Social Media Changing the Way We Fish

Social media impacts nearly every aspect of our life and that is quickly becoming true with fishing. Believe it or not, sites like Facebook and others now play an important part in determining your fishing location, bait choices, and other important details on your fishing trip. We reached out to Captain Kevin Blair of Charleston to learn how he uses social media to improve his fishing results.

With most fishing guides as well as many Low Country anglers now having active social media pages like Facebook, being able to follow the latest fishing activity has become far easier. Kevin will frequently check out the recent posts of those anglers within his network for the most up to date fishing information. This network is made up of area anglers that we respect and trust. He will also look at posts of other fishing groups for images and comments on their recent fishing activities. The great thing about using a source like Facebook is that it clearly shows the date of the post and comments. Many times the pictures associated with the post tell a full story of the success, and factors behind that big fish posted. Things like:

• The tide levels and direction
• Time of day
• Lure used
• Location
• What’s biting

Look for things like popping corks, the size of the weights, and hooks. Look for the size of the rods and reels as well. Bridges and other structures in the background can give you an idea of the basic location. Also, make sure to look at the date to make sure the information on the post is current. It’s also a good idea to look for things like jackets and outerwear in summer or shorts and tank tops in the winter months. Tank tops and shorts in February would be a strong indication that the picture is old and the information is worthless.

If you do decide to use social media as a means of gaining information, make sure you’re going to a trusted source. Also, don’t squat on the fishing hole of a friend and crowd them out. Keep your distance if you’re fishing in the same area that your friend is. This a time that manners are important. You can learn a lot from sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as Instagram. Use it responsibly. It can be a great tool.