Northwest Fishing Reports

As a new year of fishing begins, I would like to suggest that anglers keep a complete fishing log of every trip -- even skunks. I have kept a log of every trip for more than 30 years and find it not only useful for future trips but just enjoyable to have and read now and then. Although, I have recorded every fishing trip, it is the bass trips I enjoy most. I record the name of lake, the name of county, weight and length of fish, the lure, fishing alone or with buddy and most of the time I add the weather. It is easy and takes only a few minutes to jot down. Keep it on your computer or just in a note pad. Tight lines and good luck on the water for the new year of 2008.

Here's my template that I use...
Then I transfer the info from the paper to a fishing report here and add photos.

Keeping a fishing log is a very good idea. Information like time of year, fish species, location, water temperature, water clarity, weather conditions, lures that work, lures that don't work, etc could save a lot of time for future fishing trips.
This is the perfect application for a computer database because it could be easily queried with "what if" scenarios. For example, you may be planning a future fishing trip and ask yourself "What lakes have been most productive in mid-August? What lures worked best, and what were the best colors? What kind of cover do <X> fish favor at this time of year, and at what depth? What works when the water is murky? What works when the water is clear? What are the best times to fish (AM/PM/mid-day)?". If there was a standardized schema (fancy word for database structure), the information could even be shared with other fishermen.
WL has a database of fishing reports, but the data is free-form text and cannot be easily queried. A structured database could be a very cool feature, but it would definitely take some serious effort to put together.

dilbert wrote:Here's my template that I use...
Then I transfer the info from the paper to a fishing report here and add photos.

Dilbert, your form is awesome! I had not considered moon phases, wind, and barometer. Thanks!

I wouldn't need the blocks for heavy rain, snow or sleet/hail as I'd be inside on those days.

HillbillyGeek wrote:

dilbert wrote:Here's my template that I use...
Then I transfer the info from the paper to a fishing report here and add photos.

Dilbert, your form is awesome! I had not considered moon phases, wind, and barometer. Thanks!

Thanks. It's a composite of a few forms that I found online re organized to be more compact and contain the information I'm interested in.

Dilbert- I give you props for the form. I have even downloaded it and saved it to the computer. Now we need to find a way to get away from the women in our life and catch some fish for pete's sake. I have even completed logs for all of last year. Funny thing though...I think that I used the same color to catch each of my fish. Time for a change. New bait color - Secret Japanese Color:-$

Also available in Word format...

I use the PDF one to print it using "fit to paper" on 8.5x11 paper. The word one is 11x17.

Very nice work dibert!

lol that lil cartoon it comes w/ is awesome.

I started keeping a visual log this past summer on the maps of lakes I had been fishing. I started w/ the topo's from this site and added detail as I discovered nuances about that particular body of water. Not anything like Dilbert's log, but it works for me.

I just downloaded the PDF, very cool!

Can we get a topo of Long Lake/Lake Spokane on the site?

E

Dilbert's log may be a great idea for some anglers but it wouldn't work for me. Years ago, I recieved, as a gift, a little 3 ring folder called "The Complete Fisherman's Log Book" containing several pages to log information. It was indeed a thoughful gift from a person who knew I kept a fishing log. It was quite similar to Dilbert's idea. I only used it briefly. I like to keep a log, more like a short story, about each trip containing all the imformation I want to remember. I keep a note pad in the boat and sometimes make notes of things I want in the log. No matter which style you prefer, I think a fishing log can be a very rewarding and enjoyable addition to all your fishing trips.

EastsideRedneck wrote:I started keeping a visual log this past summer on the maps of lakes I had been fishing. I started w/ the topo's from this site and added detail as I discovered nuances about that particular body of water. Not anything like Dilbert's log, but it works for me.

That would be a good addition to Dilberts log. Especially for remembering discovered structure or where not to throw your stuff.

coming in our next update will be member pages which you will be able to modify AND a stronger search function to narrow searches. Fishing logs are great but remember posting your reports AND pictures (and soon, you'll be able to use a push-pin on the lake map to ID spots you caught fish) will give you a digital record which will last as long as we do. Which, BTW, I expect to be until the day I die and beyond...

I used to keep a logbook, but I got too lazy to maintain one. It's still makes for good winter reading. It's on my to-do list for the upcoming season. By the way, I like carrying a small photo brag book with snapshots of my fish to show off where ever I go.

Looking forward to the updates. That will be cool.

Mike Carey wrote:coming in our next update will be member pages which you will be able to modify AND a stronger search function to narrow searches. Fishing logs are great but remember posting your reports AND pictures (and soon, you'll be able to use a push-pin on the lake map to ID spots you caught fish) will give you a digital record which will last as long as we do. Which, BTW, I expect to be until the day I die and beyond...

Great way for many anglers to save their fishing records. However, I think many anglers will be reluctant to post their skunk trips or perhaps secret location trips -- or maybe other information. I will continue to post fishing reports on WL but will also continue to keep a personal record. Fish On!!:cheers:

So will this new feature be open for everyone to see or something each person can do and keep to ourselves with our own login name?

I'm with basstracker...I dont mind scoring my skunks but I also wouldn't want to post my hard work for the world to see.

danielt wrote: I'm with basstracker...I dont mind scoring my skunks but I also wouldn't want to post my hard work for the world to see.

+1

I keep marks on my printed copies of topo maps. It's hard enough posting photos while trying to obscure some of the locations.