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Lake "X" Etiquette


irishjigs

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Ok, so I have been out a few times on some lakes that I make a point of not naming here or any other public forum (water coolers, bait shops, print, etc.). What is the etiquette for taking a friend who wants to come along?

Do you blindfold him? Outright tell him/her where you are going? Maybe tell your friends where you caught the fish and trust them that they wouldn't broadcast the spot?

Kind of a touchy topic with some circles, but I thought with early ice and all, a deserved one to be discussed.

Thanks,

jigs

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To me fishing is about friendship and sharing some of my honeyholes with my buddies. Most of the people I take fishing don't have the gumption to go out on thier own. The guys that do share their spots with me. I might find a hot bite from time to time and keep it to myself, but within a few days others get dialed in. Nothing wrong with telling someone to keep their mouth shut, but everyone has at least one other person that will keep the info confidential. So it doesn't take long for the word to get around.

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If you trust him, take him and let him be a complete part of it. Don't hide location, jigs type, technique, or anything else. I think if it is a good spot on a quiet lake, you will both enjoy the time you are having, and he would respect your wishes about keeping it quiet.

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With the GPS chip technology the last few years there are getting to be fewer and fewer "secret spots" however there are still alot of people out there that are unfamiliar with alot of lakes. I guess the way I was taught by the friends that I fished with the last five years is this..we'll take you to our good spots but you better keep your mouth shut! SO that's basically the standard I follow now. I guess I have also adopted the policy "no GPS's turned on allowed" when your with me. I put in the time and effort to research and find alot of the spots I fish not to have someone push a button and log it into thier unit. More than a handfull of times on LOW a couple guys on sleds have rolled up on us, marked our spot and taken off without even saying anything. mad That drives me crazy!

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well take him, and then if he/she ever spills their guts, then that is that. No more "secret" spots for them. My crew is all about sharing spots. That is where you find out where the hot bit is, but you don't go posting the lake or catching a limit out there day after day.

good luck

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You have to trust the people you are bringing out. If the person is a really good friend that you have known for a long time and you know him/her really well you should have a good idea how trustworthy they are for fishing spots. I would say if you don't know the person really that well or if the person has been known to tell everyone and their mom, I'd think otherwise.

Here is my rule with issues like this. If this is a secret lake X that someone else showed me or told me about, I am showing and telling nobody unless I get that person's permission. I even ask permission from the person that told me if I am thinking about fishing there by myself. On the flip side, if it is a spot that I found by myself, I will tell only my trustworthy friends. I am really lucky in that regard because I have built trustworthy relationships with people mostly based upon fishing. I have a really good read upon people and if I feel that I can't trust someone either for certain reasons or if I don't know them real well, they are not going with.

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Depends on the size of the lake or pond, this is critical. What helps is 90% of our guys that fish these smaller bodies are catch and release or will take the med. size gills or crappies and let the piggies go. I think the sport has come along way from filling burlap sacks and over flowing pails. We pass this down to the next generation and they will always have a honey hole.

That being said trust amongst your group is never a given it is earned. If I am priveleged to fish a "Hot Spot" out of respect for that place I will not fish it without the person that showed me. It goes both ways.

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Most of my friends dont live near me, and since I am originally from Michigan, I generally fish alone. If I have good luck, and someone asks, I usually tell them how I did, etc, hopeing that they dont exploit it to the world, but just have fun as I did and enjoy themselves.

But, If someone tells me, and asks me not to tell, I don't, just out of respect for them and that area.

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If they aren't from the area I like to tell them we are on some other peice of structure on the same lake.

That way when they blab you can get after them/hold it against them/guilt them into buying the beer for a few years, and still not lose the primacy of the honeyhole.

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If it is a true friend and the spot is really that special, I would ask that friend not to tell anyone of the spot and trust they will respect your request.

If they are more of a casual friend/aquaintance then I would not recommend giving up your special spots (assuming it is not general knowledge to many that hit that lake).

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if it is a smaller,less pressured lake be careful, i took a friend up to a lake a few years ago and told him to keep it under his hat.he ended up taking a friend of his up there. when i called him on it he said oh he hardly ever goes fishing. now the friends friend goes up there more then i do. live and learn i guess.

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