Fishing memory vs day to day memory

[Junger]

Anyone else able to recall almost all your fishing catch memories, such as time, place, conditions, lures, what was working, what was not working, etc? But then I'll go see if my car needs an oil change and I had just done it last week. It's like I have a photographic memory related to fishing, but then amnesia for everything else.

[A-Jay]

I have some version of that still.

But some of it has slipped away at least a little. 

Having a video to go back & review is very helpful, especially now.

I get just about all the info I could want.

Not sure I need it or or if it even helps,

but it's there if I want it.

Now if I could just find my pants, I'm a little cold.

😎

A-Jay

[Jig Man]

Not any more.  I fish a couple of times a week and it all get mixed up so I keep an Excel file where I record pertinent information.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Like Jig Man, it's not uncommon for me to fish 5+ times a week, and everything really does start to blend together making it almost impossible to pick out individual details of importance from a particular day.

 

I write about a paragraph worth of info in Notepad for each session with a few main data points that always get listed.......Hours fished, number of fish caught, sub species breakdown, baits used, big fish, and water temps.     I don't worry about weather or moon phase because I can always look those up using a historical weather app.  

 

On a true banger of a day, I'll record every single detail I can remember that I think might play a factor.   

[GreenPig]

  My RAM is reserved for fishing, besides our wedding Anniversary and my wife's DOB. My recall on where I've caught bigger fish and what I caught them on is strong. So don't ask me what I ate yesterday.

[softwateronly]

The hard part on those truly great days is to remember the three days prior.  That to me is how to recreate it.

 

scott

[Junger]

19 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Like Jig Man, it's not uncommon for me to fish 5+ times a week, and everything really does start to blend together making it almost impossible to pick out individual details of importance from a particular day.

 

Hmm...maybe I just don't fish enough too then!

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

I fished on average probably 3+ times a week all summer and I still can recall almost all of the great days from memory, but the regular and even pretty good days I’ve almost completely forgot. I definitely need to start a journal next year. 
For remembering big fish, I take a couple pictures of everything 18” or bigger, one pic with the bait in its mouth so I can remember, and one without so my buddys wont won’t be throwing the same bait in my spot 😉

[WRB]

When I am on the water looking at specific areas a flood of memories come to mind, brain needs that little jog to recall.

Now I need a list or calendar to look at for day to day choirs or appointments, fishing memories have faded into the mist for the most part. When I do recall every detail is vivid as it just happened.

Tom

[J Francho]

Some catches, I remember the fish and the weight but have long forgotten the conditions, location, and sometimes even what I caught it on. Other catches, I have all the details. Amnesia when it comes to fishing familiar waters can be a good way to unlock spots you'd never think of. 

[king fisher]

This is just like the same trick question my wife asks me.  I have not found a good answer to this very difficult question.  The truth is everything that happens on a day of fishing is very important.   All information must be remembered and may be used for future days on the water.  Other every day life things, are not so important.  Making them very easy to forget.  So far this simple true answer has not been received as well as I had hoped.  I need to find a better response to this often asked question.

[casts_by_fly]

Only the special ones. The memorable ones for whatever reason. The 4#fish that sharked my frog on my dad’s home lake. The big spring largemouth on my own while fishing with him. The big smallie in 41 degree water. Some things imprint in your brain.  

[J Francho]

I forgot to answer the day to day memory part, lol. I have doorway amnesia. As soon as I enter I different room, I forget why I went there. 

[Junk Fisherman]

My Dad remembered every deer he killed and big buck that he saw in great detail.  We'd drive the gravel roads in southern Illinois where he lived and he'd tell the same ole stories year after year.  It kinda annoyed me as a teenager and young adult but I gained an appreciation for them as I got older.  I'd give anything to go on one of those rides right now.  

[GaryH]

Had my answer all ready but after reading all the post I have to go back and read the question again. Dang it. 🤔

[Craig P]

Thanks for posting this topic.  I always thought I was weird or had some kind of medical issue.
 

My on the water memory is off the charts. Ask me what I did yesterday not fishing, not so good. I know it’s just a matter of what grabs your attention but I do wish my daily memory was like my fishing memory. 

[Jigfishn10]

Oh man no.....I remember the day being good or bad....My professional life has my brain at capacity and I need a "cloud" account for life at home. Fishing isn't significant in my life to park space in my brain on...Hopefully after retirement ...  

[Mobasser]

At 67 I don't remember everything as I should. Day to day things I'll sometimes forget, and my wife will remind me.                                                        But, I can still remember many bass I've caught over the years. Certain fish stand out, not always because of size, but because of the surroundings or who I was with.                                                 As an example, I clearly remember my first actual keeper bass. Fishing with my older brother on our grampas farm pond in 1967. The fish hit a black Hula Popper, cast to the edge of some moss. I was ten years old.                          

[TOXIC]

I can remember most details about every lake I have ever been on.  I amaze myself on how much information I can store.  Problem was when I was guiding, I remembered everywhere I caught fish and after a certain amount of time it was most every cove, hump, brush pile, point and dock on the lake.  It made planning a day with clients super difficult.  

[Rockhopper]

Synaptic pruning is the medical term.  We remember what is fun, important, or impactful to us...and overwrite the memories that are of little importance.

 

I remember a ton of life stuff, but I won't remember what the wife just sent me to the store to get.  I make her text me so I have it.  I am also crazy good at remembering numbers for some weird reason.  Phones...bank accounts...dates...whatever it is, as long as it is a number, I will remember it.

[Bankbeater]

I can remember all of the nicer sized bass I have caught, and for the rest of them I have pics and the excel spreadsheet to help me remember.

[scaleface]

I remember well enough to have an idea what to do when I get there.

 

  Last year I arrived at my destination only to discover I forgot my battery. Drove the 30 miles back home , returned, then got skunked. I would like to forget that trip.

[Swamp Girl]

I'm a consistent angler for three reasons:

 

1. Good paddler.

 

2. Accurate caster.

 

3. I remember where I caught bass.

[Glenn]

Yes, I remember everything on the water, but everything off the water is a blur.

 

Wait...am I wearing pants??!

 

Woa, that was close!

[Spankey]

Great post. I can remember many many great fishing times, places and nice fish. But I’m also 65 years old and can’t remember everything in just a split second. 
But what I really enjoy is when you’re not really thinking about fishing and a real old memory of a time, place and scenario pops into my head. Many as a kid and young adult times. It’s not always a bass that pops into my head. I’ve had many great times fishing for trout, walleye, catfish and surf fishing. 
When I was a kid I use to work for this local farmer. This guy was who actually taught me how to trout fish and was a real mentor. He had some local doctors that were friends of his and they were Jewish. Apparently there is a fish delicacy that they prepare which needs carp and the carp they wanted them to be given to them alive. Well they (through the farmer) would pay a buddy and I to go catch them. We’d fish two local creeks, catching a few nice ones, was not too difficult, was easy to keep them alive, worse part of it was toting around the galvanized feed tub we used to transport them. We’d walk them back as close to the farm as possible then Walt would come down with the station wagon and pick them up. 
Now I’ve never seen it with my own two eyes but I hear they (doctors) would put them in a bath type tub for a couple of days and have them blessed. I hope I’m not speaking out of line. This is what I was told. I was a kid and had not reason to not believe what I was told. My business was to catch them and collect on my share of the cash. We had done this a handful of times as kids. Carp or carp fishing never struck my fancy but the moments of doing this with my buddy are clear as day and this was 50+ years ago.