What’s a fishing journal and why should you have one?
When you decide to go fishing, usually the things you absolutely have to have are your rod, reel, and tackle. While these are certainly necessary, I’ve found myself adding a new tool to my arsenal that comes with me every time I go out on the ice or in a boat. This new tool is a fishing journal.
I found myself going on trips all the time, and only really remembering what happened based on my memory (not a reliable source) and pictures of the fish we caught that day (if we caught any). The problem I was encountering was not remembering what lures I used, what bait I used, where we fished, what the day was like, and more.
This information is valuable to me. I want to be able to look back on a trip and know exactly what happened, so that the next time I try that area or tell a story about it, I remember all the info I need.
There are lots of options out there for a fishing journal. You can use a notebook, your notes app on your phone, or an actual physical journal made for this type of info. They’re all options, but none of them worked for me. I didn’t want to carry out paper and pens to the water with me, and the notes app on my phone was too disorganized. So I made my own option (I’ll put a link to it below, this article isn’t a plug to get you to use mine, it’s more to build awareness that these things exist and are cool).
So, why should you use a fishing journal on your next trip? Let’s look at 4 of the main reasons.
Details about the day
Any day you go out fishing will vary from the next. Things like the season, weather, temperature, wind, and even the time you go out are variables. Keeping that sorted from memory is difficult, so having an organized place to store it is a must. Knowing this info will help you find patterns and recognize when good days to go after your favorite fish are going to be.
Details about the water
When I go out fishing, sometimes it’s on one body of water, and other times I go from place to place as the day goes on. I’ll never remember the specifics of days like that. I like to keep track of that, as well as water clarity, the depths I fished at, and any cover or structure that I tried. Knowing this will help me keep track of what was done before, and know what worked and what didn’t.
Details about the fish caught
Arguably the most exciting part of keeping a fishing journal, you’ll always remember what you caught on a trip with this info. When I track it, I like to make note of what kind of fish it was, what the weight is, what the length is, what time I caught it, what lure I used, and other random notes. When keeping track of things this way, I will always remember exactly how well (or poorly) I did on a trip and what variables helped me achieve it.
Trip Reflection
This section is a bit unique compared to other journals you may find on the market. I have a set of questions I ask myself after a trip is complete, once I have time to look over the data and reflect on the day. Questions like “Who was on the trip?”, “What was the best moment of the trip?”, and “Would you go back to this spot?” are all questions I use. I use them for two main reasons. The first is to help even more in my decision on future trips to that spot. The second (and way more important) is to help me keep a catalog of memories from these trips. Knowing who I was with, what we caught, what the highlights were, and other info keeps these awesome fishing memories alive and well.
So, why should you use a fishing journal? If you want to keep your trip information in one place that is organized to help you make decisions on future trips and keep memories of past trips, a fishing journal is a great choice for you.
Again, I’ll link the journal I use here, but it is not a plug to get you to use it. I’m more concerned about you using something rather than my thing for this. If you do want to use mine, the support would mean a lot, and I know it will help you accomplish your fish journaling goals.
Link: Fishing Journal - RuggedWriter
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-Calvin
