Fishermen are always looking for ways to spend more time catching and less time fishing. Many of us have used the phrase, “that’s why they call it fishing” far too many times. A fishing log can be a great tool to remind you of past successes and failures. I say successes and failures because it is important to log the successful trips, as well as, the unsuccessful ones. By the way, when I say successful trip, I don’t mean coming back to the dock with the same number of people you left with. I’m talking about catching some fish. If you are worried about your buddies seeing your log and noticing how many failures you have, keep two logs. An unsuccessful fishing trip can teach you as much, if not more, than a good one. After tracking your trips for a while, you will notice patterns that lead to catching fish and patterns that don’t.
With a little discipline and organization, a fishing log is easy to maintain and unlike most things dealing with fishing, they can be relatively inexpensive. I recommend setting up some kind of database on your computer. There are programs available, but it is relatively easy to create your own. The key to keeping a good log is determining what information you will need to keep track of. Many of the logbooks found in stores provide categories and all you have to do is fill in the blank. If you buy a log from the store make sure you buy one with plenty of room for comments on the page. Most fishing trips involve more variables than pre-printed logbooks allow for. By creating your own log you have the ability to add categories you feel are important to your success. Some standard categories covered in just about all logs are: Date, water temperature, barometric readings, tide conditions, moon phase, water clarity, wind conditions, outdoor temperatures, sky conditions (overcast, partly cloudy, clear), location, bait, method of fishing, type of fish caught, and the size of the fish.
Whatever method you use, I recommend taking something on the boat to record information for each trip, w