I'll admit to having been turned off from a couple of local sites after simply reading the current correspondence without getting involved. A co-worker just mentioned one they'd recommend the other day and I need to get the info for that. Whenever politics come up,on this site as much as any others, there's a fine line between attacking an idea while addressing an individual poster and attacking the poster.
Since as far as I can tell, there's little limit to the amount of text F&S allows it's online editors to post, I'd like to hear the drop-kick story. Alas, JC, that probably wouldn't be a good career move.

Stick to the small local ones, if they get too large, you get too much politics, too many brag posts and posters complaining about the brag posts and if you post good info, your spot with get crashed with folks and fished out.....If you can find a small private forum full of friends and no access to the info from guests, they are a gold mine of information that you can add to and take from without being "being drop-kicked" on your next outting.

The Steelhead Site is a great site. You will not get a lot of information on the public forum but many regular posters are willing to "PM" or "personal message" you with information direct to your email.

I feel it's a valuable tool providing information to guys who only fish a few days a season. (me)

Some local sites are just clicks of guys who will not let anyone in. I think this site, F&S.com does a great job welcoming new members.

A local blog is very effective in getting the word out on regulation changes or latest news. Have also sold items though the classifieds. Information is usual very general, on purpose, to keep from blowing out spots.

I visit less and less, though, but will take a quick look before a planned trip. Been ages since I posted anything. Usually more accurate info from the local fly shop websites.

Where I live on Long Island, there are a ton of people that fish for striped bass. I've done it my whole life before the internet thing got big and to tell you the truth when I'm striper fishing some of my spots that took me a few years to figure out on my own and have someone post about it on the internet kind of annoys me to a large extent. I have no problem sharing a body of water with another person but when these people start to get rude and tell me otherwise when I've been a local to some of my spots for years I have a problem with that. The problem with it in my opinion is fishing has become more of guys chasing around reports on the internet rather than doing it the old fashioned way, and that way is to simply go fishing some new water and find some spots on your own without all the internet hype and trust me theres no better feeling than actually figuring out a spot without anyone telling you how to do it or finding a piece of water to yourself because you put in the time to search for it. Maybe I'm wrong but that's just my two cents

from joeyzac wrote 5 hours 14 min ago
2 thumbs up for BassBarn! What fun is life without a little bickering, bragging, and an occasional smack in the face? Now if we could just get Johnny to swallow the Green pill, we'd be set!

It is trouble makers like you that give me a bad name. LOL

Joe your right about the trash and bash when a guy doesn't have to look another in the eye.
Personally I like the national, actually worldly blogs like this one better. I want to here what others have going on.
Of course I pay attention to what's going on locally but I'm no idiot, I know what's going on anyway. I like hearing from others.

i think they can be very helpful but as it was said before they can become more about bragging then anything else

I live in NC--2X this summer I posted questions about 2 different areas I was going to fish in Del and NJ. Got great advice and caught fish. So my answer is yes "local" sites do work.

They can be helpful at times. But there are just way too many folks out there willing to slam you for no reason for it to be much fun. I don't post on them anymore.