Whats the point of posting a report on this site if you can't tell where you caught it?
We don't need to know specifically where a fish was caught in order for a report to be useful. General locations and a few details (tide, water depth, bait, lures, etc, etc, etc) is really all we need.
Is it just for bragging rights?
Besides doing a little bragging (if that's what you wish to do) there is plenty that can be gotten from a fishing report, provided the report contains useful info.
Do people just want to see an up close picture of themselves holding a fish with no background?
Members will often remove identifiable backgrounds in order to avoid burning a spot. This is a common courtesy not only for the angler and those he/she fishes with, but to anyone else who may fish the same location.
With 10 other websites and 5 different magazines giving the same reports, does anyone think this policy changes anything?
Honestly, I'm not concerned with how other sites conduct their business. What concerns me is what goes on here at the BARN. We have 100,000+ unique individuals browsing our forums each month. With that many eyes searching for reports, etc., we feel our No Spot Burning policy is the responsible thing to do. Does it change anything...I certainly hope so. One things for sure, it doesn't make an already bad situation any worse.
It just seems like it pisses more people off than it does good. Fisherman should be helping out other fisherman.
If your idea of "helping other fisherman" is taking them by the hand and leading them to fish...then yeh, our policy probably does upset you.
The fact is we've been "helping other fisherman" on this site for the past 12 years. We do this not by burning spots, but by sharing
information.
Its not like someone posts that they caught a flounder in the Old Grounds and then all of a sudden there's 20 boats at the Old Grounds. There's 20 boats at the Old Grounds everyday.
Don't try to convince Capt.G of that
BTW they're catching stripers at Island Beach State Park. Shhhh!!! Don't tell anyone. We don't want anyone to know!!!
Anyone that is into fishing enough to be on the Bass Barn isn't going to run to a spot because they saw one fish caught.
Based on your final comment, it's pretty obvious you're not getting the full meaning of what Spot Burning is all about.
Let me ask you this....in your mind would this change anything about your comment above?~
BTW they've been catching mid-20#+ stripers at Gilkins (Island Beach State Park) for the past three days. Shhhh!!! Don't tell anyone. We don't want anyone to know!!!
If this doesn't change things for you, please don't think it doesn't change things for everyone else...including those who been fishing Gilkins
What ya need to understand is we need to moderate things as equally as possible. One bass or one thousand bass...a burnt spot is a burnt spot