Data science and analytics have been leveraged in almost every modern sport and can be used in fishing to help anglers be more productive on the water.  Analytics in baseball have deeply changed how the game is played by using “the shift” for more effective defensive alignment.  Teams now maximize hitting home runs and minimize the use of bunts and sacrifices as data says this leads to more wins.  This same data driven approach can be applied to fishing for anglers to catch more fish.

There are “old salt” anglers who have kept detailed diaries and logs of fishing trips for many decades.  Successful anglers such as John Skinner, Alberto Knie and many others have talked about how their detailed logging has lead them to be more successful anglers.  While I envy the success anglers who keep detailed logs, this has never worked for me.  When I am on the water I am solely focused on fishing and relaxing, not jotting notes in a journal.

At ThrillFishing we are developing on a new automated method to keep detailed, data-driven, fishing logs with minimal effort. This is the first in a series of articles that describe the background of the application as we mature and release it soon.

WHY KEEP A FISHING LOG?

Fishing success can be improved by using detailed data analytics, logging, and reporting.  Key fishing data points would include items such as location, weather, temperature, species, bait/lure, among others.  Tracking these factors and analyzing them will highlight fish trends and provide predictions for you to be a more productive angler.

Fish are creatures of habit.  They look to be comfortable, well-fed, and safe from predators as other animals in the wild.  A detailed fishing data log will supply reporting on these factors and drive fishing success.

Fishing Weather

Weather certainly has an impact on fish activity.  Strong winds or an upcoming storm can often trigger fish activity and feeding cycles.

Tidal Information

The movement of tidal currents can have a dramatic impact on fishing success.   I have seen where fish completely stop biting in a slack tide, only to voraciously feed an hour later.  Even in waters without a tidal flow,  the pull of the moon and sun do affect patterns of fish activity.

Solunar Tables

The THRILLFishing Application

At ThrillFishing, we are developing an application that automates the creation of a detailed fishing log with all critical data points for fishing success.  The angler does not have to keep a book or write anything down.  The application produces the value of data-driven fishing analytics and reporting.   The ThrillFishing application will supply detailed, reporting to improve YOUR fishing success. 

There are other fishing apps in the mobile application stores.  While these apps have value, they often focus on presenting pretty, but extraneous data rather than being laser-focused on reporting for the angler to be more successful.

SUMMARY

I have seen anglers keep very artistic logs with detailed fishing trip and success information.   Some of these could be easily displayed in an anglers museum.

Tight lines …  Captain P.