Thursday, March 15, 2001

A lesson in fishing reports

I DON'T get much feedback on fishing reports.
   No news is good news, I should think. But the smattering of comments received fall into two basic categories: readers who appreciate the guidance these reports provide, and readers who call for my resignation.
   Actually only one reader has suggested I get out of town. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's the nature of people to be more vocal when they're dissatisfied rather than satisfied. They can be cruel too. I take both the good and bad comments seriously, as long as they are constructive.
   Sources of unhappiness with fishing reports mainly deal with accuracy or reliability, frequency of publication and regularity of publication.
   We try to publish fishing reports in one form or another Thursday through Sunday. I feel this is adequate.
   A regional fishing report comes out on Thursday. This is a syndicated report compiled by people throughout the state and distributed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. I do not contribute in any way to this report. Check out the Website, www.txfishing.com.
   Regarding accuracy or reliability of fishing reports, maybe it would help if you knew exactly what a fishing report is and is not.
   What was, not will be
   At best, a fishing report is a sketchy account of what fishing was like at some point in the recent past. The information is gathered either the day after or the afternoon of when the action occurred. Then the report is published in the next day's paper.
   This makes some of the information three days old by the time you read it. This can't be helped. It's the nature of the beast.
   When I used to read fishing reports regularly, I considered them entertainment more than anything. I also read them as an educational tool, to get a feel for seasonal patterns, local fishing terminology and for what baits and lures anglers are using.
   Lastly, I considered the reports a source of optimism for a trip in my future, keeping in mind the many factors that affect fishing. Fishing patterns die quickly and what's true today may not be true tomorrow.
   Risky business
   Relying solely on a fishing report to narrow your search for fish is risky. But in some cases, this could be safer than relying on your wits, depending on your technical skills, experience level, instincts and awareness of seasonal fishing patterns.
   Volumes have been written on the topic of fishing patterns and methods of catching them. The subject cannot be covered in a fishing report.
   Putting it together
   Regarding regularity of publication, have you ever noticed that all of the news that occurred yesterday fits perfectly into today's paper? Of course this is a facetious axiom, which isn't true. The truth is that newspapers wrestle constantly with priority issues when it comes to content.
   Editors, handcuffed by limited space and ever-widening reader demands, strive to include information that they believe most readers will consider the most important, the most useful and the most entertaining and interesting. It's a judgment call, based on reader input and guided by journalistic responsibility. These decisions are second-guessed and challenged by readers as frequently as any I can think of.
   My point is that fishing reports sometimes are trimmed, or even omitted, because of space constraints. To some readers, this is blasphemous, akin to deleting the stock report, Lotto picks or replacing the Peanuts comic strip. To those readers, I apologize.
   It takes a fair amount of time and trouble to compile a local fishing report, often upwards of a dozen phone calls for the Friday and Saturday reports. I accept this as part of my job. But when a report is scratched, my efforts are wasted. It's not because I did not compile one.
   Fishing reports mostly come from fishing guides and marina operators. Not only do these sources have access to some of the best information, in some cases they also have a financial stake in whether you go fishing and where you fish.
   Anyone with suggestions on how to eliminate this conflict of interest should contact me. Giving in to the urge to steer you toward or away from a specific spot is understandable, though unforgivable from one of my sources. I am not a lie detector. So if a guide tells me about a secondary spot rather than his honey hole, there is no test for this.
   If I suspect someone is providing erroneous information, I'll sever ties with that source. You could help by giving me feedback. If you're skunked repeatedly and often by following my fishing reports, let me know.
   It's all in the details
   Another complaint is that fishing reports don't hold enough detail. One reader asked why I don't include information on wind velocity and direction or why I don't recommend methods of fishing in my reports.
   Next, they'll be asking for GPS coordinates.
   In the Sunday Guidelines reports, local fishing guides often address wind direction and strength, as well as what methods might work best under certain conditions. I give them free reign to write what they want. In other reports, I try to cram in as much information as space allows, including as many spots about which I have information.
   Except for the Guidelines, fishing reports are not predictions. If that's what you seek, check out the horoscopes and weather page.
   I invite anyone, including non-professionals, to provide fishing reports. I particularly would like the help of offshore anglers, willing to provide reliable, up-to-date and specific information. The biggest problem with fishing report sources is their availability. They're always on the water.
   If you are not available by phone or e-mail Thursdays and Fridays, then I can't use you.
   Different anglers have different expectations of fishing reports. I will never satisfy them all. But I believe true sportsmen don't expect guarantees, nor do they play the blame game.