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A busy fishing spot
Many anglers try to keep their various fishing spots secret to avoid them being frequented by other anglers. However, some spots are popular with many anglers all year round, whether in the sea or in freshwater.
Many fishing spots with large numbers of anglers are not synonymous with miraculous catches. Indeed, the easy accessibility of certain fishing spots leads anglers to prospect them. As a result, anglers assume that if a fishing spot is crowded, there must be fish to be caught. Of course, these spots can be good, and all it takes is for one angler to pull out a nice fish to confirm their claims. A confirmation bias that will act as a snowball and bring new anglers to the spot every day. However, if you think about it, the probability of catching fish on a spot can be increased by the number of anglers and the time spent prospecting.
Disadvantages of crowded areas
- Increased fishing pressureâeuros¯: heavy use makes fish more wary and harder to catch. They get used to conventional rigs and baits and change their behaviour, making bites rarer or more subtle.
- Competition for spaceâeuros¯: finding an interesting place or job can become difficult, especially at busy times or seasons, forcing you to arrive very early or choose secondary locations.
- Risk of pollution or degradationâeuros¯: some highly frequented sites suffer from an accumulation of waste, nuisance and sometimes degradation due to disrespectful overuse.
Advantages of popular spots
- Generally interesting fish populationâeuros¯: if a place is frequented, it's often because it's home to many or beautiful fish.
- Safety and conviviality: in the event of a problem, the proximity of other anglers can be reassuringâeuros¯; it also offers opportunities to exchange techniques, advice and conviviality.
- Observations and lessons learned¯: observing the strategies of other fishermen can help you learn new techniques or quickly spot productive positions.
Find new fishing spots?
If, for whatever reason, you want to fish these crowded spots, it's best to be innovative and discreet. To stand out in crowded spots, you have to try to be different. Stand out in terms of fishing techniques, baits or lures used. What's more, discretion at the fishing spot is difficult to achieve, so you have to be discreet with your rigs while trying to fish further from shore.
