fishing logs

[jimh874]

just curious as to how many keep a log?
keeping track of location, depth, presentation being jig or hook selection, bait, weather, type of bite, time of day and size of fish. something that we always had to reflect on over the years. a big bonus is it helps keep track of paterns.

i know keeping a log at my dads cabin was a valuable tool a lot of years. when our lake was dead during certain times of year make it worth the trouble pulling the boat out and trying anouther lake. and at times, it payed off.

jim

[IceHawk]

I have been keeping a fishing log for alot of years. I have found it has helped me tremendously. When I run into a lull in my fishing I look into my log book to see what (lures,bait,weather,location,etc) made me suscessfull on my last few outings on the lake I'm fishing.

[Leaky]

I've been saying for years I should do this, then never get around to it. I always regret it the following year. My new years resolution to myself is to get one going. Made my first entry yesterday, and plan to keep it up all year.

[Scoot]

This is my fifth year keeping a log of every fishing adventure I've been on. I've found it really helpful for rethinking what I should be doing to find fish when the going is tough.
Scoot

[almosthaddabite]

1980 I started a log on the walleye lake I fish most often. From the first five years to the last five years the average size has gone from 22" to 15". The log is a great tool and always fun to read.

[Farley]

We started a log the first year we had our shanty out on the lake. we recorded everything from time of day to color of jig. It was short lived.

[Matt Johnson]

I try to keep a log for all my ice fishing trips. Things like weather, time, presentation, depth....things that help me in the future and help me understand fish patterns. Plus it can be kinda fun to look back on past years and see when and where you caught fish and what you caught.

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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[CrappieJohn]

I have been logging my spring crappie fishing for over twenty years now. For several years I gathered scale samples from the fish I kept , stained and counted the rings in them to determine thier age.Today I keep track of the barometer before and after each trip, the air temp at leaving and at returning, the water temp at the surface and at eight feet,the weather conditions( sun, rain, snow, fog , drizzle,etc) sky conditions (clear,cloudy,partly cloudy,etc),the wind direction, water conditions ( dirty, rising, falling, clear,stained, turn-over, etc), what the fish hit on and color and at what depth they hit,the total number of fish caught and the total number kept, and the length of those kept along with the sex as determined when cleaning the kept fish. By writing this stuff down you tend to remember more of what you are doing to get fish. This data is gathered as soon as I can find open water on the lake I normally fish. Last year I began the open water season on that lake in an open area the size of a football field, water temp of 37 degrees and found fish that would hit plastic! In a snow shower to boot! If you truely want to learn about what you are chasing, be it panfish, waldos, trout...whatever, learn to log. You only get better at what you do. Today when I go to that lake to fish I can eliminate much of the fiddling around looking for fish and simply go to them. From years of experience I can tell by water temperature what to use for plastics, at what depth and by looking at the water what color.This all comes from diligent logging.

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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[Guest]

You know I think a separate Fish Log category could be a cool addition to FM. A person would start a thread in there own name and then update it as frequently as the spirit dictates in their own style. You could choose to be as specific as you want and could cover secret lakes and techniques in code like a "a small South Metro Lake" or the "A.H. crankbait trailer"

I would be willing to do a log.

[ChapstickCharlie]

Excellent idea Basspastor.

[Lunker]

I've got it for the last couple years icefishing, and a few years here and there for summer, but they are spotty. I fish so much I just forget about it. I should get into the habit though...