Helluva post, Parker. I agree with 99% of it.

It's pretty amazing how when different people look at a rose, some see the beauty of the blossom while others choose to focus on the thorns (sorry guys, had to get that eye/vision metaphor in there somehow). Take your pick.... either this is great site or it really sucks.

I too choose to believe this board is a treasure trove of good fishing info, interesting ideas, and some very generous fisherfolk who have graciously invited me to personally share in their escapades during the short year and a half that I've enjoyed this site. Perhaps the fact that I'm well on my way to becoming a "Three-peat Spawner" has something to do with it.... damn, that's a lot of posts for a relative newcomer!

Like Parker, I post just about every time I go fishing.... good or bad, I tell it like it is, pics and all. Yeah, I've been flamed by some veterans for too much "sharing". I'm OK with posting locations with generalities, but I don't post exact locations to attract the masses where I think it might be detrimental to the quality of the fishery.

On the other hand, I don't have a problem posting about a specific spot if it is well known or has already been featured in the Seattle Times fishing page for the past week with a feature photo to boot. The cat's already out of the bag.... sharing my own success isn't gonna do much more damage. Besides, everybody on this board loves a good fish pic.

Some people get flamed for a pic that is too revealing (one that shows the secret lure or the secret spot in the background, not Mingo's avatar!). Guess what? If somebody can recognize the spot from a photo, it ain't no secret, so what difference does it make? They already know.... and those that don't won't. No harm done.

Most guys chasing the hot report aren't gonna be much of a threat to the regulars at the "secret spot" anyway. They might make the day a little more crowded, but they aren't gonna put much of a dent in the actual catching. The guys that really know how to catch fish probably aren't chasing reports on this board.

So post away guys.... sure works for me. Contribute generously.... you'll get it back, and then some!