From the June 2010 issue of Susquehanna Fishing Magazine:
http://susquehannafishing.com/
By John “Toast” Oast
Where do you get your fishing tips, and up-to-date angling reports? Do you mainly rely on friends or third-party information at your local tackle shop? Obviously if you are reading this article you either utilize print or internet medium for such information. While tackle shop rumors, ramp-side conversations, and media publications are outstanding sources of information to expand your fishing skills and on-the-water results, there are many other options available at the click of a mouse.
I recall there once was an “internet yellow pages;” my college roommate had a copy. Yep, at the time pretty much everything on the web could fit in a phonebook smaller than those of many rural communities. Today there are so many websites that it would be impossible to count them all. Of these, many are specifically designed for the angling community. These sites may be marketing tools for members of the recreational fishing industry, national club websites, or regional fishing reports, forums, and bulletin boards.
Shortly after the dramatic growth of the internet in the late 1990’s I began to lurk around on various internet angling communities, trying to find a place to call home. At the time I was already an avid kayak angler, and there were few sites covering that aspect of fishing at the time, especially on the east coast. That was when I decided to create Fishyaker.com, which incorporated its own interactive forum for participants to communicate with one-another. I also became active in other more broad groups, such as Tidalfish.com. Today there are plenty of these bulletin boards on the internet, a number catering specifically to our own region, such as Smallmouths.com and our very own SusquehannaFishing.com.
Today when someone asks me, “How did you and ______ meet?” the usual answer is, “on the internet.” It is a great testament to the power of the internet and these forums when I think about my current group of friends, especially those who I fish with. EVERYONE I currently fish with, from the southeast to the northeast, I met on one of the internet angling forums! In addition, the internet is where I typically get recent fishing reports, and “steal” angling techniques.
So, if you want a great way to find more angling information and make new friends, try the internet. More information than one could ever absorb is only a click away… Don’t have a computer? Check at your local library… and nearly everything is totally free!
John “Toast” Oast is the publisher of Susquehanna Fishing Magazine and a member of the Johnson Outdoors Pro Staff and Ocean Kayak Fishing Team. His kayak rigging videos have received thousands of views, and been linked to websites around the world. For more information, visit http://fishyaker.com/ and his Youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/fishyaker.
