What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

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Manning
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What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Manning »

Paddle-Fishing friends, what is going on with this forum? Post activity has dwindled to a trickle, well actually just a slow drip. In the past 30 days there have been just 8 reports on the Florida - West Cost report section. I wrote 3, Rik wrote 3 and jbdba01 wrote 2. On the General Paddle Fishing page there have been just 9 posts in the past 30 days. Since I am a retired person of a certain age I hear the phrase "use it or lose it" more than I would like. Well I think that also applies to this forum.

Over the past 6 and a half years I have enjoyed the community here on the forum. I have learned a great deal about the sport I love and have enjoyed swapping stories with other members. I can actually say that through the forum I have made some new friends. However over the past couple years there has been a steady decline in the activity on the forum. I am not sure what is causing this, but I am sure that the explosion of other social media has something to do with it. My fear is that the forum is in a death spiral. Fewer people are posting and in turn people are not visiting the site as frequently as they used to which in turn contributes to fewer posts. Not sure if we can reverse this process, but I am making a conscious effort to try. Am not the best fisherman, not the best writer and not the best photographer, but I am going to try and post more frequently. I ask that all of you that have enjoyed this forum over the years do the same. Think about what you have learned from your time on this forum. It would be a shame if it were not here for the next generation of kayak fishermen and women.
Being out on the water in the kayak is the prize. Catching fish is the bonus.

Steve
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Mark R
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Mark R »

You are right Steve, it has slowed down. Some of that is this time of year ( I think) - hunting season(for me), the Holidays and the weather... It usually does slow down around now....till it warms up.
I think there is some of the "Old Guard" not wanting to post about what is everyday to them. Butttt, it is valuable to the new folks here.
Me, I need to go fishin!
"Likes smokey old pool rooms N clear mountain mornins. Little warm puppies, children and girls of the night"?
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Todd »

Manning wrote: but I am sure that the explosion of other social media has something to do with it.
Nailed it Steve.
You know what La Quinta means in English? Behind Dennys. MarkM
JoeS
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by JoeS »

No doubt Social Media is a major part of the Forum slowdown.......I think it's time for a PF Paddle In......then strive to regenerate the PF tournaments.......somehow combined Social Media and this forum to revitalize this community..........I am willing to help in anyway I can......even if we have free tournaments(Paddle In) or simple inexpensive cash tournaments(Best Slam pays top 3)....There are other forum groups that still get 45+ participants in spite of the drop in forum activity......I have been away from fishing and the PF activities for a while but it's time to get back.......just my 2cents.......
On another note I got out today with Norm, my day wasn't so great and I'm not sure about Norms...........
"I want to help the helpless, but I don't give a damn about the clueless anymore!
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Rik »

JoeS wrote:.......I think it's time for a PF Paddle In.......
I'm up for that. Old school style. We pick a place and a date. Show up when you want, leave when you want. Food is a group effort if the group wants to make it so or a bring you own deal.

Someone start this thing off by trying to find a date that is agreeable to most.
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by JoeS »

How about Jan 3rd????Skyway Bridge.......You have a plenty of places to fish both Miguel and Joe.....We can call it the "Bologna Open".......Bring your own Food......Just me thinking out loud....
"I want to help the helpless, but I don't give a damn about the clueless anymore!
mikeB
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by mikeB »

Speaking for myself, since last July I have been working in the panhandle area generally from Pensacola to Tally. I
visited Apalachicola for the first time last month and found a new micro brewery OCBC. Lots of hours due to schedules and of course travel time. I haven't fished since last August. Some of the trips are up to 15 days long since we try to get the job done in one trip rather than travel twice in the same month. Hope to have some local work after the first of the year but for now, off to Pensacola again on Monday.
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Mark R
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Mark R »

JoeS wrote:How about Jan 3rd????Skyway Bridge.......You have a plenty of places to fish both Miguel and Joe.....We can call it the "Bologna Open".......Bring your own Food......Just me thinking out loud....
Works fer me. I was gonna suggest the Ft. but it doesn't really matter. Skyway is prolly easier for folks SOT to get to. Oh, I'll bring the cookware (grills, frier) to make it easier.
What part of the Skyway?? I assume South buttttt.
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Heywood »

I haven't had anything to post. And in the past when I did, it didn't seem as if to many people were to interested.

Nowadays I don't have the energy or ambition. I've been out 4 times since coming back from the Mayo, and haven't taken a single picture. Just don't have the ole spark like I used.

A Paddle-In would be great.
"Anytime I shag a buddies wife I always cut the lawn when I'm done " ~ The Leg End ~
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Manning
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Manning »

Paddle-in sounds good to me. Bridge also works.

I have do admit I have not had great fishing days lately, but I just decided to try and post something anyways. Remember they are fishing reports, good or bad, not just bragging.
Being out on the water in the kayak is the prize. Catching fish is the bonus.

Steve
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krash
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by krash »

IDK the answer... but possibly it's a combination of all the additional ways for social media communication, additional groups and forums that have popped up, for example a few years ago there was only a couple of sites dealing with our style of fishing in Florida now there are many and most of them are hot for a short time then trickle off, on Florida's west coast I used to visit 1 site this one, but today I typically visit 3 or 4 as often as this one... then there is simply a loss of interest people come and go then move on to bigger and better things, not to mention the weather has sucked for most of this year.

Paddle in may help short term for locals, within comfortable range of the location, but would not peak my interest as its 3.5 hours to the Skyway..
Tournaments do peak interest but again like a paddle in are usually locale central, perhaps something like a state-wide tournament with points adjusted according to the species caught including fresh-water selection.
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by JoeS »

Krash I thought about a month long Statewide Tournament via 321 fishing.....but that has been tried in the past with only 3 or 4 entries the issue there is it's $20 to enter via 321.....I think that kept a few away......I am not sure......I do believe Social Media has slowed down the Forums but in this case I also believe some of the Old Members have gone in different directions.......
"I want to help the helpless, but I don't give a damn about the clueless anymore!
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by SPORTSFAN »

Will Do. Look for some new posts in West Central.
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krash
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by krash »

krash wrote:IDK the answer... but possibly it's a combination of all the additional ways for social media communication, additional groups and forums that have popped up, for example a few years ago there was only a couple of sites dealing with our style of fishing in Florida now there are many and most of them are hot for a short time then trickle off, on Florida's west coast I used to visit 1 site this one, but today I typically visit 3 or 4 as often as this one... then there is simply a loss of interest people come and go then move on to bigger and better things, not to mention the weather has sucked for most of this year.

Paddle in may help short term for locals, within comfortable range of the location, but would not peak my interest as its 3.5 hours to the Skyway..
Tournaments do peak interest but again like a paddle in are usually locale central, perhaps something like a state-wide tournament with points adjusted according to the species caught including fresh-water selection.
Agree with all that is said here.... I still have no clue what the real answer is to stimulate more traffic, and the issue seems to be the same on pretty much every site/forum.
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by John »

The times they are a changing, the Halcyon days are gone, the internet is its own worse enemy.

Fishing forums have been on a steady decline since 2009, when Facebook began is pervasive explosion.

People move on, people get tired of the cliques, the ying yang, it's the same old song, yesterday is gone, worry about tomorrow.

Personally I haven't posted a report in years, and most of the subjects have been pretty much covered ad infinitum, like an old dog, I keep hanging around, raising a leg here and there and pissing people off.
"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree." - Michael Crichton
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Manning
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Re: What the Hell Is Going On Here or Actually Not Going On

Post by Manning »

John wrote: People move on, people get tired of the cliques
John I think this definitely has been part of the problem. I stayed away from it in my original post, but I have heard this from a number of people I have discussed this with face to face.
Being out on the water in the kayak is the prize. Catching fish is the bonus.

Steve
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