What do you guys find is the best way to keep a fishing log? Do you just use a notepad or what? Do you do a new one each year?
Thanks.
I use Fishtales app on ios app store or for android use fishing companion. Both apps let you record location, size, weight, time, date, water temp, etc
I use a waterproof notepad that I found at lowe’s. Usually use a new one for each year. Cheap and holds up really well.
I have heard of people using a fish tank in their homes. If you put food in the water and the fish eat it right away then GO FISH. If you put food in the tank and it sinks to the bottom then DONT GO FISH. Moon phase seems to affect indoor fish too.
But I havent and am curious how much this has helped people on the past. I am on the water so much I just roll with when the bite happens each month and when I am catching I turn to the GPS and look at where we are in the tide.
Look forward to seeing more responses to this. Good question.
Great information so far. I haven’t decided which way I want to try. This will be my first time using a log so it will be some trial and error I am sure.
I have an old spiral notebook where I kept extensive notes 40 years ago. I logged tides, moon data, recent reports, number of boat trailers at the landing, weather/wind, barometer & trend, recent or imminent rains, location of cold fronts, # and size fish caught, specific location(s), time of catch, lures/bait/techniques, water clarity, water temperature, boat activity in the area, etc.
More recently, I have Microsoft Word documents labeled “Fall 2016 Fishing Report”, “Spring 2017 Fishing Report”, etc. I had to break these down into quarter-year documents. Even so, each quarter is a couple of hundred pages long. I print them at the end of each quarter in case the computer dies.
When I go fishing (rare these days), I log all the information I can remember as soon after the trip as possible. Even “waterhaul trips” are logged. I also log reliable reports from others, CF reports from good fishermen, and details of my night shrimping trips, etc.
When I create a new “quarter year” fishing report, I copy the same quarter report from the previous year, rename it for the current year and quarter, and add new reports in date order. For example, I would insert a 3/9/17 report between March reports from previous years with say 3/5/16 and maybe 3/15/13 dates, so the day of the month reports are consecutive even though the years may be different.
That way, If I have a trip planned for next week, I can watch the weather and other conditions and try to find a successful report near the same date from whatever year with similar conditions. This gives me a starting point for trip planning.
I can see trends such as, “Trout bite the first two hours after first light in the hottest months, Trout go deep on cloudless days when the sun is high, but may bite all day long on heavily clouded days in the fall”. Certain landings are more crowded at certain times of year. Such things “add up” when you have a lot of good or bad reports from a certain week of the year.
These reports make good reading, even when I am l
I started a log this year and i use an excell spreadsheet. Have columns for all pertinent details. works for me so far, just wish the column that shows number of fish caught was a bigger number 
Drterry, those numbers should go up over time if you keep good records and fish a lot. But, I must admit that I am not nearly as good a fisherman as I used to be when I fished several times per week. I rarely get to fish now. “TOW” (Time on the Water) is the most important factor. But, keeping good records helps. It is also fun!
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
What I started with is a googledocs form. It is basically microsoft word but cloud based and free. So if your computer ever crashed it will still be saved online. I am thinking about doing the google sheet which is like excel. I like paper instead so may change but this is what I am trying right now.
[quote]Originally posted by spec
I have an old spiral notebook where I kept extensive notes 40 years ago. I logged tides, moon data, recent reports, number of boat trailers at the landing, weather/wind, barometer & trend, recent or imminent rains, location of cold fronts, # and size fish caught, specific location(s), time of catch, lures/bait/techniques, water clarity, water temperature, boat activity in the area, etc.
More recently, I have Microsoft Word documents labeled “Fall 2016 Fishing Report”, “Spring 2017 Fishing Report”, etc. I had to break these down into quarter-year documents. Even so, each quarter is a couple of hundred pages long. I print them at the end of each quarter in case the computer dies.
When I go fishing (rare these days), I log all the information I can remember as soon after the trip as possible. Even “waterhaul trips” are logged. I also log reliable reports from others, CF reports from good fishermen, and details of my night shrimping trips, etc.
When I create a new “quarter year” fishing report, I copy the same quarter report from the previous year, rename it for the current year and quarter, and add new reports in date order. For example, I would insert a 3/9/17 report between March reports from previous years with say 3/5/16 and maybe 3/15/13 dates, so the day of the month reports are consecutive even though the years may be different.
That way, If I have a trip planned for next week, I can watch the weather and other conditions and try to find a successful report near the same date from whatever year with similar conditions. This gives me a starting point for trip planning.
I can see trends such as, “Trout bite the first two hours after first light in the hottest months, Trout go deep on cloudless days when the sun is high, but may bite all day long on heavily clouded days in the fall”. Certain landings are more crowded at certain times of year. Such things “add up” when you have a lot of good or bad reports from a certain week of the year.
Th
My grandpa use to call it “bought wit” when you learned a hard lesson by paying a “price”. The river has many unwritten rules that folks will learn one way or the other if they spend a lot of time on the water.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
Buy a tide log every year and keep notes on the days you fish. You can find them near the registers at your local tackle shops
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Down here is where a signature goes but they can confuse and anger some people so I don’t have one.
quote:
Originally posted by CaptFritzBuy a tide log every year and keep notes on the days you fish. You can find them near the registers at your local tackle shops
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Down here is where a signature goes but they can confuse and anger some people so I don’t have one.
That’s really smart. Might give this a try.
First you gotta check the regulations and make sure the log is in season and within the appropriate size limits.
quote:I'm talking about a tide log, no regulations posted in these. I guess you just have to make sure you are in the correct year.
Originally posted by RapchizzleFirst you gotta check the regulations and make sure the log is in season and within the appropriate size limits.
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Down here is where a signature goes but they can confuse and anger some people so I don’t have one.