There are lots of public discussion forums devoted to fishing reports, and there are also numerous "Pay-to-Play" (PTP) sites available. (As an example, see the sidebar article for some of the more popular websites that cover the Southern California area. We apologize in advance if we left off your favorite site. If you would like to see a site added to the sidebar, please let us know via  e-mail).

This is both good and bad news. The good news is that it's never been easier or faster to get fishing information. The bad news is that it's never been easier or faster to get fishing information. 

It's bad news because it produces a lot more pressure on spots when the fishing is good. It's also a bit sad because some people have become dependent on finding fish through the Internet, and never develop the skills or confidence to find fish on their own. If the "Hot Spot" of yesterday dies off today, these guys are clueless. Remember: you should never substitute fishing reports for developing your own skills at finding fish.

In fact, we predict that because of the problems caused by out-of-control fishing pressure, freely-accessible public domain fishing reports that contain any useful information will eventually disappear. People will simply stop posting detailed reports when the fishing is good, or will wait until the information is irrelevant.

In the meantime, you might as well make the most of what's available. But use the information in the context of helping you to develop your own skills at finding fish. Take note of current, weather, moon, tide, and other conditions, and see how they match the fishing. Build up your own base of knowledge for use on a slow day.

• Species, sizes, quantities of fish caught
  
  
• Location - the more specific the better. Exact latitude / logitude numbers would be nice, but we'd settle for a general area.
  
  
• Water conditions - temperature, color, current, swell size / direction / period
  
  
• Weather conditions at the location, and possibly to / from the location
  
  
• What tackle and techniques were working
  
  
• Expectations for near-future fishing conditions
  

In addition, the report would be available in a meaningful timeframe. If we're going out tomorrow, we want a report from today, not two days ago.

It is entirely possible to find reports this detailed on the Internet, but many times you will need to piece this information together yourself. Often, the information will come from a mix of both public and PTP websites.

• Opinion vs. Fact
  Most people are just trying to be helpful, but stuff sometimes gets posted without all the facts, or without the actual experience to back it up. Don't be afraid to ask questions if something doesn't seem right.
  
  
• Posers & Nuisance Posts
  There is a famous New Yorker cartoon that shows a dog sitting in front of a computer. The captions reads "On the Internet, no one knows I'm a dog". The moral: there are a lot of people in cyberspace who enjoy yanking other people's chains.
  
  On one bulletin board that we used to moderate, there was a poster who claimed to be a 13 year-old new fisherman in Florida. After a string of ridiculous and repetitive questions, one of the other moderators did some investigating, and discovered the poster was actually a 35-year old man, who just enjoyed screwing with people. Even after being "outed", he continued to try to post to the website as the 13-year-old...
  
  So until you get to know the people on a public forum, be a little cautious.
  
  
• "The Proof is in the Pictures"
  More and more public fishing websites expect people posting reports to include pictures. Otherwise, the reports will be labeled as "possible B.S." That's a good policy, and if you can find sites that do this, you can reduce your level of uncertainty about the report. Of course, there's nothing to prevent people from doctoring photos or taking old photos and using them, but it does tend to keep people honest.
  
  
• Hidden Agendas
  People sometimes post false information, leave information out, or post information that sounds plausible, but is off just enough to send people in the wrong direction. In a similar way, timeliness can be a factor. People may not post information until well after they come back, to avoid pressuring their spots.
  
  
• No News is Bad News. Or Is It?
  Here is something we've noticed: When fishing is just plain bad, no one posts reports. When fishing is average, people tend to post only positive reports. When fishing is really good, especially when the fishing is in a limited area, no one says anything until after the bite is over. This means that you could get a skewed view of what's happening. We're not sure there's a good solution to this problem...just be aware that no news is not necessarily bad news, but then again, it might be!

• Pay-to-Play Sites have to keep their customers satisfied 
  Most of them strive very hard to provide all of the items mentioned above under "Waddaya Want?" In some cases, public domain posts lack critical information, or as mentioned earlier, may contain inaccuracies. Intentional or not, these problems diminsh the value of public posts.
  
  
• The Good. the Bad, and the Ugly
  Pay-to-Play sites post the good, the bad, and the ugly information, so you might get a more balanced view of what's happening.
  
  
• Reliable, Trusted Sources
  These sites have developed their own network of reliable, trusted sources of information. This may include good recreational fishermen, professional captains and guides, and possibly commercial fishermen.
  
  
• Noise Filters
  The people running these sites are experienced fishermen, and act as judge and jury in evaluating reports. They look at all of the information, weigh the various factors, and post what they consider to be the best representation of the situation out on the water. All of which saves you the trouble of having to do it yourself.
  
  
• Timeliness of Information
  Public domain websites depend on their readers to post information. After a long day on the water, only the most dedicated members will take the time to post reports and pictures to a public report site. The people running the Pay-to-Play sites are often sitting by their radios and phones during the day, and process information just as soon as they can. They'll also make a special effort to post reports prior to weekends, holidays, and fishing tournaments.
  
  On the flip side, the big public domain sites have a large population of people who post reports, and during certain times of the year they may have more reports than the PTP sites, simply because the sources for the PTP sites may not be out fishing.