This board has lost its way

[love2fishhave2work]

When I first joined this board (not that long ago) it seemed that everyone would try to offer up some good advice on particular fishing questions. This served as a good information exchange. I was a contributor to it on both sides, asking and giving. I would also join the occasional debate. However, I am very disappointed with the last couple of questions I asked and even more disappointed with the useless non fish chatter and cheerleading that goes on while people who are looking for help get 1-2 meaningless responses. Case in point, "Simcoe vs. Georgian Bay", a legitimate question got 3 responses of little value, while "What is your first car" gets 86, sorry 87 now responses. When someone posts a picture of a fish, the accolades come out, "way to go", "great fish", "fantastic", "wish I was there", "you are the best", "I love you",.......etc., etc., etc., but if that same person asked for some advice, he or she would be lucky with 1 reasonable answer and not just a dumb comment.

 

Seams that the board now serves as a chat message room for a small group of people who go to Lakeair once a year and do what they do and not people who wish to exchange info on fishing topics, looking for advice or as important offering it.

 

To those who have helped me over the last couple of posts, thank you. To the rest, remember what this board is supposed to be about.

 

Now I am going fishing.

[danbo]

See ya! Drive safe & wear your PFD. Fish the shore where the wind hits it. Don't forget the Muskol..

[fishdawg]

it is what it is

 

i rarely vent at all on here & i dont consider the following to be a "vent' or "rant" just the way i see it in my own opinion

 

the board has changed alot - ive been a "member" here going on nearly 5+ years now & yes ive done Lakair trip once, the BOQ group trip once,the 1st Simcoe ice trip (ran by Pigeonfisher, refreshments provided by Csico ) 2 of the old January Nip Trips at Rob Hyatts (too bad these trips dont happen anymore) and numerous other one day outtings

 

alot of very good anglers who once contributed alot of very usefull fishing related info & reports are no longer active... thats the fishing side of it.... but with that some folks have gotten to know each other quite well & with that alot of folks have benefitted greatly from various friendships made here

 

yes i still come back here time to time to see whats going on... but is OFC my main "fishing board"? no its not... as many others i have invested a fair amount of blood, sweats, tears, time & money into this hobby & there are other sites out there that cater to those who share the same passion....

 

its still a great place to shoot the bull & what not not & yes there are some very excellent people around here no doubt (both mods/admin & contributors/members)

Edited July 6, 2008 by fishdawg

[Roy]

Sorry to hear that you feel that way. I guess you're forgetting the threads that you started for which you got 30-50 answers offering help. I guess you're just having a bad day. Hope things get better for you Bud. BTW, if you're going fishing, you should log off.......people might think you're still here.

[ChrisK]

Seams that the board now serves as a chat message room for a small group of people who go to Lakeair once a year and do what they do and not people who wish to exchange info on fishing topics, looking for advice or as important offering it.

You really don't beleive that do ya ?????

What about the September Lakair G2G coming up or the BOQ G2G's that happen a couple times of year and all the rest of the G2G's that take place at different times of the year throughout Ontario. This is one of the reasons we decided to add the Community portion of OFC..Its also become a family oriented board that offers up more than just fishing related material but also day to day stuff that happens in our family lives....It brings us closer to one another and creates bonding friendships...

 

Hope you have a great day on the water..........

 

Cheers !!

[largemouth]

it is what it is

 

i rarely vent at all on here & i dont consider the following to be a "vent' or "rant" just the way i see it in my own opinion

 

the board has changed alot - ive been a "member" here going on nearly 5+ years now....

alot of very good anglers who once contributed alot of very usefull fishing related info & reports are no longer active... thats the fishing side of it.... but with that some folks have gotten to know each other quite well & with that alot of folks have benefitted greatly from various friendships made here

 

yes i still come back here time to time to see whats going on... but is OFC my main "fishing board"? no its not... as many others i have invested a fair amount of blood, sweats, tears, time & money into this hobby & there are other sites out there that cater to those who share the same passion....

 

its still a great place to shoot the bull & what not not & yes there are some very excellent people around here no doubt (both mods/admin & contributors/members)

 

well said! OFC as described to me by other members is a "family forum with fishermen" not a fishing forum. A lot of the more serious fishing members realized that and have gone elsewhere for their fishing reports and info but are still members here for the community aspect of it.

[kickingfrog]

When I first joined this board (not that long ago) it seemed that everyone would try to offer up some good advice on particular fishing questions. This served as a good information exchange. I was a contributor to it on both sides, asking and giving. I would also join the occasional debate. However, I am very disappointed with the last couple of questions I asked and even more disappointed with the useless non fish chatter and cheerleading that goes on while people who are looking for help get 1-2 meaningless responses. Case in point, "Simcoe vs. Georgian Bay", a legitimate question got 3 responses of little value, while "What is your first car" gets 86, sorry 87 now responses. When someone posts a picture of a fish, the accolades come out, "way to go", "great fish", "fantastic", "wish I was there", "you are the best", "I love you",.......etc., etc., etc., but if that same person asked for some advice, he or she would be lucky with 1 reasonable answer and not just a dumb comment.

 

Seams that the board now serves as a chat message room for a small group of people who go to Lakeair once a year and do what they do and not people who wish to exchange info on fishing topics, looking for advice or as important offering it.

 

To those who have helped me over the last couple of posts, thank you. To the rest, remember what this board is supposed to be about.

 

Now I am going fishing.

 

Thanks for the useful information. Catch a big 'un.

[splashhopper]

When I first joined this board (not that long ago) it seemed that everyone would try to offer up some good advice on particular fishing questions. This served as a good information exchange. I was a contributor to it on both sides, asking and giving. I would also join the occasional debate. However, I am very disappointed with the last couple of questions I asked and even more disappointed with the useless non fish chatter and cheerleading that goes on while people who are looking for help get 1-2 meaningless responses. Case in point, "Simcoe vs. Georgian Bay", a legitimate question got 3 responses of little value, while "What is your first car" gets 86, sorry 87 now responses. When someone posts a picture of a fish, the accolades come out, "way to go", "great fish", "fantastic", "wish I was there", "you are the best", "I love you",.......etc., etc., etc., but if that same person asked for some advice, he or she would be lucky with 1 reasonable answer and not just a dumb comment.

 

Seams that the board now serves as a chat message room for a small group of people who go to Lakeair once a year and do what they do and not people who wish to exchange info on fishing topics, looking for advice or as important offering it.

 

To those who have helped me over the last couple of posts, thank you. To the rest, remember what this board is supposed to be about.

 

Now I am going fishing.

 

First off let me say this.

 

I LOVE this board.

 

The people here have been VERY GENEROUS with their support and advice.

 

It doesn't matter to me if i don't get as many responses to my questions as some of the NF posts get.

 

I GET QUALITY REPSONSES and LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT being the new fishermen that I am.

 

Your post above may have some valid points for YOU but it has certainly not been my experience here.

 

And NO, I am not one of the guys that goes to Lakair. YET !

But i sure hope to one day, AND bring my daughter with me.

 

 

I did a search of YOUR posts just now and this is what i discovered:

 

Topic - Spring Crappie / Replies - 18

 

Topic - New Boater / Replies- 40

 

Topic Boat Equipment - Replies 39

 

 

 

SOOOOOO..

My question to YOU is...

How many people HAVE to respond to YOU to stroke your outboard to get it running?

 

Here is a picture of someone that BENEFITTED GREATLY FROM GOOD QUALITY ADVICE THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME freely AND PASSED ON TO HER >>>

 

It was the FIRST FISH SHE EVER CAUGHT! a 30LB CARP ON HER FIRST CAST.

 

 

She is now PUMPED for fishing and took great pride in outfishing me for crappie and bluegills this weekend too.

 

As a final thought I looked up a word that reminds me of your post>>>

 

bleeding deaconn:

" a person who believes himself indispensible to a group, esp. a person who becomes so over-involved in a group’s internal management, policies, or politics as to lose sight of its larger goals; (hence) a person with a negative, moralizing character, who acts like the sole source of wisdom."

 

 

Now GO FISHING BUSTER and come back with a new attitude OR I will sick THE 2007 CANADIAN NATIONAL BLACKBELT TAEKWONDO CHAMPION(9 YR OLDS) on your tail to give you a new attitude.

 

Happy fishing, eh

Edited July 6, 2008 by splashhopper

[Garyv]

I have been around here since almost day one, and yes things and participants have changed but in life that happens every day. Some have become close friends, others acquaintances but year after year the stats keep getting higher so something is working where many other boards have fallen by the wayside. I spent the last year and 1/2 recuperating from some health issues and although I haven't put much on here about fishing ( haven't been able to get out ) the board has helped me get through this. It's nice to see a group care and share not only their fishing but their life both good and bad with others....hence the name OFC Community!

[danbo]

Half the fun of fishing is studying about it, shopping for tackle, experimenting on the water & having fun with close friends.

Lots of newbies come here asking to be "spoon-fed" locations,techniques & details that took years to acquire.

Some things are best kept to yourself..

[Greencoachdog]

Hmmmmm? Were you expecting someone on the board to make the decision whether to fish Simcoe or Georgian Bay for you? Which one is the closest to you? Can you afford the gas to go to the one that's furthest away?

 

From what I've seen on the board here, they're both excellent fisheries... probably "twit for tat". Here's an idea! How about fishing them both?!! Fish one now and the other the next time, then let us know which one YOU liked best!

 

You may also want to use the search function on the board to review/study old threads for each body of water and make your own decision!

 

Like others have already stated, there's a tremendous amount of help on this board... for reasonable questions!

 

 

If you'd like to receive the "picture posting accolades", I'd be glad to help you learn how to post pics.

 

You've got to admit, reports like this are rather mundane...

Got back Sunday. We limited all three nights out and caught a bunch of other eyes and pike throughout the day. Lots of rain but great trip.

[JohnF]

When I first joined this board (not that long ago) it seemed that everyone would try to offer up some good advice on particular fishing questions. This served as a good information exchange. I was a contributor to it on both sides, asking and giving. I would also join the occasional debate. However, I am very disappointed with the last couple of questions I asked and even more disappointed with the useless non fish chatter and cheerleading that goes on while people who are looking for help get 1-2 meaningless responses. Case in point, "Simcoe vs. Georgian Bay", a legitimate question got 3 responses of little value, while "What is your first car" gets 86, sorry 87 now responses. When someone posts a picture of a fish, the accolades come out, "way to go", "great fish", "fantastic", "wish I was there", "you are the best", "I love you",.......etc., etc., etc., but if that same person asked for some advice, he or she would be lucky with 1 reasonable answer and not just a dumb comment.

 

Seams that the board now serves as a chat message room for a small group of people who go to Lakeair once a year and do what they do and not people who wish to exchange info on fishing topics, looking for advice or as important offering it.

 

To those who have helped me over the last couple of posts, thank you. To the rest, remember what this board is supposed to be about.

 

When you provide a forum for this many strangers to share a common love of fishing, perhaps the only thing they have in common, it just naturally leads to talk of other things - family, personal issues, disappointments, highs and lows in their lives. The internet is an interesting phenomenon in that it encourages a kind of intimacy between folks heretofore strangers, something that would almost certainly never have come about without the 'net. This "intimacy" encourages, perhaps emboldens the participants, at least those who warm to it, to start OT threads that they think might interest others. Sometimes a thread totally unrelated to fishing gets a life of it's own and goes wild. With some of these the mods step in and shut it down before too many feelings are hurt or gantlets thrown down. Most often though the OT discussions are interesting, showing something of the various personalities involved and this sort of familiarity leads to these in-the-flesh G2G's that we read about.

 

It's not unique to OFC either. I've been through the same thing in a Usenet group called rec.scuba. The regulars there describe it as a biker bar, where everyone kicks back with a drink in the evening and gabs about everything under the sun. Many of the regulars have become real life friends as well and arrange dive togethers or just social affairs at varied locations. Newcomers are welcome to join in. Critics are given short shrift and told to check the archives before they ask questions. Most questions have been hashed out long before and the answers are in the archives already. If the question is in fact new and refreshing, then it's given plenty of attention, by some very knowledgeable dive types. I for one learned far more about scuba diving safely there than I ever did from instructors and dive tour leaders. When a dive thread has run it's course they all return to the talk of guns and politics or whatever.

 

I think even the hardest core fishermen here would admit there's more to life than fishing, despite the sig lines on some posts. We're a social animal and this forum is a great place to be sociable within a loose context of fishing talk. I get good answers to whatever I ask, and I've learned a lot from the threads started by others. I only signed on here a year or so back, along with a number of other such forums and boards, and this is the one I've stuck with. I'm not a hard core fisherman. I only started back at it a few years ago, and most of my fishing since then has been wading the local creek for midget smallmouths. But following the different threads here has broadened my interest and expanded my small store of knowledge. I've met some great folks and intend to meet many more because of this board.

 

I have my own life and friends here at home but there's something to be said for this opportunity to enjoy fishing adventures vicariously, to learn from those more experienced than me and make new friends at the same time. If I can give something back, be it a fishing experience or some sound advice with a non-fishing problem, then that just makes it better.

 

There are plenty of hard core nothin'-but-fishin' sites out there on the 'net for those who don't like the broader experience of a place like this. Frankly, you can have 'em. I like this place just the way it is.

 

Respectfully

JF

Edited July 6, 2008 by JohnF

[Terry]

what's in it for me..........

maybe no one had the answers to your questions...

 

 

it is what it is

 

love it or hate it

[MAzing]

It's just a big old boys club that can include fishing, you need to be patient to get in. Maybe like many others you'll leave or even get banned for having an honest opinion.

 

MA

[Gerritt]

A very simple answer...

 

You get back what you give.

 

Become active get yourself involved and you will learn what OFC is all about.

 

G...

[aplumma]

It's just a big old boys club that can include fishing, you need to be patient to get in. Maybe like many others you'll leave or even get banned for having an honest opinion.

 

MA

 

It's not the honest opinions that get you banned it the Bull that is spewed to support it that gets you banned.

 

Art

[aplumma]

Now an answer to the real post. I looked at your history of postings and the last ones that I can see are all about asking people for the info on places to fish. People are pretty picky as to what information they like to put on the internet that will promote the places that they find to be good fishing. Most of the time they will be vague with their answer because of this they also will not be specific as far as were in the water body the fish are. What also comes into play is how well the community knows you and what you have given in trade I know that when I need info on a place to fish I won't post it on the forum I would better yet send a PM to the people that I know fish the water and see if they would like to take me fishing or help with some general info to get me started. Most of the Regulars or "Good old boys club members" are people that have put alot of time and effort into this website and treat it more as a family meeting place than a corrupted fishing board that wanders and meanders with pointless drivel. Can you honestly say you know who is in the hospital right now? Do you know any of the names of kids that just graduated? Have you sent a PM to someone who is fighting a fatal illness? I live down here in the USA and I can answer all of these questions while not fishing related I bet I can post that I need a place to stay and a boat to use and a guided fishing trip for free and I will have more places to fish than I can go in a few summers worth of vacation. The reason for this is because I have put so much into the board that people WANT to give me something back. I to this day still haven't seen a rant that has come out with a positive outcome but people keep trying.....

 

I hope you had a good day fishing and post some pictures if you did and tell the board about your adventure.

 

 

Art

[bigfish1965]

Yes the board changed, developed and grew. That was certainly by design. It became clear that a vast majority of people wanted something different than what was normal. Lots of guys fish quite a bit, but most people only do it when they can. You don't find many 24/7 hardcore fishermen here. But you don't find that many in real life either.

So a family-friendly community oriented board came about. Still mostly fishing talk, but lots of other stuff too...like this post for example.

So the site never lost its way...it created a brand new way. A way that is now quite often imitated.

[Roy]

John, that is easily the most eloquently stated tribute to our board. Thank you for that. I could not have fashioned that "helpful" a response to his thread.

Thanks again.

 

Roy

[danbo]

How about a Whine & Cheese" section or a "Caged War-Zone" ????

[Zubris21]

I'm pretty new to the board and I have really enjoyed the board. I've had threads that have had a fair number of replys, enough to get the answer I'm looking for at least, and thats enough. I've also had threads that haven't generated any replies at all (search lake nilgaut), was I upset about this? no. Disappointed? maybe.... but I realize I was asking for information on a pretty remote lake, and I suppose no one had fished there before, no big deal, it made it more of an adventure.

 

I think the problem is that you failed to realize that asking info about specific fishing spots (ie georgian vs simcoe) really narrows down the number of people who can respond and give you advice. Granted those are 2 main water bodies, but not everyone has fished both of them, at this time of year, targeting a specific species. Personally I've only ever fished georgian bay, in the honey harbour area that you mentioned, but my experience there is very limited, and since I've never fished Simcoe, my input would be irrelevant.

 

Now when people post a topic about their first car, where they work, or gas prices, nearly everyone can relate and provide input to that thread. Now even though they might be non-fishing topics, its the content that makes the difference. I'm sure if you posted a topic about every ones first fish, largest fish, pretties fish, favorite lure, you would get 4+ pages of responses.

 

Oh another way to get a lot of responses is through a rant/vent. I'm sure you'll be please with the number of responses you get to this thread!

[lunkerbasshunter]

when you have millions of visitors on a forum, its impossible to please everyone. Many people love this board. Sorry it isnt what you were looking for. Hope you have a great summer!

 

Cheers!

[wvfisherman]

Even though I live in West Virginia (Almost Heaven), I enjoy this board. It is my "number one" fishing board. I am in my 60's and do not get to fish as much as my younger days but I enjoy seeing what everybody else is doing. Fishing is number ONE, but as fishermen we are brothers and sisters who love to fish, so who else can we turn to when we have problems to talk about even if it is not fishing. Still enjoy this board after a number of years. Everybody have a "good day".

[Roy]

Blue ridge mountains, shenandoah river...I hear ya Bud.

[danbouck]

After a few years on here I still have not had any question unanswered. If you search the posts there may not any replies but I get PM's regarding them all the time. If you post reports and help out others when you can, people will do the same for you.

 

Maybe we should have a poll to see if we should have a NF section to keep the hardcores happy