Weird topic huh? Well, after an awesome day on fork today I thought this was worth posting. I had the opportunity to fish with a dang good angler today (probably as good as any guide on fork - he has fished there 20 years). I'll leave his name out because he is not the kind of guy who cares about the attention. This guy has a regular partner, but was kind enough to take a far less skilled angler (me) fishing from sun up to sun down, teaching me a lot and putting us on some great spots. We had a great time and I could tell he truly enjoyed helping me out.

Being relatively new to fishing (3 years), I have started to notice there are more "takers" than givers around. (guess its the world we live in). Trust me, I am as competitive as anyone and I want to know the spots and baits that are woking just as bad as the next guy! I understand that it is a sport and competing at it is awesome! But there is more to fishing than the competition. Fishing is a privilege and a gift. For me personally there is NOTHING I would rather do. Since I was not so lucky to "grow up fishing" like most good sticks, it was HUGE for me to get the tips and knowledge I learned today (on the water). And for those of you who will rush to your own defense and say I should just spend more time on the water and learn my own spots and patterns, it's not so easy with 2 little kids and very little free time to fish!! Sorry for the rant guys but all I want to say is kuddos to you guys who are "pay it forward" type people. I hope anyone reading this will take an honest look at themselves and ask what kind of person am I? The kind who is looking to GET all you can or are you someone who also enjoys giving and helping out others? A lot of us need to lighten up. If fishing doesn't pay your bills and you aren't willing to share some tips/spots, then you might need to check yourself. You may be a little selfish and a little immature. Once again, a big thanks to all you guys out there who are generous and share your knowledge. You are appreciated!!

As for the fishing today, it was probably the prettiest day on fork you could get. Morning bite was slow but after lunch picked up and we boated 11 largemouths and a bunch of sandies. I lost what would have been my personal best at the boat (somewhere between 8-10). She came up nice and gave us a great look at her. Bucket mouth could have held a football in it!! it was a great day and I cant wait to get back to fork!! I will get my new PB before the spawn!!

Nice post and I'm glad you had a good day

It is a great feeling to help others learn this great sport. I have been truly blessed with good teachers over all these years.
There is nothing like a great day on the water with a good teacher especially one that has Bass fished all his life.

Good post I love being able to share knowledge and tips because I want people to catch more fish and enjoy fishing as much as I do.. Sometimes I hold out around tournaments but hey thats the competition side of me

In general most bass fisherman are pretty closed mouth about their spots or the baits they are using unless it is a sponsers bait. I have found this to be true more times than not but there are some pretty nice guys on here that are willing to help a fellow out. I have yet to find one that would give me coordinates to their favorite spot but most will give you a general area. As for me, I have led people to my spot, told them what, where and how to fish if I happened to be on the fish. It is because I think everyone should be able to get into the fish and have a great day on the water. Sure, we all have a honey hole some where that we do not particularly like to tell every one about. If I am not going to fish a certain tournament, I will tell someone a really good spot to try. Maybe it was the way I was raised. All I know is I will gladly let someone in a great spot if I know they are not going to be on the lake every day and ruin the spot. That is the "kind of guy I am". Now don't everyone pm me at once. LOL I have not done a lot of fishing lately and am not on any fish on any lake. I have been doing a lot of idling around looking for new structure and marking them for future reference when the water comes back up I only recently bought a new HDS 10 and still learning how to use it.

Great post! Glad you had a good day and sorry about the lost fish. As far as understanding your being grateful for the knowledge you gained, I can whole heartedly appreciate your comment. I too am fairly new to the sport of fishing. New, as I'm now an upper level avid armature today. Most of my acquired knowledge has not been from being on the water as much as listening to others and applying it ON THE WATER. Three years of hanging around a tackle shop piecing this puzzle together by listening to others and reading, reading, reading has promoted me to a level equal to those that are tight lipped and act like they are the biggest stick in the house. I've come to realize that those that think they know all are usually the most out of date with what is current in the fishing industry. I'm not talking about the fans of the trails as much as typical locals that are looking for recognition that they are otherwise missing in their lives. Once in awhile you meet someone with true knowledge and skills that is willing to share it. Mostly, I just listen at the tackle shop for tidbits of information and form my own plan. You can't beat the feeling of winning a tournament or landing a big bass or both and watching the face on the fellow that never wants to share anything with you! To that guy, I tell him thanks, because I used that technique he mentioned at lunch accidentally the other day!

I share patterns with all and spots with few. I usually don't give exacts as far as bait colors go but will share the type of bait. If it is a sponsors item I am using then I will definitely plug it. If there is one thing I have learned it is that some people will say anything to portray themselves as something they are not. We all know somebody like that. The guy that wants to be the hero and take somebody to a hole you showed them. In their minds they are doing nothing wrong. Next thing you know your favorite fishing spot is a community hole and you start seeing boats there that you have never seen before.

It has taken me most of my life to build some of the relationships I have in the fishing industry. My network of friends and information i receive from them are special to me. I value their opinions and I respect them enough to not repeat anything given to me in confidence. Hopefully, that is a mutual understanding between us and goes without saying. Definitely not something that I would want to risk over making a new friend or losing a friends respect.

Thanks for the replies. I understand what Shawn mead is saying. It's hard to find great spots and when you do have one that is "on" it is understandable not to want it to get beat up. It sounds like Shawn is a guide or pro though which is different. Those guys feed their families by fishing. The post was intended more for "the rest of us" who mostly fun fish or just fish the club tourneys. Maybe it will encourage a few people to give back a little more which is a good thing. On another note, I posted a question about electronics the other day and a total stranger on here was kind enough to send me an entire email (long) on the subject. That's cool.
Well, my sick 1 year old just went back to sleep (3am) so maybe I can fall back asleep and quit thinking about how I lost that pig!!

Think it`s just people in general anymore.You have your Howdy`s and people that act like your not there.Being a open person I have found that alot of people like to talk/share it`s just they don`t know how until you corner them.It`s funny how many people will open up to you and all you have to do is say Hi.That`s a forgotten art of greeding someone.Pass it on the next time you pass someone just say Hi,hows it going?You may end up with more info then you could have ever though of by yourself.

Congrats on your fun day of fishing that someone "took" you on Fork ...