KEEPING/MAINTAINING A LOG

[Harold Scoggins]

  Just finished watching Glenn and Hank discuss fishing logs and when Hank stated that he couldn't recall how many fish he has caught during his lifetime, it lit a fire under me to try and figure out my own lifetime fish count. I really envy the younger anglers who can use electronic devices to record information related to their catches. I also envy those who are just starting out and who are wanting to become good anglers as they have resources available to them that many of us didn't have.

  Maybe the first response, to those asking for advice on getting started in bass fishing, should be, "Start a log." The benefit of having a record to review undoubtedly can provide insight into bass behavior, movement, patterns, and weather's role. So, if you're one of those just starting out with rods, reels, and tackle, be sure you make a fishing log part of your equipment.

   I never had a fishing log, per se, but I've kept journals since the late 1960's. Although my early journal entries are mainly those of a young man's daily exploits,  I know there are some describing time on the water. I started keeping separate fishing  journals in the late 1980's. It may take me awhile to go through boxes of journals, fishing for me begins in March, but I am going to find out how many fish I've caught in my lifetime. Should my wife or kids happen to see one of my early journals before I intended them to, I'll just blame it on Glenn and Hank. 

[stepup]

I have often though about doing it but have just never took the time to do it. I probably should do it at some point.

[Bankbeater]

I've recorded my catches since 2002 and kept a detailed spreadsheet since 2005.  Thanks to a lot of picture taking I can remember some memorable catches from when I was young, but for most of my trips, all I can remember is the size of the fish and the bait I was using.

[HenryPF]

I just spent a ton of hours going through all my videos of myself that I record walking around the retention pond in my backyard. With the advent of action cameras, you can record your fishing jaunts for almost nothing.

 

I attach a camera that weighs nothing to my baseball cap and I think with memory card its right around $110 for a waterproof camera that last around 3 hours battery life.

 

The point to all this? I use video of a record of my fishing much like a log but get the entertainment value out of videos more than a bass laying next to my rod. A plus side, you can send clips to your buddies.

 

I have also learned, man, I catch a lot of dinks!

[Quarry Man]

I record basic information about my notable catches, such as catching a lot on one bait one day, or a sizable fish. I fish small lakes so this is helpful. in 2017 I counted every fish of every species I caught and it was miserable. I went after numbers of fish, not quality and it was stressful, not fun. Now I only record important info.

[Redroy]

I’m in my thirty’s and have been keeping a log since I was 21, old school style on pad and paper. I enjoy sitting down shortly after the day, or during a break in fishing and mentally recalling what was caught, then I’m discussing what was used with who ever i’m fishing with, maybe the technique and so on. I enjoy the conversation and recording the information. On the four lakes I frequent I drew a map of the lake with landmarks, as best as possible anyway.

[Paul Roberts]

Fun post, Harold.

 

So much fun... it's got me reminiscing some.  Hope you're nearly as old a codger as I, or, not as impatient as my son. I'm a bit obsessed with my fishing. I can argue that I come by it honestly -we all do; I just have more energy than most. As my mom used to say in regards to my fishing passion, "Well... there's nothing like a good fanatic when you want to get something done." I kinda like that.

 

I kept a hand-written, and illustrated (come from a family of artists), prose journal from 1977~2012. My process was to carry a pocket notebook for "data" and reminders, later adding a voice recorder affixed to a retractor. After the outing, I'd sit down in a comfortable chair, and write the trip up. I found it important to get to it as soon after the trip as possible; Memory is a funny thing. Then I started toward digital journaling, via word processor. The only electronic databases I kept (along with written records) were for my intensive spawn behavior observation studies from 2007-2010.

 

I've kept a photographic record, as well, since the start. As a rural kid, I bought my first SLR from the money I earned running a fur trap-line, and wore that, and a few since, into submission. Photography is just plain gratifying, and those memories pop back a little better -and more accurately sometimes- with images. 

 

The most valuable thing I've used my written journals for, besides reminiscing, has been checking previous seasonal conditions for waters I'm planning to hit, and for fact-checking my memory. Memory is a funny thing.

 

I tallied fish here and there, making most note of fish sizes -essentially keeping track of hatch years and recruitment trends. Was, and am, most interested in enviro/eco observations/"data", the story, and what I learned. I did have a friend, a heck of a fly-fisherman, who used a clicker-counter to keep tally during his outings. He didn't have to take it out of his pocket to click it, and it was totally waterproof.  He was darned efficient with his fly-tackle and could tally some serious numbers, although I did notice that he tallied the little ones too.

 

My "going digital" meant using the same prose format, but via word processor. These were also easier to share, and I posted some here on BR, and also on Troutnut. Although with the demise of Photobucket also went the posted images -photography and graphics.

 

I don't keep the written records now -at least as consistently- in part bc I know more of what I'm looking at in the moment, after all those years of record keeping. My photography is being maintained, with the addition of video, which I found to be an easy switch (thought process-wise). Years ago, I came to use a still camera like video -as a series of still images that captured sequences of events. This is essentially what how video's are put together. Video is a lot more involved, logistically, but such a wonderful way to capture events. My long-time lament of not being able to give both the fishing and the photography justice, at the same time, has nearly been alleviated. I can now put together "Video Fishing Journals" which I post on my "nature focused" YT channel. And I'm producing full-blown documentaries too, on largemouth bass, focused on behavior. 

 

I've even considered mixing those media, making some video's using my written journals, by choosing interesting events, and sharing how and why they have -and remain- informative in my fishing. Some are just plain good stories, to boot. There's "Catheter's In!", "Get Paul Another Sandwich", "Fancy Ballet", "Stoopid", "Lady, You're IN My Lines!!", "Death Float on the Tapickabooger River", "Clear Sailin' Ahead!", "Hey, I Got An Inflatable Boat!", and plenty of other funny, stoopid, and/or downright scary, die-hard fishing stories. Ya know, I don't mind being an ol' codger. Esp with all that journaling behind me.

 

Thanks for the fun thread.

[ITO_ZILLION]

I have been meaning to try and log my catches myself. The logging apps seem so cumbersome and finicky to me that they seem more like a chore and hassle than anything else. The method I have devised up with for now is...Take a picture of every fish I catch...Than when I get home...I input info like bait used, weight, weather and location into a notepad document...Than I stick that document and all the pictures of all the fish caught for that day into a folder that is than labeled by date and location onto my hard drive. 

[blongfishing]

My uncle that is a striped bass guide was actually the first person who told me to keep a log. He started guiding 20+ years ago but he always kept a log himself. After I started, it was better than any fishing report or anything else. Especially in high school fishing when the schedule typically repeated itself year to year, it was a huge help. I keep it pretty basic. Pretty much just write down: date, lake, moon phase, locations, baits, approximate weight, and a section to leave notes that could include anything, mostly stuff I wish I would have thrown. LOL.

 

This year I decided to take an astronomy class in school. Started out pretty boring but when we reached the tides and moon phases unit, I was all ears. Studying moon phases and tides and seeing the direct correlation between bass patterns and moon phases is actually amazing. Moon phases is always something you (or at least for me) hear in passing or something you don't really look into. When I started to think about it, I realized the great impact the Moon has! 

 

Anyways, a fishing log is certainly the greatest tool I've had in the past few years! I'm also a little old school when it comes to my logs. Still use pen and paper! Many great apps out there but I'm still a pen and paper fan.