Keeping a yearly fishing journal...

[Josh]

I feel like I've hear some of you talk about keeping a fishing journal, or yearly notes. I've never done this, but I'm looking for a paper or electronic version to do so. I'm tired of trying to remember when something was happening in previous years or trying to dig through a decade of photos to figure it out.

Specifically, I want to be able to flip the "page" to June, and see my notes from previous years' "June". I don't need a daily calendar, more a place to write "June 1, 2020 - Smallmouth were on beds by the launch at Lk ____" and then "June 20, 2023 - smallmouth beds all empty/abandoned" ... and so on over the years.

What do people use for this sort of journaling/note-taking? I suppose I could just get a three ring binder and some tabbed dividers for the month. Then just start filling up pages of notes. Also happy to find an app that would do the same thing. I suppose I could even just use a Google Doc with tabbed pages for the months. Or a Google Sheets spreadsheet done in the same way.

 

[creekx]

I feel like I've hear some of you talk about keeping a fishing journal, or yearly notes. I've never done this, but I'm looking for a paper or electronic version to do so. I'm tired of trying to remember when something was happening in previous years or trying to dig through a decade of photos to figure it out.

Specifically, I want to be able to flip the "page" to June, and see my notes from previous years' "June". I don't need a daily calendar, more a place to write "June 1, 2020 - Smallmouth were on beds by the launch at Lk ____" and then "June 20, 2023 - smallmouth beds all empty/abandoned" ... and so on over the years.

What do people use for this sort of journaling/note-taking? I suppose I could just get a three ring binder and some tabbed dividers for the month. Then just start filling up pages of notes. Also happy to find an app that would do the same thing. I suppose I could even just use a Google Doc with tabbed pages for the months. Or a Google Sheets spreadsheet done in the same way.

I keep simple google doc spreadsheet that started as an Access DB and Excel spreadsheet. Has columns for year/month/day/body of water/state/fishing partner/stream flow data/specific location/and a note column for specifics (specific location, float or wade, hatches, notable catches, etc.) Easy to search by date, water, etc.

 

[Stonedfish]

Tried it several times many years ago, but failed to keep up with it. Either too lazy, tired after fishing or just forget to update it.
My first was handwritten. Later started using word. Then tried excel with worksheets for each month throughout the year. The excel was easiest, at least for my limited computer skills.
Now if I want to keep tabs on a certain species I caught through the year, I just note the date on a tablet 6/5 and how many fish I hooked versus landed, 1 for 2.
SF

 

[PhilR]

I also have a basic google docs table, with date, where, target, success, and notes (water level, weather, partners, etc). Works for me.

 

[jact55]

I feel like I've hear some of you talk about keeping a fishing journal, or yearly notes. I've never done this, but I'm looking for a paper or electronic version to do so. I'm tired of trying to remember when something was happening in previous years or trying to dig through a decade of photos to figure it out.

Specifically, I want to be able to flip the "page" to June, and see my notes from previous years' "June". I don't need a daily calendar, more a place to write "June 1, 2020 - Smallmouth were on beds by the launch at Lk ____" and then "June 20, 2023 - smallmouth beds all empty/abandoned" ... and so on over the years.

What do people use for this sort of journaling/note-taking? I suppose I could just get a three ring binder and some tabbed dividers for the month. Then just start filling up pages of notes. Also happy to find an app that would do the same thing. I suppose I could even just use a Google Doc with tabbed pages for the months. Or a Google Sheets spreadsheet done in the same way.

In other forums, like gardening places im on, we all have our own personal thread. Show off our stuff, and it works great to look back a year or two and access dates, practices and whatever else.

Obviously this is in addition to all the other main threads.

I've wanted to start my "own thread" here, just for that reason. Show fish caught, rivers and flows, as well as whatever else. Then I could look back on previous seasons.


It's not a true journal per se, and maybe it would have to be vague to keep some secret spots. But on the gardening side, this sort of thing has been a help to me

 

[Bruce Baker]

I have been using Excel. One spreadsheet per year.

 

[Josh]

In other forums, like gardening places im on, we all have our own personal thread. Show off our stuff, and it works great to look back a year or two and access dates, practices and whatever else.

Obviously this is in addition to all the other main threads.

I've wanted to start my "own thread" here, just for that reason. Show fish caught, rivers and flows, as well as whatever else. Then I could look back on previous seasons.


It's not a true journal per se, and maybe it would have to be vague to keep some secret spots. But on the gardening side, this sort of thing has been a help to me

People are MORE than welcome to do that here. We could even start a "personal journals" subforum if there was enough interest.

It's just not quite what I, myself, am looking for as far as a "journal".

 

[Pink Nighty]

I don't keep one, but having my phone pictures synced to Google memories has been neat. I get updates pretty much daily with the last several years of pics from this date.

I try and take pictures now with that in mind. Last year I took pictures of bluegill on beds the first time I saw them, and that memory popped up yesterday. So about a month behind this year lol.

I do believe it makes a better angler to keep organized info like that. My uncle passed away last year, a very accomplished outdoorsman. His journal was available at his memorial and it was insanely impressive. What struck me most were how detailed he was about days he got skunked. The question of "why didn't this work?" seemed as important as figuring out why something did.

 

[Tom Butler]

I take lots of snapshots, and find having pictures in a file works as well for me as written journals did. Year/waterbody/date works for me.
Whatever you do, keep it up. The simple act of either writing or reviewing images will also help the memory connection building process.

 

[Salmo_g]

I recommend keeping some kind of record. I started doing that when I was still fairly new to fly fishing in my 20s. After a while I looked at my record book and realized that I remembered every single thing I had recorded. I had a pretty darn good memory. Had, being the operative word. Now I'm 74 and some days I CRS, can't remember shit. I've had friends tell me about some really nice steelhead I've caught, real memory makers, as it were. And I'm sure that I remembered every single one of them for a very long time. But not now. I remember a lot of special ones and some not-so-special ones, but no where close to all of them, let alone the time, place, conditions, etc. I doubt that anyone who's kept a journal for decades ended up regretting it.

 

[Rio Grande King]

I abhor body counts- bland accountancy was never my thing. Commercially available fishing journals have lots of slots for hard data; wind, moon phase, water temperature, fly patterns and, of course, number of fish landed. But unless you're fishing for memories you're missing the point.

It has proved to be a great joy to revisit past impressions. Do it in whatever format works for you. You'll be happy to relive your adventures- even the piss-poor days.

For example, here is an excerpt from May 20, 2006. A date totally grabbed at random. This is in a different format than most entries because it was sent to a friend after a so-so day on the Clark Fork above Missoula during high water.

"Zen of nymphing my ass. No matter how you package it, bobber fishing is Joe Lieberman dull. See if this doesn’t about cover your experiences- mainly underwater gardening: pulling willow shoots out of the torrent and decorating larger pieces of underwater debris with beadheads and worse. Then there are the ungainly quasi hook-set twitches whenever your bobber interrupts its tediously predictable short float. The mindless stupor and random spasms that define the exercise occasionally interrupted with real fish pulls. The Mend-Master (a 10-foot rod) makes indicator nymphing more effective, but it can’t transform it into elegant sport."

 

[RCF]

I add an event to Google calendar for the fishing trip date(s) I am planning. When I want to keep a thought of something I just add a few notes to the event on that date.

I used to use Excel but found it cumbersome or not available when I was in the mood. Also weather is so different year to year I found it not as useful as I wanted.

Personal Journals online like here may be ineffective because one would not provide the water's name and which rock they stood on or the hole they were fishing or GPS info.

 

[jasmillo]

I take lots of snapshots, and find having pictures in a file works as well for me as written journals did. Year/waterbody/date works for me.
Whatever you do, keep it up. The simple act of either writing or reviewing images will also help the memory connection building process.

Same. With geocoding, and date capture, a few simple pics is the most efficient way for me to journal.

 

[PhilR]

I’ve got one place where level is dependent on flow and tide, but I have yet to figure out the relationship. I’m hoping the log will help with that

 

[Yard Sale]

I go fishing to get away from this kind of BS. Spreadsheets are for the office.

Of course I wake up at 9 on fishing days and don't mind a good skunking....

 

[Wadin' Boot]

I abhor body counts- bland accountancy was never my thing. Commercially available fishing journals have lots of slots for hard data; wind, moon phase, water temperature, fly patterns and, of course, number of fish landed. But unless you're fishing for memories you're missing the point.

It has proved to be a great joy to revisit past impressions. Do it in whatever format works for you. You'll be happy to relive your adventures- even the piss-poor days.

For example, here is an excerpt from May 20, 2006. A date totally grabbed at random. This is in a different format than most entries because it was sent to a friend after a so-so day on the Clark Fork above Missoula during high water.

"Zen of nymphing my ass. No matter how you package it, bobber fishing is Joe Lieberman dull. See if this doesn’t about cover your experiences- mainly underwater gardening: pulling willow shoots out of the torrent and decorating larger pieces of underwater debris with beadheads and worse. Then there are the ungainly quasi hook-set twitches whenever your bobber interrupts its tediously predictable short float. The mindless stupor and random spasms that define the exercise occasionally interrupted with real fish pulls. The Mend-Master (a 10-foot rod) makes indicator nymphing more effective, but it can’t transform it into elegant sport."

I would probably enjoy reading "all bad day" journal entries from RGK

Incidentally do you remember when Joe Lieberman would refer to himself as having "Joementum"?

 

[skyriver]

Back in the day I kept them on a little spiral notebook. Small enough to fit in my vest. I guess I thought I might whip it out right there on the river to help me catch something. That never really panned out, but it did help me in the long run. It was mostly a steelhead journal. So river level, temp, etc.
Lowly trout and bass didn't require a journal I guess. Haha! Well, I stopped doing the journal about the time we started having kids.

I started keeping a "Fishing Log" last year. I just use Notepad++ since I'm a telecom engineer and always have it open. I just capture the date, place, what craft was used and then the actual fishing & conditions stuff. Like this one-
Apr 27- Lake Twelve in raft- caught about a dozen. A couple on my bugger and then the rest on the olive BMW stripped.

I'm also a SmugMug subscriber so try and import some pics every trip, even if just a couple hours before or after work. And, like many, have my photos automatically backed up to Google.

Some might have privacy and safety concerns (some real, some exaggerated) with sharing your phone location. I'm an Android guy and have my location turned on so Google Maps Timeline is active. I guess the Chinese will know exactly where to find me. Oh wait, they probably buy their info from Apple.

So between my fishing log, SmugMug, Google and possible Instagram posts, I have a pretty good idea of where I went, when I went and how it went. And with whom!

 

[Dogsnfish]

I have tried a few times over the decades, but it is too much like keeping lab and field notebooks like I do at work.

 

[Canuck from Kansas]

Sounds too like work - just data collection - what time you got up, which way the wind was blowing, flies used, stream flow, sunny, cloudy, both, how much ... plus, I can't count past 3 fish, never have, never will.

Too much like science, not enough art. Feel the fish, be the fish .... Baaanaaaanaaaanaaaanaaaaaa

cheers

 

[Cliff]

I used to keep one of these Write in The Rain fishing journals. I have one year completed, but I stopped using one because I never really did anything with the info I collected.