentions were implied.

He fishes for Jewfish aussies will know and gets his share of 50/60lbs'ers every season he also crabs as well.

Heres the twist ........he won't fish weekends or holiday times..............................If he sees another boat anywhere near his spots he is quiet happy to go back to the ramp and come back another day so they can't see where he is fishing/crabing or sus his techniques.................................thus he has preserved his private fishery in well fished waters....................he was brought up close to these spots although he now lives accross the road..................I suspect they are family treasures.

I fish his spots alone and if anyones around I bight the bullet and and move on ,

Ive been with him and he has been fighting a fish ...heard a boat .....then back his drag off so they dont see the rod bucking'

Honey holes are hard to come by unless you live in the sticks.........................Respect the knowledge that has been passed to you.


Thats my ramble .......Cheers Happy New Year to all as well.

[Oldsparkey]

Fishing or Hunting , either one.
It's his spot and he was willing to take you there and share it with you so you could have fun. The key thought is that it's his spot. Personally I would not go back without asking him even if it is public water or land. As far as fishing there is to much other water to fish and some of it could be a lot better.

If he said , no problem and you return there and limit out then the nice thing to do is to clean a couple of the fish and give them to him , he knows where you caught them. Works the same way with land owners and private ponds , you use there land and pond , get your limit ... Take a couple , clean them and give them to the land owner so he can enjoy them for supper.

Chuck.

[rhutchinson]

Buddies that you can share your spots with and know beyond a doubt that they will treat it the way you expect are not a dime a dozen. The friendship is worth more than the fish. Treat his spots the way he expects you to.

RHutchinson

[Tor]

I like Bemm's approach, if the knowledge is shared you should use it but respect it.

Fish it, protect it, never pass it on.

[hairymick]

Yep, I agree completely with Bemm,

Respect his wishes, fish the place his way and don't compromise the trust your friend has placed in you.

[OnkaBob]

I would fish the spot without any guilt but the rule is to never pass it on and don't hammer it. (Not that I'm capable of overfishing a spot anyway )

Seems like we all have scruples about this issue but the replies so far indicate a difference in degree between USA and Oz members. For me this is a cultural thing as my opinions have been shaped by people I've fished with and what their expectations have been when sharing information. What about you?