What’s the first thing you do after you land an impressive catch on the water? Take a photo, of course. It’s what follows next that some anglers argue could have serious implications.
We’ve all been there. After catching and taking a photo with a fish that we are proud of, almost all of us are immediately inclined to send the photo out to all of our fishing buddies via text, and to post the photo on our social media platforms. With more and more anglers using their smart phones and social media to gain intel and information about how and where to fish, many folks are either resisting the urge to post their catches on social media, or they are altering the photos before they post them.
Enter the blurred background effect.
Some anglers and fishing guides edit the images of themselves or their clients with quality fish, so the background is blurred out and unrecognizable. This act beckons the question, does blurring out the background really matter? And if it does, can posting a photo of a fish without a blurred background give up or even ruin a fishing spot?
Avid and successful middle and upper coast inshore tournament angler D.J. Rouse said he believes posting a photo of a fish or sharing it with folks without being mindful of what’s in the background can definitely give up the location of where the fish was caught.
“You won’t see a recognizable landmark or background in any photos that I post on social media,” Rouse said. “I make sure to take photos in a way that doesn’t reveal anything noticeable about where I’m fishing. Whether I turn to put open water in the background, or I crop the frame of the image to where very little of the background can be seen, I make sure I’m not giving up my spot.”
Rouse said he has definitely seen the effects of folks scrolling social media looking for intel and spots to fish.
“Nothing seems to be a secret anymore,” he said. “The word can get out on social media about a school of redfish, and before you know it, you’ll be headed to what you feel like is a spot you’re going to have all to yourself and find multiple boats there.”
Rouse said he does not post any photos on the days leading up to a tournament where he’s competing. He also said there are some fish photos he just doesn’t post at all and keeps them to himself.
Sabine area angler Logan Mitchell said there are certain areas he likes to fish where folks could easily figure out exactly where he is at if he included the background in the photo.
“There are certain spots I hold near and dear to my heart,” Mitchell said. “They hold special memories for me and almost always produce quality fish at certain times during the year. I want to pass these areas on to my kids, but I don’t want them to be overrun with crowds.”
Matagorda Bay angler Riley Freese said he took most of his photos off of his social media platforms once he started noticing increased traffic in the areas he likes to fish for trout and redfish.
“Everywhere I went, people started asking me about the fish I was posting photos of on Facebook,” Freese said. “I realized I was part of a problem, so I removed most of the photos from my profile.”
Coastal bend angler Danny Uribe offered a different perspective. He said an image could give away a location, but it wouldn’t necessarily enable a person to catch fish in that specific area.
“Fishing is all about approach,” Uribe said. “You could have GPS coordinates to a spot that has been loaded with fish, and if you don’t take the right approach, you won’t be able to catch them. If somebody is willing to put in the effort and do everything they can do learn how to become a better angler, then more power to them.”
Uribe said it’s important to be mindful about how this information sharing age is approached as anglers.
“While most avid anglers don’t want to just tell anyone and everyone where and how they are catching fish, it’s important to make sure we pass on the traditions of the sport and continue to grow the community,” he said. “That’s definitely a gray area subject right now, with the amount of information that is available at everyone’s fingertips on their smart phone.”
