I'll chime in on this. Both sides of the arguement are good and I can agree with both.

I have no problem with a person who discovers a special fishery and chooses not to share it's ID/Location with others.

It's their choice and that's OK with me.

I agree - lets keep quiet

i agree.

Fishing has been, and probably always will be a single individuals sport. You fish as an individual and it is primatively man against fish. The human nature to socialise just brings several individuals together to share their sporting experience but on the whole, you still are witting yourself against the fish, but in the company of others.
Some people like to fish alone, some like to fish only with close friends and some like to fish in amongst a crowd with a party atmosphere. I myself will admit to prefering the peace and quiet of fishing alone but with occasional trips with 2 or 3 others. But again, this is a personal preference.
Remember, we are all individuals, if one person wants to keep his swims/captures to himself, let him, don't vilify him for it. Just respect his opinions and secrets if he tells you.
Openness and free information is a great thing if we all had the same morals and standards, but we don't and what is ok for one fisherman totally offends another.
I have had to learn a new fishing ettiquette since moving here, and the bass/bow/catfish/carp etc angler rivalry and snobbery just adds to the way the individual angler approaches his sport, just as in any other sport.
There is no right or wrong to Jasons original post, just individual opinions and personal fishing preference.

I agree with everyone!

Speaking of fishing, I need to get to Emma!

Just a thought.... If all was kept confidential, I would not be a carp angler. I thank Mr Starless Dragon for showing me the light!

Good debate here. ( For the most part, anyway lol. )

My take is a lot like Zach's. I think promoting the sport is very important, and I love introducing new folks to the great fun they can have carp fishing.

Showing off big fish once in a while definitely takes huge strides in that direction.

I'd say over the years we've had more folks here on TFF join us on the bank and end up addicted to carping just because they saw "That one huge fish you posted!" That giant fish they saw here or up in the photo's section that got them so interested in trying to catch on themselves that they just had to come join us on the bank.

Next thing you know, they're just as addicted as we are, and having a beverage with us on the bank on a long weekend session.

That's what it's all about.

That grows that sport, that helps create more anglers who come to understand the important of releasing a truly huge fish for someone else to catch, and that helps TPWD understand that there truly is a movement of carp anglers here in Texas that's growing by leaps and bounds.

If folks had never posted any of their biggest fish, or revealed some of their favorite carp fishing spots, TPWD certainly never would have passed regulations protecting trophy carp on Lady Bird Lake.

Now, that aside, I also agree that not all big-carp or "special" lakes need to revealed to the general public. There's nothing wrong with revealing them in my opinion, but there's also nothing wrong with keeping them to yourself, or a close circle of friends, if you want to ensure that the lake stays special.

It's the same principal that people have always had with their "favorite fishing hole". They take the friends, but they don't tell everyone, cause they don't want the spot trashed, or over-fished, or over harvested.

I totally understand, and support that point of view as well.

So, like I said, I basically agree with Zach. Grow the sport, promote the fish, support TPWD in their "Lady Bird Lake" type regulations by letting them see that there are some HUGE fish out there, and the number of anglers interested in carp as a sportfish grows by the day!

But in the end, you don't have to give up [i]every[/]lake that's close to your heart, if you're afraid that the lake might get trashed, or fished out. Keep it to your friends, in PM or on the phone, or whatever.

If it's a lake I discovered, I'd probably give it up, to a few friends at first, then everyone else. If it's a lake someone else discovered and asked me to keep a secret, I'd certainly do so!

Botton line, my feeling is:

Share most of your swims, and share most of your big fish to help promote the sport. But if you feel it's important, then keep those you truly cherise to yourself if you wish.

You're welcome, Donny! It's reasons like that I think it's important to share at least some of your "honey holes" and your big fish. After all, I shared my favorite carp spot at the time with the forum...and look what that ended up cascading into LOL.

I think another thing that I didn't post on the other board is the fact when you show a new beginner carp angler a spot when they catch a 10lber thats a pretty big fish to a lot of people. I think after time most of us get used to it may take a 8 hour session to get a single big fish. INtroducing new guys always to me starts with a lake I know they can catch easily to gain the interest. Most guys don't want to sit on the bank for 8-20 hours for a single fish.

I usually keep my betters spots to myself. I do share but a problem I have seen on a few lakes is once you start inviting guys and yoru spot then goes from an occasional guy fishing it to guys fishing it 5 out of 7 days other people notice it that frequent a lake. The spot gets worn in and in all honesty 90% of the time garbage starts to build up there. I had a spot a few years back that this happened to and it turned into a real dump. I would clean it up only to have it happen over and over again.I think we all have days also that we would like to fish alone too. I like to hang out with my friends but there are also days I just like to kick back by myself and enjoy the view.

I can tell you that I used to share info to grow the sport, I with a fellow cager found a great swim below powersite dam (impounds lake taneycomo mo)

we used to catch 25-30 carp with an avg of 15 pounds, and usally we would land 4 or 5 in the low 20's in a avg sesh... it was harder to catch a 6 pounder than a 17 pounder...

the Feb before the CAGI the Local Conservation Officer called me that he had weighted a 44 pounder that was thought to be a possible state record ( it wasn't and was released!)

we had high hopes some huge carp would be landed

we held The Missouri CAGI at the location....and where informed by one of the security guards (we had fished so much at the location he had net several fish for us!) That a bowfishing club 3 weeks before the event took 2 dumpsters of big fish out and I heard from a second source that the dumpster company was pissed as they did not know that they where hauling off fish and would not do that again....

the CAGI was at risk so for the next weeks I poured over 2500 pounds of corn, pellets and whole wheat and oats as fast as we could soak it and spread it....the dam ran lots of water and it did draw up more fish, but the avg size crashed, big fish at the CAGI was 15 pounds and the avg was 7...

everyone was happy at the CAGI.. every peg caught.... some 1600 pounds total... best CAGI to date but far far less than would have been banked if the twak crew hadn't hammered it...

the bfer forum chatter was that they didn't want another town lake and to shoot it out before it got recognized...we where in the Missouri Conservationist Magazine

I am confident if the bfers had not shot it down another big fish mecca would have been born that weekend..to date the fishing has not returned to what it had been for size

we are at war gents no matter what you would wish, if you want to catch scads of dinks......then Bfings got room.....but if you want biggies well you get my point

Great story MoCarp, I agree completely

That's beyond upsetting Mo, they are ruthless!
They must of had a disturbed childhood.

Mo, what I don't understand is how you can come on a forum and say you don't really have a problem with bowfishing then come over here make comments like that. I personally think you are liar and full of it.

I am full of it...but I don't have a problem with Bfing in fact I want to go shoot some tilapia. but when Bfing has a few bad apples that CREATE adversaries then issues are raised, imagin what would happen if some guy found some super great bass spot and some group came in and LEGALLY TOOK OUT EVERY TROPHY just so no lake fork regs could happen? not cool

Nice, b'fing vs carping... again! Good thing we don't send all the b'fing guys instant messages explaining to them that this is a carp fishing section and if they continue, they will be banned. Sorry, personal experience from a popular b'fing site.