Fishing Diary

[MarbleEyez]

How many of you guys keep a diary/log of all of you fishing outings?? How do you keep "documentation" of everything? I think it would be invaluable information over a course of time.

 

[ORCUS DEMENS]

Used to keep a fishing log. Been too busy the last couple years to continue.

 

[Achucker]

Dear diary. I wanted to go fishing today but boat was still in storage and it was a little too cold. It is starting to snow. Oh how I miss the tug on the line!

 

[honkerslayer]

I’ve been keeping one for many years. It is excellent as a reference. Date, water temps, weather conditions, depth, etc.

 

[MuleyMadness]

We do at our Cabin, have since 2004. Pretty neat looking back on old dates and seeing where we fished, how deep, weather, bait and who was all in the boat.

 

[ranger150]

Been keeping a log for years I only got to fish Sak 53 days last year!

 

[Sluggo]

I log my trips. One thing I wished I would have tracked from the beginning on Oake and Sak is the lake elevation level.
Perhaps someone knows of an “easy” way I could get elevation by day for years ago?

 

[ndfinfan]

Yup - since 2015. Date/location/conditions/technique/bait/water temp/etc...for both open water and ice.

 

[CatDaddy]

How many of you guys keep a diary/log of all of you fishing outings?? How do you keep "documentation" of everything? I think it would be invaluable information over a course of time.

My dad kept a simple one and always jotted notes about the experience i.e. who he was with, anything funny or notable, and any comments. That went along with the standard basic variables.

I stumbled upon it in his tackle box after he passed away. Never knew he kept one. The number of entries about days on the water with me, his friends, and others was like a look into his soul. There was one entry that stated I "was the best fishing partner a guy could ever want". Broke me down instantly, wasn't something he ever told me. It was single-handedly the most valuable possession he left me.

 

[svnmag]

I did it once. Wish I'd kept it up:

March 8, 1978:

"75 degrees. Fishing Rinell's pond with a red and black Norman's Little N. Caught four crappie and a 12 inch bass. Had fun."

Went to sleep that night with the windows open. Woke up to a huge thundercrack and saw Mom shutting the windows. Woke up again to a snow day and six inches on the ground. I was never so bummed about a day off.

 

[svnmag]

Well...Maybe it was actually Cotton Cordell. Still seems to me it was a Norman:

^^^^THAT was the plug.

 

[buckhunter24_7]

Been keeping a log for years I only got to fish Sak 53 days last year!

 

[camper]

I used to do this about 15 years ago when i was fishing with my sons. We caught so many fish I was spending more time writing about the experience than fishing.

 

[Jigaman]

I started in 2020. I just use the Notes app on my iPhone. Date, lake, general location, who was with me and how we did. Is there an app that would work better? I would like to get in the habit of recording more details. I reference this very often and find the info quite valuable.

 

[MarbleEyez]

I started in 2020. I just use the Notes app on my iPhone. Date, lake, general location, who was with me and how we did. Is there an app that would work better? I would like to get in the habit of recording more details. I reference this very often and find the info quite valuable.

I was wondering the same thing. I half started last year and I forgot most of the time!

 

[701FishSlayer]

Date, location, water temp, depth fish were caught, presentation. After a few years you just pull your book out and see where to go. You'll start seeing yearly patterns if you record your shit long enough. Kinda neat. Kinda useful.

 

[701FishSlayer]

Every spring I'd pull my book out and every spring I start in the same spot down in Newtown. Follow the fish as they move east. Usually start out in the white earth area, huge differences in water Temps between there and just Newtown. Next weekend we'd slide further east, and further til their in the hook.

 

[NDSportsman]

What if your log is full of shit except you don't ever catch anything? Just keep going to new spots and writing down more useless shit?? Asking for a friend...

 

[risingsun]

What if your log is full of shit except you don't ever catch anything? Just keep going to new spots and writing down more useless shit?? Asking for a friend...

Umm... if that is the case... your using the wrong kind of pen.

 

[Sluggo]

Date, location, water temp, depth fish were caught, presentation. After a few years you just pull your book out and see where to go. You'll start seeing yearly patterns if you record your shit long enough. Kinda neat. Kinda useful.

I also track air temp, barometer if possible, wind speed and direction, lake elevation. I use Excel.