The Ignore Button

[Phil Lilley]

The guides have offered to leave if that is the direction the board is going to take.

Just saw this post.

I assume you have an ear to the guides or you wouldn't be saying it.

So because of one guy the board is taking a turn. Because of one guy, guides on Table Rock won't post here anymore?

I honestly don't understand their beef.

Why do they post advise, reports? What is the motivation? For business? For fun? Just to be a nice guy? For respect? For notoriety? Why does anyone post? Because they love fishing. Love to fish.

coldwter has been on the forum since the beginning, or close to it. He's not a troll. But I do see your point that he isn't a contributor to the forum. I wish he was. He has alot to offer I believe.

At this point, I could delete post, delete topics, close topics. But not sure if it's going to appease the situation.

We'll see where it goes from here.

[mclothier1]

I honestly don't understand their beef.

Phil, respectfully... who cares what their beef is, they post good reports and advice and thats why the Table Rock forum is the best anywhere!. I hired Don House for a couple half days and he seems like a pretty laid back guy, and he also posted reports and was as helpful as he could be without actually setting the hook and handing you the rod. Now we're not sure if he's even on the forum anymore.

Why do they post advise, reports? What is the motivation? For business? For fun? Just to be a nice guy? For respect? For notoriety? Why does anyone post? Because they love fishing. Love to fish.

Thats true... we all love to fish

coldwter has been on the forum since the beginning, or close to it. He's not a troll. But I do see your point that he isn't a contributor to the forum. I wish he was. He has alot to offer I believe.

As someone that hasnt been around since the beginning, I dont know the history on that, If he has a lot to offer, I sure wish he would share it instead of trying to run off the guides.

At this point, I could delete post, delete topics, close topics. But not sure if it's going to appease the situation.

We'll see where it goes from here.

No point in doing that, it would make the thread unreadable, I can only hope the damage has been contained, and I hope this guy drops his trolling ways, and actually contributes something of value to the TR forum.

[techo]

Just saw this post.

I assume you have an ear to the guides or you wouldn't be saying it.

So because of one guy the board is taking a turn. Because of one guy, guides on Table Rock won't post here anymore?

I honestly don't understand their beef.

Why do they post advise, reports? What is the motivation? For business? For fun? Just to be a nice guy? For respect? For notoriety? Why does anyone post? Because they love fishing. Love to fish.

coldwter has been on the forum since the beginning, or close to it. He's not a troll. But I do see your point that he isn't a contributor to the forum. I wish he was. He has alot to offer I believe.

At this point, I could delete post, delete topics, close topics. But not sure if it's going to appease the situation.

We'll see where it goes from here.

I am not sure what you mean by the ear of the guides...it has been stated by them on the forum and in private messages they were not happy with their treatment. I surely don't and won't speak for them. Bill himself gets fed up on occasion and has offered to stop posting reports. I could go back and do searches, but just not worth it to me. You may have noticed at least two guides haven't posted this week. It might be that the Heartland Tourney is keeping them quiet though. One has posted a report elsewhere, so I am not sure.

I also could not speak as to anyone's (except mine) reason for posting fishing reports. I like fishing and the friendship of fellow fisher folks.

With that in mind the definition of a forum troll is " In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional or disciplinary response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[2]"

You said, " coldwter has been on the forum since the beginning, or close to it. He's not a troll. But I do see your point that he isn't a contributor to the forum. I wish he was. He has alot to offer I believe."

Seems real close to the urban defitnition to me. I wish he would teach us more about fishing too. I have nothing but respect for you and if you say he has a lot to offer....I believe it!

I thought it was great when you stopped all political discussions. It really didn't add much to the fishing forum. It did make me think about the different points of views and how others saw their candidate though.

Either way....it is your forum and there isn't another one like it that I can find. I doubt this one incident will ruin the forum.

How did I get myself into this conversation? I should know better!

[fishinwrench]

Can I bring something up, without refueling this dying debate ?

When the "guides" got picked upon, or "trolled" as you are intent on calling it, they weren't in the act of posting reports....They were pissin' and moanin' about some of the actions of average fishermen. Who obviously are people that they feel are "below" them. They were basically doggin' anyone that fished their holes without hiring them first....on a public waterway.

Nobody ran them off, a few here (myself included) just thought they were being a bit too full of themselves and unloaded on'em. I don't personally know Eric or Don or whoever else was feeding into it, but I didn't say anything to them that I wouldn't say to a good friend or a brother.

Other than the lake level, a good weather report, and how much weight it took to get a check in the latest tournament...What else do you need to know before fishing Table Rock ? Seriously. They were telling y'all all this ultra-deep structure crap anyway....but if you must know, the really good weight has been coming out of 5-15 ft on spinnerbaits, swimbaits and worms all Summer long.

[Phil Lilley]

Ok... by that definition he's a troll. He has the potential to do more but that's up to him.

fishinwrench - you're over the top and it is obvious that you don't care if you tick the guides off, or anyone else. I see you're on Lake of the Ozarks and that may speak to your indifference to the Table Rock forum. Coldwaterfisher spoke tongue and cheek but you are taking it pretty far, saying they are giving bad or even lying about where they're fishing. I think you need to cool your jets.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I thought it was great when you stopped all political discussions.

It hasn't stopped and I don't think it ever will. Depending on what side you are on of course.

I hate to say it but, the TR forum has, in my opinion, turned into a bitch and moan forum.

[techo]

Can I bring something up, without refueling this dying debate ?

When the "guides" got picked upon, or "trolled" as you are intent on calling it, they weren't in the act of posting reports....They were pissin' and moanin' about some of the actions of average fishermen. Who obviously are people that they feel are "below" them. They were basically doggin' anyone that fished their holes without hiring them first....on a public waterway.

Nobody ran them off, a few here (myself included) just thought they were being a bit too full of themselves and unloaded on'em. I don't personally know Eric or Don or whoever else was feeding into it, but I didn't say anything to them that I wouldn't say to a good friend or a brother.

Other than the lake level, a good weather report, and how much weight it took to get a check in the latest tournament...What else do you need to know before fishing Table Rock ? Seriously. They were telling y'all all this ultra-deep structure crap anyway....but if you must know, the really good weight has been coming out of 5-15 ft on spinnerbaits, swimbaits and worms all Summer long.

I stand corrected. Sorry fishinwrench. I thought it was the post where they were talking about unlicensed guides on Table Rock. Bill, Phil and others were explaining you had to be licensed and sharing the requirements of becoming a licensed guide when about 25 posts into the topic....someone posted something off topic and what a guide or three thought was demeaning. Then on top of it posted he would guide and guarantee 20 pound bags and said you could get a hold of him at some strip joint and ask for Paradise? I could be off on some of this as I am going by memory. That is the perfect example of a troll.

Two or three guys begged Phil to take care of the guy.

I really really enjoy the forum and have made quite a few friends over the past couple of years. I also have been able to assist other folks in a few things and been helped myself. It is a great meeting place.

I get some of my fishing spots when I see someone fishing a spot I never tried before. Guess I am guilty there too.

[Phil Lilley]

The Table Rock forum here on OAF is the best forum and source of fishing information anywhere on the net, anywhere in any form of public media, free or not. And the guides and others who fish the lake alot make it so. There's no doubt about that.

But no one on the board can be thin skinned. If they are, they won't last - on this forum or any other. If someone gets offended by what has been said here the last few days or week and want not to post anymore, I can't do anything about it, and no one else can either. If someone is thin skinned and can't take criticism or for that matter, a "troll" every once in a while, then sooner or later they will be gone, if not now, later.

That's it, plain and simple. In this or any other public arena, you're gonna get mud thrown at you. The goods one will always have those who stick up for ya... that's the proof in the pudding if you're doing a good job. And there's plenty sticking up here, including me. I just won't use my ultimate power to stop it unless it gets real ugly.... or long, ongoing, stupid, boring, or as Trav used to post... a dead horse.

[techo]

Hey guys, I apologize for my whining and moaning above. I am done with this conversation. Apologies to anyone I offended. Back to fishing for me. See you back in the Table Rock forum.

[Phil Lilley]

A mature forum is always going to have bitching and moaning, disagreements and even hard feelings. Cause we're all different and in the population there's all kinds of personalities.

Over the years, people have come and gone for varying reasons. Some come back, others don't. But if they want good fishing info for Table Rock, they'll come back cause there isn't any other place like this.

That doesn't mean someone can't go and start another forum. That's fine. I hope them all the best. OAF isn't just Table Rock. I'm so thrilled we have other waters doing so well. It's also seasonal.

But I have to admit, happily that the Table Rock's success is directly related to guides posting reports and helping anglers with info on the lake. If we had guides from LOZ, it would be hoppin' too.