One of the easiest ways to make yourself a better bass angler is to keep a log. Keep notes on the lake, the conditions, the bait you used, the technique, the spot, the weather conditions, the moon phase, and anything else you feel is essential. When you get enough data, you can look back and see patterns and then know what to do and what to use at certain times on certain lakes. You can do this on plain old paper if you want to, and organize by month, season, lake, or whatever.
Two issues with paper logs include:
1. Time to maintain – You need to sit down and write that stuff out at the end of the day. Plus, you must write as you go or take notes while fishing.
2. Finding what you’re looking for – It can be hard to find information, especially after years of logging. There is so much paper and pages that it takes forever to cull out the information you need for a trip. This is where fishing log apps come in. There are many different kinds of apps – some are so automatic they seem like they belong in a science fiction movie, and some require quite a bit of manual input. They also have various price points. So, we did some research, talked to some developers, and put together a list of apps you should consider to make you begin your serious quest to be a better angler this year.
ConnectScale
ConnectScale is a Bluetooth smart digital scale and fishing app for Android and iOS devices. When you weigh a fish, it enters the information on the app without pulling your phone out. It will also assign a color so you can clip a culling ring to the fish (no holes required), which means you can instantly cull the right fish every time. You do need to enter some stuff manually at first, but it also has an autofill that will use the data from the last catch if you want. It marks waypoints and catches with GPS and also enters weather info. Just weigh a fish and automatically enter air temperature, date, time, and GPS location.
You can share via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. All you need to do is turn the app on and leave it running in the background on your phone. The app gives you plenty of room for notes and detail, and the summary gives you pie charts and time charts, shows you the pins on your map, etc. You can choose to share GPS or not. The whole package – ConnectScale plus the Clip-N-Cull, is $119 online at connectscale.com.
Fatsack
The Fatsack app does a lot of different things. It lets you keep track of your tackle box (including a scan tool!), keeps a catch log, lets you create and join tournaments, analyzes your data, allows you to post to bragboards, and even includes articles and videos about everything fishing related. The app also integrates with the ConnectScale to keep the log even easier. Just weigh a fish, and all the pertinent info is automatically recorded. If you want to add more detail, you can simply talk to the app instead of typing. You create favorite rigs by adding all your best gear, which can also be added to the log.
As is true with all apps, there is some manual entry when you first start using it. You need to enter your lures and equipment if you want to keep track of that, and if you don’t have the ConnectScale, you will need to log each fish you catch. But that’s as easy as pressing a button – and it looks like a fat sack of fish.
This app also has a pre-fish page for many waterways, so if you’re in unfamiliar territory, you can get tips before you head out. Some even have hotspots marked. You can check to see if any tournaments are going on near you or even start one yourself, which can be public or private. Fatsack is free and offers in-app purchases of waypoint packs for $10 each. Available for iOS and Android. http://fatsackoutdoors.com/
Fishbrain Social App
Fishbrain is a social app that lets people log their catches and places. It’s free, but to plan your trip with forecasts and unlock all the shared fish catch locations and best baits, it’s $5.99/month or $59.99/year. You can “follow” other fishermen, and it will search your contacts for you. Most of the entering is manual. You log all the information you want, then choose what to make public. However, the more catches are made public, the better the app is. Works on iOS and Android. https://fishbrain.com/
Fishaholics
Fishaholics is a social app like Fishbrain, but with no in-app purchases. It’s also straightforward to use, without a lot of clutter. It uses GPS to mark waypoints and drop pins (you pay for that with Fishbrain), and any user can see all the shared information. It works even if you’re without internet or cellular – all free. It auto logs weather, location, and moon phases, and the map show where fish are being caught. You can choose what to share, and they have 15,000 users in 40 countries, so you can get advice from your fishing buddies no matter where your travels take you. It also accurately logs weather info from old photos and will give you alerts when fish are being caught near you. There are photo filters built in, and all you have to do to log a catch is take a photo of it. Currently, the app is only on iOS, but they’re working on the Android version. https://www.fishaholicsapp.com/
Anglers' Log Fishing Journal
If all you want is an app that will create a fishing log for you, the Anglers’ Log Fishing Journal will do that for you for free. It allows you to log details like photos, baits, and techniques and automatically acquire your location and the weather for each catch. However, you do have to tap the fields to get these, so it is all manual entry. But, the app is free, and that’s a huge plus – if it gets you to start keeping a log, it has done its job. Works on Android as well as iOS.
The modern-day angler has an incredible variety of options for keeping a fishing log, and the only wrong decision is not to keep one. Either pull out the old notebook or go online and get an electronic version. Your options range from automatic to manual, share or don’t share, share with everyone, or just your squad. It’s up to you. But keeping a fishing log WILL make you a better fisherman, so even if you have fished for years without doing it, start today.