Anyone else keep track of their fishing data?

[ictalurus]

Since crunching long term datasets is my specialty at work I've been keeping track of all the data from my GPS since I got it in September 2010. I was bored last night, so I finally I entered the mileage from all my trips into a spreadsheet. I think I accidentally deleted some trip data before downloading it, but these are probably pretty close to the true numbers.

Total miles since September 2010: 307.6
Total miles in 2010: 28.5 (September to December)
Total miles in 2011: 250.6
Total miles in 2012: 28.5 (To date. I'm a bit behind compared to last year.)

Shortest trip: 0.8 miles
Average trip: 4.8 miles
Longest trip: 13.4 miles

2011 stats for my most frequented spots:
Piney Point: 14 trips, 72.7 miles
Point Lookout: 5 trips, 33.8 miles
St. Jerome's Creek: 4 trips, 35.1 miles
St. Mary's Lake: 6 trips, 17.6 miles


Who says you can't quantify fun?

I wish I had a GPS when I first got my kayak and I fished 3-4 days a week in the Patuxent River.

Notice that I don't keep track of my tackle expenditures or the gallons of gas consumed driving to various places. I should keep track of the numbers and lengths of the fish I catch, but I don't have an automated way of doing that. Plus, that's starting to feel like work. A smart phone app for that would be cool, but I don't have a smart phone.

I bet the tog hunters rack up some miles in the saddle. Does anyone else keep track of the distances they've covered? What other kind of information do you record?

[Pinch]

well, on an average CBBT trip we average the 3 mi out and 3 mi back plus moving around out there. I know on several occasions Yakfisher and I have done Hrbt (friday night) CBBT/HRBT Saturday/ Sat. Night and then CBBT sunday morning. Id estimate that at 20ish miles a weekend +/-. Now that you mention it that would be an interesting figure.

[Shady]

I have a running excel spreadsheet that I have kept as a fishing log of all fishing that I have done since 2006. I include date, location, types of fish caught, weather, and lure/bait used, and a summary of the trip. I dont keep a running total of fish caught or miles covered, but its helpful to look at each year to have a good idea when different fish should be biting. I also keep a separate spreadsheet of my biggest fish of each species for the year.

[nay_sayer]

Funny you should mention tracking your fish...

I'm in the process of creating a database that will keep track of everything that has to do with catching fish. It will be searchable and have queries that can do things like look up a species by name and tell you when and where it was caught with totals caught for each area and day (from all users). This will allow you to find out where your targeted species has the most likelihood of being by time/date/area or what you are likely to catch at any given area for that time of year. It will also track what the fish were caught on (type of lure, bait, etc) and other things like depth, structure, water temp, air temp, tide, current, water clarity. I think I'll leave out the miles traveled by car/gas money spent and equipment expenditures-I don't want to deter fishing!

My plan is to put all of this online (for free) and get as many people as possible to use it. The more people entering data, the more data everyone can use to find the fish.

[jarradw]

That would be pretty cool, especially if you link into the google maps api so you can track things on the map. Let me know if you want any nerd help.

[nay_sayer]

That would be pretty cool, especially if you link into the google maps api so you can track things on the map. Let me know if you want any nerd help.

That's a great idea!. I'll take all of the nerd help I can get...I am a only Padawan nerd

[ictalurus]

Funny you should mention tracking your fish...

I'm in the process of creating a database that will keep track of everything that has to do with catching fish. It will be searchable and have queries that can do things like look up a species by name and tell you when and where it was caught with totals caught for each area and day (from all users).

Very cool. What are you using to do this? I look forward to seeing it.

[nay_sayer]

I'm still in the very beginning stages of development. Right now, it is MS Access since that is the db program that I have (and can sometimes marginally function in). I'm still researching (and stumbling upon) the limitations that Access has so it may end up in a different setup.

I am fairly computer savvy for someone who is not in an IT related field but I am teaching myself all of this stuff as I go so it is painfully slow with a lot of hiccups along the way.

[CAGE RATTLER]

I read on all the forums that keeping a fishing log is a good thing but I have yet to keep one but am hoping to start this year. I'd love to find something for my laptop to keep fishing records. Got to be some software out there somewhere ... lol.

[ictalurus]

Cage--I cut and paste my reports into a Word file. Then I can open the file and search for species or dates.

[jffoley]

One you can buy for $20: http://www.fisherslog.com/index.htm

One for free: http://www.fishermanslog.com/

[Yak Fish]

I kept on last year noting times, water temps, species and general observations but it started to feel too much like work and I've since stopped.

Now I use this site to track my catches

[medicyaker]

I don't go to the extreeme that most of you do, however I do keep track of my fishing adventures to include type of fishing, fly or traditional, location and species caught. I go back to the book each time I go out and reference what I used including type of bait that was successfull. Thats how I'm gonna win the CBKA Tournament in the Largest Striper division. I will not kill the fish accidentally next year. I will release him alive and with the hook still in it if neccassary!! LOL

[Pinch]

and the trash talking begins lol. Hopefully its not chocolate milk water this year.

[HokieDJ]

Cage--I cut and paste my reports into a Word file. Then I can open the file and search for species or dates.

I'm still in the very beginning stages of development. Right now, it is MS Access since that is the db program that I have (and can sometimes marginally function in). I'm still researching (and stumbling upon) the limitations that Access has so it may end up in a different setup.

I am fairly computer savvy for someone who is not in an IT related field but I am teaching myself all of this stuff as I go so it is painfully slow with a lot of hiccups along the way.

Access will be more than enough for you to do searches and log keeping. You can create forms on it that will save the data for you also.

As for the google links, it'll be easy if you have the GPS coordinates stored as fields in the database. Generate a report and build the google map URL with the coordinates and that's how you will flag the point on the map.