INSTA killing fish (article)

[zwiggles]

Interesting read. I tend to agree with much of what’s said. I know when I started fishing again a few years ago I felt the “need” to do a lot of what he mentions. Now I realize that every 15” salmon/trout looks just like every other 15” fish I have caught.

https://www.weeklystandard.com/matt-labash/labash-instagram-is-killing-fish

[lowaccord66]

Fishing is blood sport, it always will be.  Picture or no picture we risk injuring fish for our own personal enjoyment.  Taking the picture is a bit of an extension of that but not by much.  To me the entire piece is hypocritical. 

[zwiggles]

I don’t disagree with you. I also think the author would feel the same way. He pretty much says he is a hypocrite in the article.

I believe the intent was to get people to think about what they’re doing, and how it may effect the fish they are targeting without the angler thinking about it. I thought his bigger point was that social media is just another pressure on the fish we all go after and enjoy pursuing.

We certainly all enjoy harming fish (hooking them is an injury), but I think it is a good thing if we try to have as little of a negative effect on them as we can.

I also thought it was curious when you consider how less active this site is in comparison to say Instagram. It may have benefited this site in that fewer people try to come here to “burn spots” since IG or bookface stealing spots is so much easier to do on their platforms.

[lowaccord66]

With anything that can be monetized there will be those who will only consider the money.  Not anything in the way of it.  Instagram can be wildly profitable for some...so I can understand why the health of the fish would be a secondary thought, at least in some cases.

[seamonkey84]

Along those lines, https://www.sweetwaternow.com/opinion-fly-fishing-brand-ambassadors-social-media-what-might-they-be-doing-to-your-fishery/

[lowaccord66]

My sentiments exactly.  I was a guide for 1 year.  I hated it.  Trading my favorite sport for money was not worth it at all.  Friends of mine have suggested instragram...I can't be bothered.  Heck sometimes I dont want to slow my fishing down to pull out a camera.

[taxid]

In the same vein I have nothing against tournament fisherman as many are my customers, but never had the desire to fish competitively. Just turns me off personally. Just seems like it would take the fun out of it for me. I think I would be good at but...

Anybody else feel that way?

[SHaRPS]

In the same vein I have nothing against tournament fisherman as many are my customers, but never had the desire to fish competitively. Just turns me off personally. Just seems like it would take the fun out of it for me. I think I would be good at but...

Anybody else feel that way?

Here is my take.

I have competed in many bass tourneys in the past and loved it, did very well and bringing home money for fishing was fantastic. I still participate in a few tourneys each year but now its more of a thing to do with some great friends rather than making it a job...... which brings me to this -

I shot competitive Trap (ATA) for many years and did extremely well traveling all over New England, NY, PA, OH with all sort of titles including the Champion of Champion event and being the first person in RI to shoot a perfect 100x100 in the handicap event (longer yardage and where all the money is). This is a skill I was born with. This required lots of traveling, money for entrance fee's ($300-$500 a whack) and time away from the family, essentially a second job. As much as I LOVE shooting my favorite hobby is fishing, any type of fishing at any time of the year. What I realized is that even though I was making good money doing tourneys it was turning my favorite hobby into anther "job". And this is when I realized I did not want to poop where I ate. Not that it was not fun and I love the pressure of a tourney but I realized hanging with my old man and friends fishing for whatever species we chose that day was far more exciting and memorable than doing the same thing weekend after weekend after weekend. 

Long story short -  its still nice to get out there and compete to keep my blood blood flowing and keep anglers on their toes. However, I do not want someone else to control my passion of this sport, that's my job.

[taxid]

Like I basically said, to each his own and I won't judge others for wanting to fish in tournaments. Just not my thing.

I think it's awesome when someone finds something the like to do and it gets their minds off of the negative things in live such as work and family issues.

[Jethro]

In the same vein I have nothing against tournament fisherman as many are my customers, but never had the desire to fish competitively. Just turns me off personally. Just seems like it would take the fun out of it for me. I think I would be good at but...

Anybody else feel that way?

Yes, and I agree with Sharps above. At one point in my life, a long time ago, I got my dream job, working in a high end ski and bike shop. After 6 years there I lost all interest in bikes as it was "work". Be careful what you wish for, it just may come true.

[lowaccord66]

Well said Mike.  The beauty of fishing is it means different things for different people.  All of which I think are good.  Of course when money gets involved it corrupts things. 

[canoeist]

Seeing pictures of fish online is like watching videos of fireworks online, couldn’t be more boring then listening to someone’s strange dream from the night before. It’s all about the experience for me, mining for social credibility couldn’t mean less.