I used to post up detailed fishing reports, until I saw the impact first hand.
10 days straight fishing last fall with just me and Rob on the water. Hardly any other kayaks and boats out there except for a couple loners. We had a pretty steady bite all to ourselves.
We made some phone calls and some texts to just a few people we know could keep it quiet. After almost two weeks of steady reels peeling, an unnamed kayaker landed two solid trophy fish. He went home, posted it up by 4pm and the post had 1,000 views by the morning. When I launched the next morning, there were 25 kayaks, and no less than 15 boats on the grounds.
Any thread with "LJ" in the post will have 1,000 views in 24 hours. Think about who is watching that forum. If you think its just a few kayakers viewing it a bunch of times, you haven't been paying attention.
Hell, I was fishing when the 3 Sea Bass in 2 hours post went up and within 15 minutes I received 4 phone calls and 3 text messages about the bite.
Look at how many WSB are getting killed up north
The same thing happened on the Iron bite this January. Half a hundred kayaks throwing irons 10 feet from each other.
The internet is killing the fishery. I post my fish weeks after they are caught, and I only post the ones that have a "story" or "comedic value" to them.
All the real fish reports happen on the phone and through text messages within a tight circle of fisherman who have earned a mutual respect from one another because they have showed the capability to find their own info. It's a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" relationship. Not a bunch of parasitic people who only care to paddle out when there is a high % chance of catching a fish.