Do You Keep a Fishing Log?

[Bass Junke]

I have been keeping a log since I started fishing. Last year I transferred all the data into a spreadsheet. Now I keep a log on One note and a spreadsheet on Google sheets. One note is awesome. you can do screen clippings and upload photos to it. I keep a log because it includes all the things that happened on the water that day. Strategies, observations, and anything else that may occur that can't be adequately recorded on a spreadsheet. I add the photos I took that day to the log and do a screen clipping of the body of water and mark all catch locations. Spreadsheet is for sorting and viewing info looking for trends. Both might be overkill but I like doing it.  

[J Francho]

Aside from dropping way points for almost all fish caught, not anymore.  I get what I need from those way points.

[Fishes in trees]

Over the years I've tried several times to keep a log, that resolution never lasts past June, or at least it hasn't in the past.   I'm unlikely to try this year.   I have a hard enough time keeping track of gas, food & mileage expenses incurred during fishing.

[mc6524]

Yes I keep a log.  I have found through the years that even when I fish the same lake a lot, I don’t always remember the finer details which has me fishing at a disadvantage.  The log helps me focus.

 

It might be easy to put a fishing plan together based on the time of year, but I find that when I review my fishing logs it helps me remember the little things.  For example, I’ve fished the same lake at pre-spawn, but have found that the water temperature fluctuates from year to year even when fished around the same time of the month.

 

 

[Michigander]

10 hours ago, Jig Man said:

X2. I have been doing this for 20 years. I can compare weather, lake levels, baits, etc when planning trips.

Good on you for dedication!  Your datasets must be robust!

 

What do you find the most valuable amongst your information? Is there anything you wish you had kept track of in the early years that you didn't?

[mc6524]

The things I find the most valuable is weather conditions (I.e., cloud cover, air temp, and water surface temp), comments I make like what I caught the fish on, if it was in cover like trees, and an estimated depth that I caught the fish in.  For example if my boat is sitting in 30 feet of a water and I hook the fish half way from the boat I estimate the fish depth of 15 feet.  What bait I caught them on.  This allows me to put all the other info I’ve listed in perspective.  For example if it’s a blue bide day air temp 90 and I catch my fish in an estimated 15 feet of water on a crank bait versus a finest jig with a trick worm that tells me something.

[Michigander]

Anyone keep track of barometric pressure or the weather leading up to the fishing trip?

[Mbirdsley]

The fish brain app kinda encompasses everything that you want to track.  It’s basically a fishing social media platform.  You log your catch and you can either make it public ( shows everybody the exact spot you caught the fish , competitive ( only shows the public lake it shows you your self where you caught the fish or where the pic was taken was ) ,  or The most restrictive setting just posts your pics to the fish brain community. I’m you can select lures, line, rod, and all sorts of other stuff. 
 

this what my home page looks like 

This what my home page looks like.  Click stats and it gives you a ton of break downs 

[soflabasser]

I have several hand written journals of my favorite places I fish, productive patterns that work in specific areas, weather information, and other information I find important. 

[Log Catcher]

If you look at the top of the Bass Resource pages you will see  a block marked tools. In that it has a free fishing log with boxes for lots of info. I have never kept a fishing log but I probably should.

[Michigander]

2 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

If you look at the top of the Bass Resource pages you will see  a block marked tools. In that it has a free fishing log with boxes for lots of info. I have never kept a fishing log but I probably should.

I didn't know there was a Tools section in the Menu. Thanks!

That sheet has three additional data points that I find interesting:

1. Moon Phase

2. Water Level

3. What kind of bait were they foraging for (paraphrased from "Contributing Factors).

[Paul Roberts]

I'd kept written fishing journals since 1977, which morphed into word processed journal entries, into video journals now.

 

The basic info I record are:

-Water body

-Recent weather trend (usually the week to couple days prior)

-Immediate sky conditions (cloud cover)

-Wind (“strength”, direction, water surface effects)

-Water clarity/visibility (guesstimates)

-Water temps: ST's and, eventually, profiles. This evolved into my realizing I needed to learn how, and at what rate, water heats and cools. Became a project unto itself. A chunk of a given fishing day involved tracking temps at various depths and shorelines throughout the day. One is not casting when doing this. Idea was to be able to predict, or get an accurate feel for, how water temps change weekly and daily, so that I could interpret conditions more accurately.

-Note events that provide clues to seasonal timing or might affect my fishing.

 

The rest, the fishing, was written about in prose, journaling form, a story about the outing: What I thought was happening and how I approached it. This also helped in triggering memories from that day; Works much of the time.

 

The most valuable uses for my journals have been:

-Checking seasonal conditions from previous years before re-visiting a water body. I fish a number of waters so I may not revisit each every year. Helps to get a ballpark bead on what to expect in, say, Late-May on a particular water. However, it’s also shown me how different conditions and circumstances can be year to year.

-Fact checking my memory, which tends to err on the positive side. “You mean that day I killed ‘em was 11hrs of fishing and 20min of actual catching?!!!” “You mean that day when egg-laden females paraded by all morning, was a week before the full moon?!”

 

All this said, there are so many variables going on out there that I no longer consider my fishing journals as containing "data". There is simply too much to record, and the protocols for actually divining really good info are projects in themselves. My understanding of aquatic systems, in all their complexity,  has come not from my “fishing time” but focused research time in which fishing rods simply get in the way.

 

My advice would be to record basic conditions & circumstances, and then tell the story of the day. But, if you are hoping to maintain one, keep it fun. Do what excites you. I still enjoy going back and revisiting fishing days past, even if they aren't exactly as I (would like to) remember them.

[Jermination]

take a picture of your good catches & lure on iphone. It marks the location on GPS & provides time/day stamp. easy peasy 

 

[A-Jay]

I kept logs for Several Seasons in row that recorded much of what has been listed above.

It was an interesting deal - And I believe I benefited from it; but I no longer do it.

Closest I come is recording & saving video. 

However the 'data' revealed some circumstances & factors that I might not have anticipated.  

First thing I learned was that the smaller the body of water - the more helpful a 'log' could be.

Larger lakes were a whole different animal. 

I learned how certain wind speeds & directions (and duration)  can affect certain bodies of water.

I learned that water temps play a equal role in when weed growth both emerges & then dies off;

length of day seems to pick up at least half of that.

I learned knowing what the bait is doing at any given time (seasonally) is just as, if not more important, than trying to predict where & when bass might be or feed. 

The two most important deals I believe I learned from keeping logs from every trip for several years is;

1. Every year, season, month, week, day & even hour on the water is different.

2. (and this was a biggie for me) -  NONE of that has any bearing on where, when, or how I catch fish the next time I'm on the water.

 It's been said many times before, one needs to fish the current conditions.

While 'historical data' Might offer a clue as to what Might be going on, the only way for me to know, is to go fishing.

 

So all said & done, I value being able to get out on a big body of water several days in a row, far more useful than anything from trips past. 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

[Dirtyeggroll]

I’ve never kept a log, I usually just throw it back if I end up hoisting it in the boat.

[schplurg]

26 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I kept logs for Several Seasons in row that recorded much of what has been listed above.

It was an interesting deal - And I believe I benefited from it; but I no longer do it.

Closest I come is recording & saving video. 

However the 'data' revealed some circumstances & factors that I might not have anticipated.  

First thing I learned was that the smaller the body of water - the more helpful a 'log' could be.

Larger lakes were a whole different animal. 

I learned how certain wind speeds & directions (and duration)  can affect certain bodies of water.

I learned that water temps play a equal role in when weed growth both emerges & then dies off;

length of day seems to pick up at least half of that.

I learned knowing what the bait is doing at any given time (seasonally) is just as, if not more important, than trying to predict where & when bass might be or feed. 

The two most important deals I believe I learned from keeping logs from every trip for several years is;

1. Every year, season, month, week, day & even hour on the water is different.

2. (and this was a biggie for me) -  NONE of that has any bearing on where, when, or how I catch fish the next time I'm on the water.

 It's been said many times before, one needs to fish the current conditions.

While 'historical data' Might offer a clue as to what Might be going on, the only way for me to know, is to go fishing.

 

So all said & done, I value being able to get out on a big body of water several days in a row, far more useful than anything from trips past. 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

Seems like a good reason not to keep a log! I'm not organized enough to do one even if I wanted to.

[A-Jay]

39 minutes ago, schplurg said:

 

Seems like a good reason not to keep a log! I'm not organized enough to do one even if I wanted to.

Like I mentioned - I do believe there is value in it, as the information does prove useful.

Just perhaps not is a super direct way.

 While I do not expect to go to a spot, on a certain date, with a particular bait, that worked whenever (you pick the time, last year, last season, last month, last week, yesterday) and believe that there is a realistic chance that it's all going to come together the same way again. Just doesn't happen enough to justify believing my log was anything more than a small contributing factor. 

I have observed some similar 'trends' but that's about as much validity as I can place on it.

 

As for not being organized - yea, that's not me.

A-Jay

 

 

 

[MN Fisher]

9 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Like I mentioned - I do believe there is value in it, as the information does proof useful.

Just perhaps not is a super direct way.

 While I do not expect to go to a spot, on a certain date, with a particular bait, that worked whenever (you pick the time, last year, last season, last month, last week, yesterday) and believe that there is a realistic chance that it's all going to come together the same way again. Just doesn't happen enough to justify believing my log was anything more than a small contributing factor. 

I have observed some similar 'trends' but that's about as much validity as I can place on it.

 

As for not being organized - yea, that's not me.

A-Jay

 

 

 

Only think I track really is basic history. Date, Time, Rig, Lure, Species, Weight/Length. Just a list to show what I've caught, not for 'predicting' purposes.

[soflabasser]

On 2/5/2020 at 8:29 PM, Michigander said:

Anyone keep track of barometric pressure or the weather leading up to the fishing trip?

I have caught some very nice bass when I fished 1-2 days before a big coldfront. 

[A-Jay]

14 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

I have caught some very nice bass when I fished 1-2 days before a big coldfront. 

Agreed ~ 

During open water season - I will make it my business to know the forecast - everyday - by the minute.

Falls under the category of being at the right place at the right time.

In my fishing - it's everything.

 

"The Bigger the 'front' is expected to be or Longer it is expected to take to pass - the earlier I like to get out on the water.  Meaning a 'big' front may mean that the bass might start looking to feed TWO full days ahead of it.  Smaller ones may mean only one day ahead of it is the time.  And this doesn't necessarily mean bass are jumping in the boat, may simply mean the 'normal' feeding areas & windows may have more & or bigger bass at them and might start a little earlier or last a little longer. " 

(except from Brown Bass Tools - chapter III)

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[Bass Junke]

On 2/5/2020 at 8:29 PM, Michigander said:

Anyone keep track of barometric pressure or the weather leading up to the fishing trip?

Last season started noting last rain date, and last cold front.

[Glenn]

Yup, sure do.  I have for decades.  Here is the original fishing log my buddy and I created back in '91.

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fish/fishing_log.html

 

It was the first one ever posted on the Internet, and it's stood the test of time. 

[Jonas Staggs]

On 2/4/2020 at 6:06 PM, HenryPF said:

 I never really thought of this way, but I do keep a log-I record all my fishing with a camera on my hat (not a gopro type camera, they look stupid mounted on your forehead or hat). I know exactly what I caught, when, where, etc.

 

If you are not a hat guy, wear a chest mounted camera (go pro type cameras great for this) or just mount a camera facing you to catch all the action.

 

You can even edit them if you want to get fancy. As for other details, just say it into the camera. For storage you can edit out the parts where you didn't catch anything and upload them to youtube as unlisted for your personal enjoyment.

 

P.S. you don't have to spend $300 on a gopro, the YI and a SJCAMs are just fine for that.

 

Whats a YI cam? I cannot find it on google. I did find the sjcam. I have a very nice camera, no way in hell im taking that thing fishing with me.

[JediAmoeba]

On 2/6/2020 at 8:45 PM, Mbirdsley said:

The fish brain app kinda encompasses everything that you want to track.  It’s basically a fishing social media platform.  You log your catch and you can either make it public ( shows everybody the exact spot you caught the fish , competitive ( only shows the public lake it shows you your self where you caught the fish or where the pic was taken was ) ,  or The most restrictive setting just posts your pics to the fish brain community. I’m you can select lures, line, rod, and all sorts of other stuff. 
 

this what my home page looks like 

This what my home page looks like.  Click stats and it gives you a ton of break downs 

I use fishbrain but I don't upload everything.  I also put them up as collages for the day because I don't want to post 10 1lb fish all the time...

[Mbirdsley]

8 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

I use fishbrain but I don't upload everything.  I also put them up as collages for the day because I don't want to post 10 1lb fish all the time...

Yeah, I usually up load them all up at once.  Or atleast one trip.  Usually though I’ll only put the biggest ones on there or if something changes.  Like if I switched lures or if I made a major move to a different spot on the lake/river.  Or if I catch something interesting. So let’s say I catch 5 fish roughly same size, same lure, relatively same area.  I’ll just post one picture but, make a note in the caption caught 4 more of roughly the same size doing the same thing in roughly the same area