I was reading through and contributing to the "I Just caught my first 20lber" thread and am having a hard time figuring this out. If you speak up and try to point things out you are being a jerk. If you don't say anything, nothing will change. So I ask you guys what should we as a fishing community do educate each other?

Vic- Thank you for bringing this up.
The only thing I was trying to do was suggest that the way the fish was handled was not the best way.
The only way I have ever learned is through mistakes and being told how to do something. I was just trying to change somebody's awareness, not start a war.
I think everyone is impressed with the fish and when I responded I didn't want to take anything away from him and his accomplishment. I am sorry it came to this Jacob. I just wanted to make a point about fish handling.

I think it is pretty simple...

1. Don't be a jerk. Express your displeasure, or advice, in a calm and constructive way. Realize that in the great majority of cases all someone needs is a gentle reminder of what they already know, or will likely be eager to learn if an offer to teach is made respectfully.

2. Don't really be a jerk. Leave well enough alone. Once that thread got going, some folks were doing #1 above, some were just saying "nice fish", and others started out spewing (well-intended, no doubt) vomitus out of their necks. Things started to calm down, conversations started to get constructive, and then someone else would jump in just to squawk more about their personal pissiness. Several were guilty of this...

I think that whole thread, and that on the Skook, got blown way out of proportion. Jacob, is a long time, if infrequent, contributor on this board. He just landed his first twenty pounder, a milestone for any steelheader. He got excited, and probably made a mistake handling the fish.

A couple of "Nice fish, but you should have done such and such..." posts, respectful of both his excitement and the truth about handling the fish should have been enough.

In a perfect world Jacob would be feeling excited about his fish still, and would have learned something about fish handling.

Come on, guys, we didn't all become the all-knowing experts we are now overnight. (BTW, that's sarcasm). It takes trial and error, time and effort.

Fish on...

Todd

Well put Todd!

Excellant question Vic. Hope to see some good answers.
I would only add that it has helped me to remember that there are real people behind my inanimate computer screen. (Hi guys! )
One other thing I have personally found is that some of those "real people" are actually "really neat people". And, I know I'm going out on limb here, but I'm actually thinking it's just possible that everyone of those "real people" might actually have something of real value to contribute.

I agree, well put Todd.

I was also impressed with Spawnouts reply, obviously this is a man with a great deal of experience in handling fish, and if you take him at his word(and I do) has a great deal of respect for the resource.
I think this board is a great place to obtain knowledge, and I have learned a lot. One of the things I've learned is there are A holes everywhere and while they may not be jerks they act like one.
Perhaps a few more posts like Todds, and Mooch's, will inspire some. I hope so.

my $.02
herm