Fishing Logs

[eastern fly 0]

Does anyone keep a fishing log? if so did you dowload a guide, or come up with your own format? I would like to start one so I looking for a starting point.

 

Kevin

[Bimini15 0]

I never have, I don’t do enough “serious fishing” to actually keep track of anything. But the best fisherman I personally know does and swears by it.

He started his many many years ago, so it was just a notebook. Date, time, locations, weather conditions, tide, wind, flies and catch. At least that is what he let up.

[Poopdeck 0]

I did for about 2 months. I did not have the discipline to fill it out. I think my mind is a better repository for info then a crappy notebook or spreadsheet haphazardly filled out. Actually was more of a PIA to me. I don't target any one species and prefer to fish for different species through the seasons in both fresh and saltwater.

 

Perhaps if you solely fished for trout or bass or any one fish and were diligent in updating the data it could be beneficial to you in 5 or 10 years. A few people do find them helpful and anything that provides confidence is a winner. I did a paper log. If I were to start one today I would buy an app. Paper logs are just to difficult to mine info from, comparatively speaking.

[flytire 0]

started one but never remembered to add to it

 

waste of MY time

[xterrabill 0]

i did for 3 years, I used check book sized calendar books with just the basic info for the most part, if there was extra info, I would write small.

the books also had an area of blank pages in the back that I used for more notes, hotels ect.

 

it did help me to become more proficient.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I use to but don't really anymore these days. I'm old school so I just had hand written note books I used for a few years. Then I just got away from doing it. I figure with the internet and all I can always go back over the fishing reports sections and such and see past trips that way I guess.

[rstaight 0]

Kept one for a couple, three years a long time ago. I was a little 3 ring binder that fit in my back pocket that I had picked up somewhere for cheap.

 

I would write down the temperature, if it was overcast, cloudy or sunny. Which way the barometer was going. Was it windy and which way the wind was blowing. Was I using live bait or which lures I was using and how I was fishing them. I even drew little maps to show exactly where I was fishing.

 

That was all before I was fly fishing.

 

Sometimes I think I would like to start again but do it more as a journal instead of log. Something just to record the trip and not the conditions so much.

[mikechell 0]

I've been keeping one, diligently, for the past 40 years. I use green, hardback ledgers to track everything about each trip.

Included with the information are such things as,

water temperature at surface and every three feet down to the bottom,

air temperature,

flies or lures that got hit and those that I caught fish on,

time of day, sunshine and UV levels,

pollen count, low or high fronts,

whether I was holding my mouth to the left or right,

Wife's attitude when I'd left the house in the morning,

lunar tables,

my astrology horoscope,

etc.

I've won millions of dollars on tournament trails with this information.

 

And then I woke up.

 

As has been stated above, I just don't have the discipline, nor the desire to keep a log.

Although, since I've been using GoPro, I can probably say I've been keeping a video log, since I remember what I was using and where I was.

[cphubert 0]

Used to when I was salmon fishing very basic information. date, river, pools fished, water temp, clear-cloudy-rain, fly used and size, grilse-salmon caught/raised. Started with good intensions then would forget the pen, then the log book, then try to add at the end of the day. After a few years I stopped, wish I hadn't it was good information for trip planning. Never kept one for trout or any other fishing.

[j8000 0]

I use a log most years, not all. I find it enjoyable to reflect on the days fishing trip and have possible useful information. If nothing else it brings back memories of a trip.

 

Jeff

[islander727 0]

Kind of. I log my trips on angler action, which keeps a tally for me. That's not the real reason I use it. The state uses some of the data.