Internet Resources

I was out fishing this weekend and started to wonder what impact the internet is having on fishing and more specifically, angler use of certain fisheries. I think message boards (this one and others) have been valuable in growing angler numbers and getting guys started but is there a point where too much information is available to anyone with a computer?

As an example, i visited a small lake that has not been busy in the past. The guys that i've fished it with are local and in the past consider 3-4 groups on the smallish lake (under 10 hectares) busy. Anyway, this season i've noticed the lake mentioned on this site and a few others. Caught my eye as it's the first time i've seen it mentioned much as it's slightly out of the way. Anyway, there has been 20-30 fisherman a day on this pond the past few weekends and well, there isn't much left compared to normal (low stocking density, always managed as a low pressure fishery due to access limitations).

Kind of an example of conditions the fishery manager in that area has been dealing with. No chance to adjust regulations as the pressure goes from low to high overnight. Kind of a phenomena not typical of the past where bait shop rumors may attract a few guys but still, information is kind of limited. I was fishing the lake early but left as soon as i felt it was getting a bit crowded (about 5 groups, 30 or so anglers at that point). The few guys i talked to had heard of the lake online and decided to give it a try which is when i really started pondering just how many guys go online before heading out now. There were a few older gentleman that were pretty upset in the morning when a large group set up about 15 yards from them, they were leaving as i was packing up and said they had never seen so few fish in the lake. They've likely been spoiled having it to themselves for a long time so i do appreciate there frustrations.

Now i understand these lakes are public and everyone should have an equal right to fish them, but when is publicizing our fisheries pushing it too far? It's not like fishing regulations can be adjusted instantly so these little ponds (or lakes even) can get decimated pretty fast and it may take 2-3 seasons before the area managers can change regulations so the fishery remains viable. Lots of issues leading to changes in Alberta, massive population growth, internet use skyrocketing, fish and wildlife resources strained, most of which are relatively new.

Just some thoughts, maybe some other guys have encountered/ pondered this a bit. I see it as being a future management issue specifically in small/ unproductive lakes where low fishing pressure has been part of the management scheme since management began. Not sure why i wanted to post this little thought bubble but i am wondering if other guys are seeing this as a concern. And the second lake i went to that day in the same area was great, there were a few holes from the day before but no one else in sight that day. Was nice to get out but the lack of fisherman a half hour away really got me thinking about how fast word spreads.

So not trying to start a argument here, just wondering to what extent other anglers are relying on the web for fishing information or to what extent others are noticing a lot of new fisherman in places that have been under utilized in the past.

[WayneChristie]

I know I use the internet for info, especially as I am new to my area. Doesnt mean I can catch any more fish, but at least I have an idea of what others are using and where to go. Does it lead to more fishing pressure? I believe it does. But Im sure there are a lot of great fishing spots that dont get passed around online either. We all need our secret places

[Shmag]

Good post/thread jrs...I can't beleive this thread never went sideways yet. I think it has a huge negative effect on lakes especially the smaller lake's. For the most part i just cringe when i see a small lake i know posted because i have seen it first hand of the pressure it can bring on. Maybe i am the one that has been spoiled and had it to myself and it's my frustration, but i don't think so. I spend alot of time and money checking lakes out, and when someone can just come on here read of success it doesn't take much for them to be on top of fish and then you times that by 100's or 1000's.

There used to be a guy on here that i don't see on here too much anymore that went by the name of happy perch fisherman, that beleived strongly in what your post is refering to. He would voice his opinion and get slammed over and over and if a linching mob could find him i am sure they would let him have it. I think it's a matter of time and that mob will soon understand what he was trying to get at.

I should also include that i will NEVER post a name of a lake, selfish so be it

[Outcasts]

Well all i can say is that it has definitely become more translucent lately, i see more and more posts with less secrecy on where spots or hot lakes are. Even the google maps post that got everyone excited will prob come back to bite some in the ass. I dont think its bad that we are confiding in eachother on this forum that is the idea behind it, to share information and stories to better the fishing industry in alberta and hopefully make anyone who is less than a proffesional feel confident in making this wonderful sport their pastime instead of something less productive or harmful, but I really liked it the first time i was on this site to see the pictures of a successfull day and have them keep the spot to themselves, it brought on almost an allure or i guess you could say magic to the sport for me because i knew out there...somewhere an amazing spot was waiting to be discovered or that if i met the right people and bought them enough beers I might get inside that inner circle and be lucky enough to be shown this area. I dont rely much on this site for my spots as like i said most good spots are EARNED AND LEARNED not read on a site, and i do agree that it doesnt make people catch fish any more skillfully but it does give them the right to fish directly over your precious hole you worked so hard to find, and its tough to believe you could get mad if you posted the location. In any case i would personally love to see more posts of fish caught/numbers and even the lake or the area disclosed but leave the google map drop pins out of it and let them discover the body of water themselves otherwise so much direction can lead you away from the true beauty of fishing, the scenery, the pride in finding your own honey hole and last but not least the desperation on knowing its you versus the wild, not you and the forum army of information versus the wild. Just my two cents.

[hosmerunited]

i can say i have used this site to find new places to fish. however majority is to find/read on how to improve my fishing. (more for on the big lakes you know that are out ther like the resevoirs to the south east of calgary). somtimes to find different accesses to the bow river. i do this as i have moved to this province less than 10 years ago and didnot grow up here with the local knowledge that would have been passed down from friends and family. it is easy for me to find the big lakes with lots of people there no stop. however it is nice to find a smaller lake that maybe not as busy as it is a little out of the way. wheather i get this info from here,books, fishing store, or other places. to me it is about getting out (hopefully from the crowds of the city) and finding some peace and try and out fish my fishing buddy's.
i have noticed an increase in some posts where people trade lake info through pm's to help limit the numbers to said lakes. with so few lakes near big populations like calgary the closer ones get really high pressure until another lake that is just as close by gets noticed for good fishing. seen this with eagle lake by strathmore myself since being here.
there is the fact of not just how easy it is to get info from the net to help put pressure on a lake but cause there seems to be alot of poachers out there too. with so few officers out there to patrol the province it makes it easy for people to get away with it for years out of the last 8 years i have gone to crwaling valley on labout day weekend all but 1 year. in that time i have seen the officers 1 time and that was this past year.
maybe the reason no one is jumping on jrs for this is the fact he posted as a sperate post and not trying to go after others who have posted that they had fun at x lake and kept there limit of x fish there as well as there friends they where with. that has happened on this forum lots thus one of the reasons i donot post much.
i have learned alot from this site and will still use it in the future on how to improve my fishing skills.
mike

[Duster]

X2 JRS
lakes get pressured way more if good info is given

[pecker]

Originally Posted by Shmag

Good post/thread jrs...I can't beleive this thread never went sideways yet. I think it has a huge negative effect on lakes especially the smaller lake's. For the most part i just cringe when i see a small lake i know posted because i have seen it first hand of the pressure it can bring on. Maybe i am the one that has been spoiled and had it to myself and it's my frustration, but i don't think so. I spend alot of time and money checking lakes out, and when someone can just come on here read of success it doesn't take much for them to be on top of fish and then you times that by 100's or 1000's.

There used to be a guy on here that i don't see on here too much anymore that went by the name of happy perch fisherman, that beleived strongly in what your post is refering to. He would voice his opinion and get slammed over and over and if a linching mob could find him i am sure they would let him have it. I think it's a matter of time and that mob will soon understand what he was trying to get at.

I should also include that i will NEVER post a name of a lake, selfish so be it

what! with 11,ooo plus members - you won't release your honey hole.

[Okotokian]

I think the effect may be less than you imagine. First off, if a bunch of fishermen are at a new lake because they read about it on the internet, it means that they aren't at a different lake that day... so fishing pressure isn't added to the overall system, it's just moved. Secondly your post would suggest that each small lake has been carefully evaluated and limits set based on carrying capacity and fisherman numbers in the past, and that the new numbers are throwing things off. I doubt SRD has the sort of manpower to have done those detailed calculations in the past for every pothole around.

[Drano]

Originally Posted by pecker

what! with 11,ooo plus members - you won't release your honey hole.

11,001 you forgot one...

[Freedom55]

I believe that there is more to it than just the postings found here, and other forums, that encourage a new generation of fishermen to continue in this grand old sport. I have been noticing that the participants in this forum are getting younger (well and good) and are bringing very little to the table except questions, some great photos of some catches made, and the exuberance of youth. Like any chatroom site, it has become more about the participant than about the activity. I do not say this to be arrogant, I have brought home fish I probably didn't need but I was sure would impress my friends or my wife.
I look at a lot of fishing and outdoors sites and programs, and there is no coincidence that all the outdoors shows are sponsored by outdoor gear suppliers. Shimano. Rocky. Lund. Yamaha. Mercury Marine and Min Kota. Excalibre, Winchester, etcetera. Bait and tackle shops replaced by big box stores, like the behemouth at Balzac, staffed not by locals with knowledge and experience, but by working people trying to made a living stocking shelves.
If an angler bought just one of every item offered at a fishing store like BPS, he'd need a million dollars! Advertising for $50,000 boats that get you to the honeyhole before anyone else, allowing us first dibs at the trophy prize-winner. Extreme net-man?? Fly-in destinations that all but guarantee us giant fish in impossible numbers (that only the very wealthy can afford, which probably leaves out just about every one on this forum). They'll show us what to buy, but not how to tie a knot or how to fish deep without a $900.00 down-rigger. The tackle companies are getting RICH off us, their shills are getting rich off us, and we are reduced to a bunch of argumentative glory seekers and trophy hunters, bragging about our successes, demanding a "right" to be informed, and insulting anyone who has a different theory.
Albertans have long known that the fishery here is not like Ontario, or NWT or northern Saskatchewan nor anywhere else, yet we are trying to fish out every destination like there is no tomorrow. And when the fish(and fishing) disappear, we cast about looking for someone(usually the government dept.) to blame.
Take a minute to revel in the beauty of the areas where fishing is permitted. Forget about numbers and size. Have a shore lunch. Take a nap. Fish from beach and dream about the day you can afford a nice boat. Leave the booze and the boom box at home.Forget about instant gratification and try patience. My Dad's slogan was "Shut up and fish". Good advice.
And please. No rebuttals that start off with "You sound bitter". I love to fish. And explore. And bring my gear with me just in case. Been doing it for years. Since Red Fisher was the host of Scuttlebutt Lodge. I know how far it is to the spot where there is a brook trout waiting for a shiny new panther martin brown spinner. I found that spot myself. It is there. You've just got to spent a little quality time with yourself to find it.
BTW. You can see it from the bridge. But you have to sneek up to it!

[slingshotz]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

and the boom box at home.

This sums up a lot of the issues I have with people who go out basically to party and ignore the peacefulness of being outdoors. Yes we did have a big party at the last AO gathering but we didn't organize it in a public campground forcing others to live with our noisiness. Everyone has a right to be out but it seems that some people weren't taught respect to others....

Good post Freedom.

[huntsfurfish]

Good posts all

and to all a good night

[Paul C]

The best information is usually the underground highway for fishing hot spots.
Cheers

[CeeZee]

yes these are very great points! i do believe that its not all passed on by the web. I am new to the province too and when i hear of a good sounding lake, i search and google it only to find nothing, there are so many lakes people name but you never see step by step directions on where they are, it is hard to fish these lakes only when you hear about them.
I looked at backroads maps, depth charts, and barry's bible, go to a lake drill holes and hope for fish, it sometimes seems easier to just go rather than research and debate and choose. My opinion I dont think there is too much info listed, but skepticism always wins, must be human nature or something.

[superspud]

WOW!
i sure am glad that you posted this.
i tried to post a similar topic in the summer in i pretty much got craped on, but then again i did not say it as nice as you did.

I compeletly agree that online resources have a negative impact.
i do feel that that every one should have equal acess to any pond or lake, but the releasing of information to many other hundreds of people who would not not have gone just cause they are to lazy to look at a map can have a damaging effect.

the debate about the numbers of people fishing being the same anyway is a tough one, but this is my take.

with mass information going out about a lake many more people will go there, this is a problem when lakes can not support a large amount of fisherman and are the fish are depleted, where as in the same amount of people fished three lakes then the spread out pressure would not have such a negative impact.

im just jaded since i grew up here have have watched the decline of some fishing areas do to the growing amount of people in alberta, some of which who do not respect a resource.

[pondstomper]

Wow, these ideas and thoughts on the subject of fishing pressure due to internet information is awesome. Very well put and well thought. Gives you something to hum about the fishing hole or around the dinner table. Commendable people, excellent discussion. For myself, I am a conservationist by heart. Catch and release for the vast majority of my fishing. And if I am hungry for some fish I only take half or less than half my limit. Would be a good idea on some of the smaller lakes or ponds. Wish that we had a conservation license like they do in ontario, a cheaper license and your limit is cut in half or none at all. Pay the regular price for a license if you are taking your limit most of the time. But this discussion was a great read. Take care all, happy fishing.