My Florida cousin just sent me an article out of "
THE HERALD "newspaper which is published down around Manatee and Sararsota Florida. The article states there is a sign warning customers against bringing GPS units aboard charted fishing boats. It states the company will hold the gps units for the customer and return it when the boat returns.
You can find the article at
http://www.HeraldToday.com Go to search and type in gps. You will find the article.
A few years ago in Southern Oregon I was talking to a guide about a salmon drift trip. I told him that the only reason I would hire him is to learn the river and how to do it on my own. He was okay with that.
But I can understand where the Captain is coming from. I took my father-in-law out fishing a number of times to my favorite lake. I then learn he is taking his buddies out there and following my trolling pattern when I was at work. I have spent a lot of time, gas, and effort to learn that lake and how to fish it. He had never fished the lake before I took him out there.
But I am no better. Down in Mexico I hired a Mexican who for weeks had been at me to let him guide us. This was before I ever owned a gps unit. The guide took us to a couple of outer Islands which we normally fish. Then he made a run to an under water ridge. I had observed the Mexican fishermen in that area before. But had never tried it. He told us to Yo Yo. I did not have heavy jigs with me, but I had brought some frozen bait. We quickly filled our limits. While in the boat I took out my compass and shot bearings on two mountain peaks about ten miles away. I wrote the bearings down in my notebook. None of the locations the guide took us to were a surprise. A friend of the father-in-law helped maintain a Mexican fisherman's family down there for years. We had observed them fishing the spot a number of times and had been clued in on how to fish it. Yes, we returned to the general location a number of times in our boat.
I believe it is the age old issue of let me know your favorite spot, but I want to keep mine secrete.
What are your thoughts on this issue?
