Should I Share My Secret Fishing Spot?

In many--on second thought, make that most--cases, the answer to that question isn't just no; it's h-e-double hockey sticks no! The first time you tell or show someone else your secret spot, even if you make them promise beforehand to keep it to themselves, you might as well have stood on a mountaintop with a megaphone and announced it to the whole world.

If case you didn't get the word, the days of "being a nice guy" have long since passed. If you think I'm lying to you, there's an easy way to find out. Go ahead and tell a friend about your secret spot and then count the days before you go back to that spot yourself and find an "army" of boats parked on top of one another.

Oh, sure, there's always that one-in-10 person who will honor your request to keep the secret, but he or she indeed is a rarity today. By and large, new fishing spots are the equivalent of celebrity gossip in other circles.

The simple truth is that some people just like to run their gums and couldn't keep a secret if their lives depended on it. Compounding that problem are the new people who take up our sport each year. It's a tough job holding them to the same standards we've spent years learning. Few of them likely will understand nuances such as giving space, asking to fish through, circling around another day, not crowding when catching, and most of all, just because someone throws you a bone and shares a spot, you aren't supposed to post it on forums and tell all your buddies.

Here are a couple things for new folks to think about:

If you aren't sure if a person is telling you about a secret fishing spot, ask. If you forget to ask, don't tell anyone else about the spot. Nobody owns these spots (unless they are on private property), but, after all, they have put in the work and time to locate and pattern the fish. So don't blow the spot for them. Respect their efforts and their trust that you won't share.

If you fish with a guide, and he shows you some spots, make sure to have a conversation about them. Ask if it's OK to share, or if these are "client only" spots.

Should we share spots? The answer to that question is really up to the individual angler. I choose to look at it this way. When friends ask to borrow money, don't do it unless you can afford to never see repayment. Accordingly, never share a secret spot unless you don't mind having lots of company the next time you pay it a visit.

In closing, let me share a lesson both Charlie and I learned the hard way about posting photos of fish catches on our blogs. If you don't want readers to be able to figure out the area where you caught a fish, either make sure you aim the camera directly at the fish and the water, so none of the surroundings are visible, or crop the photo before publishing it.