Do you keep a journal of your fishing trips?

[Rayraff]

I've actually been thinking about starting it this year.  I do most of my fishing in small ponds so I don't know if it's going to do much but ill try

[Red]

i do but it is very "generalized"  here is what i entered after my last trip this past weekend

2-24

     Golf course, morning, sunny and chilly.  caught three fish over two lbs.  a 2-0, 2-12, and a 3-3. all on jig except the 2-12 was on a magic shad in the very small tank.  great day!

i just copied and pasted that right from my log....as you can see i dont get into much detail...i guess if i was on a boat with a graph i would record more info, like temps and stuff....but for me this works ok.  i did it last year too, but i wasnt very disciplined with it and i missed alot of trips, so far this year every trip has been entered.

Cliff

[HesterIsGod]

Welcome Brittlab

I'm going to go against the grain here and say no. I do not and never will for three reasons

1. I dont like to fish the past, I focus on current conditions and change tactics when conditions change.

2. I already know my strengths and I do not need an annoying little piece of paper to remind me of what they are.

3. I think keeping a journal is way too time consuming and can sometimes take some focus away from other things I should be focusing on that day or the next day, and I am young and my mind is sharp enough to remember when and how this lure/technique worked.

It is the second most important factor to help me understand where and why the fish are where they are. The first being , what I have learned here

If you doubt it's effectiveness ask Zel what happened when we went out with his color c lector and what i was fsihing before he took readings. That was not because i am a genius it is because I logged what I do and what my results were

BVass are creatures of habit and instinct and they will react the same way a lot ( not all) of the times under similar conditions. Without understanding the past you may be faced with a lot of fishless presents.

Yes, this may work a lot of the time but other times it can fool you too. Say it is prespawn and last year you caught bass on a certain point using a spinnerbait. Last year there was a slight breeze, but this year it is slick and calm. The fish probably wont be positioned on the same spot on the point or hit a spinnerbait. So after half an hour you havent caught a thing and your back to square one. Little subtle nuances that were there last year that you fail to record (and i know you dont record EVERYTHING) can make a big difference.

Also, things change. Say one season you caught bass on a deep brushpile. Your log says the exact same conditions so you go back next year and it has rotted heavily and no longer holds bass. Then you have a nice little fishless present thanks to your log. Things change.

So basically, I think that there are a lot of ways the log will help you but also many ways it can hurt you, so I'm not going to spend time on it. If you and other people want to and it helps you go ahead by all means.

[RobbyZ5001]

I keep a log with the Date, Temp, Time of day, Weather, Water Clarity, Depth, Structure, Cover, Techniques, Lure, Total # caught, Total Keepers Caught, Largest Bass Caught.  Best thing to do is keep a log... in my opinion. You can start to piece together why those fish hit your colorado bladed black spinnerbait in that muddy water over grass when it was windy and so on. I have only a handful of fish logged but in the future it will be very useful.

[Guest muddy]

I am glad I have your permission, I would hate to keep a log and pizz you off >

It is also interesting that you know I do not log everytjhing, that explains who has been using my computer when I am not home

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

Thatd the link for the log I use, it is from this site, check it out, every thing you mentioned is there. Oh and the rotted brushpile: That thing that looks like a small TV on the front of my boat. it is called a depth finder, it lets me know whats beneath the water.

[Rayraff]

One thing I noticed is that log doesn't not have the weather of the day before.  Heavy rains, Cold Fronts, and Heavy winds, will all have a major affect on fishing the next day.

[Zel]

I kept a journal when I fished tournaments quite a bit. Now, since I only fish one or two tournaments a year, I have become lax with the journal. This is because I have concentrated on only two lakes recently, which I'm pretty familiar with. I only make notes when something "different" happens. Keeping a journal does help in my opinion, especially if you only fish a lake once or twice a year.

My last journal entry: "Muddy Man is a human Color C-Lector. He knows optimum color bass see in water before the electronics do. Hmmm, wondered why he kept sticking finger in the water."

[Guest muddy]

Hey Zel; I am no expert, we were fishing "my spots" and I had a lot of

journal entries for those spots, at the times we were Fishing and weather conditions. There were a lot more fishless trips in the begining and as time went by I started to understand what to use, trial and error:NOTES!

 It was not so much of color just seemed to notice as it got darker the purple and black *** worked better.

[farmpond1]

Using a journal can (hopefully) help me become attentive to what's going on around (and under) me  Plus it's a fun way to revisit past outings-especially during these long winter months.  A trip down memory lane can be an awesome pick-me-up.

This year I think I'll use my laptop and download images of each outing as well as keep a journal.

[detroit1]

Since 1999 i've kept a log (just 1 line for each trip). Nothing fancy, just the lake,guest,date, time on water, and catch. Sometimes i'll add little notes (strong winds, a certain lure that was hot, and in the spring- water temps.).During the long winter, i spread sheet into months and lakes making it easier to reference later. And, it's fun re-living the season...i wish i started 20 years ago!

[powerman970]

I have started this year.  We'll see how it works out.  I also have made a few changes to the journal and am applying it to turkey as well as deer hunting.  It will be interesting to see how many as well as how many pounds of fish I catch this year.

[utahbasser]

its not really a journal but i have a book that i keep track with. it has the day, weather, water temp, place, fish, and size. i've had it for 2 years and it has helped out a lot

[Paul Roberts]

I've kept a fishing journal for a long time now. My first entry was in May 1976. Wow, I guess I've broken 30 years. I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the 9 volumes on the bookcase and the graying hair in my mirror. I also wouldn't remember half of what actually transpired on all those fishing days. Memory, it turns out, is really a lot of subjective mush not unlike dreams.

Here are some suggestions, through my filter:

There are lots of recipe book type logs out there that offer a list of things to fill in. I think these simply leave too much out and lack the flexibility and space for the information that really fleshes out a day on the water.

There are also on-line databases you can buy, which I think is overkill. I just never record enough actual data, and there are so many variables to be considered. Things like weather trends, fish behaviors, and presentation details are rarely cookbook enough to fit neatly into a field, either digital or on paper.

My journals have been kept in archive quality (acid free) 8½x11 artist's sketchbooks that start as just blank pages. I write sort of the way I'd tell a friend about how the day went; what worked or didn't, and what was interesting. More recently I've begun using word processing software on my computer to create entries, which helps a lot in organizing and editing. I then transfer this to my bound journals.

Not everything is in prose though. I dutifully keep some data that are important, and these lead off every entry, following the date:

Bod(ies) of Water: This is made obvious (in brackets) at the top of the entry so I can later refer back to specific waters easily.

Weather: The trend over the last few days is critical, as well as through the day as I fish.

Sky, water surface conditions, and water clarity (they are related in effect): changes through the day as I fish and how I adapted to them.

Water Temp: I always record surface temps when I arrive and when I leave, in roughly the same location usually right at shore somewhere that gets direct sun representing the upper limit of direct conduction. I try to take the temp at exactly the same depth (4) because it can be cooler at say 8 as heat does not penetrate far the depths are warmed over time by convection, and mixing. This recording is a benchmark telling me how rapidly the day is able to heat or cool the water.

I also record surface temps out over open water in several places as I fish. Then, I record temps where it might be different: windward and lee shores, sheltered coves, inlets etc. I usually record a couple profiles as well, to keep track of convection.

I've always done this for trout religiously but only relatively recently for bass. It has proved worthwhile, helping me understand and better judge how weather, temp, and fish relate. When I trout fished a lot it got so I could put my hand in and judge temp accurately sort of like Muddy can do with color . But I don't fish that much anymore.

Wind: Wind affects water temperature distribution which can affect fish distribution. Wind also affects surface and water conditions which affects fish spookiness, and their response to lure types and finishes.

Biological activity: I may describe any interesting activity: Insect emergences (Yes for bass too bc insects are preyfish food midge hatches are worth fishing!), plankton blooms, flowering times, even snakes in the road or frogs on the shore sunning. I record when various fish are spawning and where, any observed behaviors, size (for age) classes of fish seen, etc... . Doing this I've been able to discover strong hatch years of bass in my ponds and follow up down the road with satisfying results.

Presentation: I usually highlight lure configurations, and relevant tackle choices, and how and why they worked, or didn't.

Catches: Size (actual) and numbers. I try to tally every fish.

I keep a little notebook in my pocket for notes. Don't trust your memory it's very subjective, and this gets worse the more time has passed from the event -and I mean days, even hours. It seems I begin re-writing history almost immediately!

Sketches: I'll diagram (sketch) the ponds, lakes, or areas in lakes, recording locations of interest. I download aerial maps of these to get the shape and locations right. I sketch in bottom contours and cover, my positioning, and use symbols for wind direction and fish locations and catches. I may also sketch insects, fish, fish colorations or markings, or lure configurations anything of particular interest.

I try to journal that night when I return home. If I don't a lot of the day is lost, and I end up with mostly some hollow data. It's the thoughts, impressions, and ideas that flesh out the day. The data is important, and is the bare minimum. A really good journal entry though reads like a good fishing article, and focused on your very own piece of water.

Sounds like a lot, and can be. But it gets easier when you are in the habit. It also helps if you are fascinated by now nature works and love to write too wish I had more time for both.

Some example pages:

[Guest muddy]

Hey Paul: can you help me with my term paper?

[jemackinnon83]

I don't keep a journal because I can remember perfectly that I didn't catch a fish.  In all sorts of conditions:).

[Paul Roberts]

Sorry Muddy. Been there done that. I write for myself now. But...if you can teach me how to measure color penetration and the bass perception of it with my finger, I'll make an exception!

[Hooked_On_Bass]

That is awesome Paul Roberts!

[Sam]

Yes, but it is not that formal.

I write down the weather conditions and what worked and what did not work.

That's about it.

[bugman]

PR,

What a great reply. For many of us fishing is so much more that a sport. Having written history in such detail is a treasure.

Thanks!

[Guest muddy]

Sorry Muddy. Been there done that. I write for myself now. But...if you can teach me how to measure color penetration and the bass perception of it with my finger, I'll make an exception!

That deseves this  

 Starting my last 2 classes next month ;D

[Guest muddy]

On a more serious note, thats great stuff Paul : my favorite piece of info , something i will incorporate this year

QUOTE:

Weather: The trend over the last few days is critical, as well as through the day as

[Vyron]

awesome info Paul Roberts , thanks

[Paul Roberts]

For many of us fishing is so much more that a sport. Having written history in such detail is a treasure.

I'm not a tournament fisher, it's more about nature study for me. Man, I'm just fascinated by it all.

My Dad was a professional illustrator and he loved to go sketching. He also loved to fish too, so we did both together. I eventually went into the sciences so my journals are part data to answer the "burning questions", and part romance.

[maxke01]

I never have but i will this year. Fishing is an important part of my life and the more information I have the more I will learn. I will probably never be a professional but I dont need to get paid for something i enjoy.

[Garnet]

You should start with last years fishing get as much as possible down and move forward.

Garnet