Fishing Logs

[karstopo]

I don't know how many of y'all keep fishing logs, but I started in earnest last year and began my new one this year. I added a column for water level and another for time on water this year. Eventually, I want to get a record of what worked or didn't work, what the conditions were, and where is the best places are seasonally. I do mine in Excel. It is just another way to enjoy fishing when I am behind a computer monitor.

[Puckett]

Sent you a PM.

[Mythman]

I been keeping stats on my fishing trips for about 4 years and I am not sure I have learned very much from them. About the best they do is keep a record of my trips and catches for the year. Also, keeps a record of who I fished with.

I use an Excel spreadsheet, too and as far as water levels, tides, barometers, wind direction and velocity, etc, etc............I don't think all that record keeps has taught me anything.

But I will do it again, this year.

[Deacon]

I know fishing journals are kind of custom to each fisherman. But if folks are looking to start one I can recommend use the Fishing Journal from Rite-in-the-Rain. One it's waterproof so if it dunks it's not a problem. You can write on it with anything but a felt tip pen and it wont wash off. They do sell a pouch for it and a pen made for it that will write under water but it's not neccessary. This companyhas many sports related pages as well as grids and loose leaf notebook paper. Since we play in the water waterproof tends to be a good idea.

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[karstopo]

I been keeping stats on my fishing trips for about 4 years and I am not sure I have learned very much from them. About the best they do is keep a record of my trips and catches for the year. Also, keeps a record of who I fished with.

I use an Excel spreadsheet, too and as far as water levels, tides, barometers, wind direction and velocity, etc, etc............I don't think all that record keeps has taught me anything.

But I will do it again, this year.

You are probably right about the not helping part, but it gets me thinking about fishing when I am at work and I will take that as a good thing. I am going to go fishing, log or no log. According to my log from last year, the Marsh was more productive per trip than Christmas Bay even though I made a more trips to Christmas Bay. I would not have known that fact if I didn't have my log to show me.

[OrangeQuest]

Seems the only real way a log could help if you take it with you and every time you caught a fish you spend the rest of your fishing time recording all the data.
Cloud cover, barometric pressure and if it's up/down/steady, wind speed and direction, tide movement and current speed. Time of year, time of day, bait used, contents in stomach, water depth, water conditions, salinity of the water, is it increasing or decreasing. The list could go on and on.

When I catch a good fish I hit my man over board button on my GPS and keep fishing, if I catch more in the same area I take the time to ID the location with an icon and what kind of fish was caught. The rest is using my limited skills of remembering and knowing what to use for that type of fish and the conditions for the day I get to go again. Now I can't remember what this post was about...never mind.

[karstopo]

Seems the only real way a log could help if you take it with you and every time you caught a fish you spend the rest of your fishing time recording all the data.
Cloud cover, barometric pressure and if it's up/down/steady, wind speed and direction, tide movement and current speed. Time of year, time of day, bait used, contents in stomach, water depth, water conditions, salinity of the water, is it increasing or decreasing. The list could go on and on.

When I catch a good fish I hit my man over board button on my GPS and keep fishing, if I catch more in the same area I take the time to ID the location with an icon and what kind of fish was caught. The rest is using my limited skills of remembering and knowing what to use for that type of fish and the conditions for the day I get to go again. Now I can't remember what this post was about...never mind.

Yea, I tried three years ago taking a log with me on the yak. It is too much of a distraction. Now, I make mental notes of some basic info and record it in computer later.

I was looking at 2010's log. Incoming or outgoing tide didn't really change my catch rate. Nor did cloud cover. Marsh was a little better than bay. June was my worse month, July my best.

[SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS]

There is a program I have been using for almost three years and it has simplified my logs for both fresh and saltwater trips. The Fishermans Analyst is the perfect way to go. It makes recalling certian trips with like conditions a cinch without having to dig through a bunch of notebooks. I have seen my confidence in bad conditions go up ten fold since I started using it.


Chris
SWPS
281-292-5600

[Sugar Jay]

There is a program I have been using for almost three years and it has simplified my logs for both fresh and saltwater trips. The Fishermans Analyst is the perfect way to go. It makes recalling certian trips with like conditions a cinch without having to dig through a bunch of notebooks. I have seen my confidence in bad conditions go up ten fold since I started using it.


Chris
SWPS
281-292-5600

I purchased the same software and it is not very user friendly, kind of a hassel putting in a trip so I have basically quit using it.

[SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS]

I did take a short tutorial at the fishing show when I picked it up and since then I have had no problems.

Chris
SWPS
281-292-5600

[kayak_dood78]

It is very helpful keeping logs. You can alway go back to them when the next year comes around. Also I have noticed this a few times in my trips/logs when it is complete overcast I never catch anything. Im still trying to figure out what lure to use in that situation.

[MONSTER]

Mine is very basic, but I do record my trips, fish caught, bait used, who i fished with, location, and general conditions.

[OrangeQuest]

What kind of info do you guys keep track of and when do you enter said data?
When I could go every weekend to the coast I could see how keeping track of some info could be useful, I noted mentally the tides and water conditions, depth of water and a few other things. I started to time my fishing with my prediction of when things would be right, sometime right, some times not. Now that I only get to fish a few times a year I see I have a free weekend, look at the weather conditions and then look at a few tide charts and then hope for the best. I go to locations that I hope will provide a good trip. Just getting away from Houston makes for a good trip.

[Coastal Country]

I use fish swami
Onlinefishinglog.com

It has drop boxes for everything and once you input a bait it stores it for future trips ( I bet the webmaster is thinking "WTH is chicken on a chain?" )

I save them by emailing them to me and printing them out. The plus about the site is that it will pull up trends as you go about your best days and what they were hitting, plus you can place pics and list buddies that went with you or are on there too to share info. Mne are all private at the moment but if y'all get on there pm me and I'll share a few

[Rob Red]

I use fish swami
Onlinefishinglog.com

just signed up , looks user friendly. thanks for the info

[Bluffer]

Good ideas. I try to memorize everything. If you fish a same region for years on end certian patterns/conditions repeat themself & you just go on experience then.

[OrangeQuest]

I use fish swami
Onlinefishinglog.com

just signed up , looks user friendly. thanks for the info

I signed up too! Thanks Javelina Russ.

After seeing the sample of how it works and then IT figured out the trends for you I can see where that would be helpful.

Mental thought: if it's free the folks that run the site must use the info some how to increase their on catches..

[Coastal Country]

I use fish swami
Onlinefishinglog.com

just signed up , looks user friendly. thanks for the info

I signed up too! Thanks Javelina Russ.

After seeing the sample of how it works and then IT figured out the trends for you I can see where that would be helpful.

Mental thought: if it's free the folks that run the site must use the info some how to increase their on catches..

I'm russellb on there, just shoot me a line and I'll share some info. The creator of it and most of the users are freshwater trout fishermen, so I don't think most my info is helping them