Some people have mentioned the "tight lips" in my "A little Bayou action" thread. I wanted to post the reason I have been so secretive or tight lipped as some of you put. One of the Bayous I spent a lot of time in last year was very productive. Out of all of the trips I made we only ran into 2 other paddlers there is very little traffic this far up in this bayou. We caught a lot of catfish out of there. I posted up on a few message boards the hows, whens, where and answered several PM's. I had stayed away from this bayou for a couple of months and when I returned there were limb lines and flagging tied all over the place. The place was littered with them I am talking every 10 to 20 yds over a mile and a half section. Some were set down low like a yakker would put them and most of them were tied up high where someone from a paddle craft would not be able to reach. This is fine and dandy most of them were new and in some cases still had bait on them. Well I went back two weeks later and the lines were still there and you could tell they were not being used anymore. Sticks and other debris was tangled in them. About a month ago another paddler went up and the lines were still there and he cut them down (they were left there from Feb). Even though there are houses along this area in a few places for the most part it is pristine and a limited resource.
I am not saying that the me and my reports are the reason that this area got hit so hard and I am sure it is just luck that some of the lines that were left resembled my set-ups. I do feel responsible for the area though. I pick up each one of my lines every trip. I do not leave them overnight. Several of the lines that were left were done so in such a way that any other water craft could run under them with the potential for hurting someone.
I will discuss the how, when and where on open forums for large bodies of water or areas I do not believe to be a limited resource. Any other areas I will discuss over PM's.
It is a shame that we have to be this way and not share some of our spots that we have been catching fish. I caught some crappie the other day and kept it to myself. I did catch some nice blues below the dam today. I was fishing on the far north end of Conroe last year and some people that had camped out overnight were leaving there spot and left there trash. I plotely ask them to pick up the trash and they got a little upset we me. I didn't care and told them to just leave the area as they found it.
The old WWII poster "Loose Lips Sinks Ships" still applies to our favorite fishing holes. Most of us don't mind telling what technique or what water depth and structure led to catching a good sting of fish. Few are willing to give out coordinates of their honey hole. In the case of a small bayou or pond the fishable resource is limited. Once you discover a spot and developer a technique to fish it, it becomes your spot. The water and fish are available to any one that is willing to follow you same effort but why invite a hoard of folks to invade and ruin in days a place that you can enjoy for months or years.
Large lakes like Livingston are a different matter. There is so much area to cover, such a huge number of fish that seem to move every day that honey holes are very perishable.
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I knew it was a tough outfit when I joined up.
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