The Waterdog Journal Forum is a Chicago area fishing forum that also includes hunting, camping and just wandering around in Northern Illinois.
At the bottom of this page is the link that will take you to the Waterdog Journal Forum where you will be able to register. In order to get to the bottom of this page, you have to scroll your way down. I highly recommend that you read the Terms and Conditions as you go. These must be followed or you will not be allowed on the forum.
If you choose not to register, you will have limited access to the forum. You’ll be able to read some old things and access some information on rivers and conservation. You won’t be able to participate at all and the fishing and hunting reports you won’t even see.
If you choose to register when you get to the forum, hit the register button, fill out the form and hit submit. You might get an email from me asking a few questions. Eventually I’ll activate your account. You’ll get an email telling you that. Follow the simple instructions and you’re in.
After that I don’t care if you ever leave a post. I will never bug you to do that. You can lurk all you want, but you’ll be a registered lurker.
If you have problems registering or your account doesn’t get activated in a couple of days, contact me:
admin@waterdogjournal.com
READ BELOW AND HEED, TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
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This forum exists for the dissemination of detailed information regarding fishing, hunting, wandering, exploring and anything else outdoors related. Those that know me know that I give away where I fish and hunt, down to step-by-step directions. I don’t expect everyone to do the same. Being vague is fine by me. I’ll even do that now and then. But what I expect is that if I or anyone else feels like giving out details, they are not to be badgered about it in any way. It’s a matter of choice. Respect that choice.
I can guarantee that over time there will be some pretty good info here.
So if you register, here are the rules:
1. I insist that you do not use aliases. No different than if you had a Facebook account. Real names hold people accountable for what they say. Any activation requests I receive that do not follow this simple rule will be ignored.
1A. A signature is what appears automatically at the bottom of every post/comment you make, as long as you fill it out. Once you are registered go to User Control Panel. Click on the Profile tab, then select Edit Signature. If you are on other forums and want others to know who you are on those sites, put your alias in your signature. For those that have blogs or an outdoor related business you’re trying to get off the ground, you can put links to those in your signature. It’s free advertising, take advantage of it.
2. Swearing seems to be a common habit in day-to-day communications. Anyone who knows me through my writing tends to be surprised when they hear me talk. Saying it and typing it are two different things. I don’t seem to have a muffler between my brain and my mouth, but I seem to have a damn good one between my brain and my fingers. Swearing when telling a story makes a point, I do it often myself, swearing at other forum members is not good. If I don’t like the language in your posts, you have one warning to stop. I don’t give second warnings, do it again and you’re gone.
3. When it comes to people expressing themselves, I can be pretty lenient. Not everyone has a way with words and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me or others on the site. But everyone knows right from wrong. Doing the right thing requires no real thought. Doing the wrong thing will get you gone.
3A. A lot of people on the forum are friends. They talk to each like they do while out fishing, hunting, camping or whatever. In other words, they talk a lot of shit. That being said, no one is allowed to give any one shit for no apparent reason. There are no stupid questions, I should know, I’ve asked them all. I will not tolerate uncalled for smug, smartass remarks to any simple question. We’re here to help others learn, not berate them.
4. Every keyboard has two shift keys. Surrounding the one on the right are pretty much all the punctuation marks you’ll ever need. Get in the habit of using the shift and punctuation keys. You’ll make it much easier on the rest of us that are trying to read what you wrote.
Simple rules, simple to follow.
In return, I have long term plans to at least make this the most comprehensive source for river fishing information in the area. What happens with the other sections depends on those that participate.