Beginner's Tips: Keeping a Log

[cchobot]

As a beginning surf Angler you always hear about the importance of keeping a journal or log book of all your trips. We'll pose the question here: how do you all log your trips? What sort of information do you keep? What do you keep it in? and how do you use it to help you later on?

[merch]

The more detail the better.

But, usually after a long night I rarely feel like filling out an entry. At a minimum write down a little summary of what went on and where you were. Every little bit helps. Even summarizing a weeks worth of trips when you get a chance to write something down helps.

[chefchris]

I've been doing this for two seasons now and what a huge help. I write down the following:
Location.
Time.
Conditions: Including wind direction, temp, sun conditions, water conditions.
Tide: Incoming, Outgoing, Tide Times too.
Rod and Reel setup. I use different ones for different spots.
Lures, plugs, jigs, etc used.
What the fish were caught one and size and quanity/quality of the fish caught.
And any other useful information: Such as were there bunker or baitfish present, Birds working the water, Did anyone else in the trip have success.

I keep a pad in the truck and try and write down a few notes after fishing, so its fresh in my memory. Cause even if you include somethings its better than nothing. Then after I enter it in a better journal style book.

[7milebridge]

I keep track of everything mentioned above plus one more key factor. I always keep track of the moon phase. I have found that the different types of phases of the moon produce different types of fish. I probably don't have to go into detail here. There is definetly a correlation with the moon and fishing.

[ChiefLinesider]

Im no "vet" but the same things repeat themselves. It gets far too redundant keeping a journal about fishing. All the while writing down specific events that you wont be able to rely on. Ive learned very little from keeping one. For the beginner I guess it might help. At the same time Id say reading a good "striper tactics" book would be a better use of time.

I don't understand what there is to work up to by keeping a journal. I know that it is to gain this greater understanding of the fishery. Or to become more "dialed in" on a specific spot etc. But I have yet to meet anyone who is at the level that most expect they will reach by keeping a journal.

If your looking for answers to puzzles or guarantees to follow you won't find either by keeping a journal. If your looking for a general overview of the fishery read a book. If you like the idea of a journal, go for it. Maybe I will just live out my days thinking this Higher Understanding wasn't attainable, yet in fact was within reach.

But I doubt it...


It's time spent on the water

[merch]

I disagree a little bit with that summary. Time on the water is definitely the most important, but it might be tough for some to remember that there were, for example, clouds of sandeels in some cove, on a certain stage of the tide, with a certain wind, on a specific moon, during a certain year, where they found a school of 20lb bass pushing them onto the beach. Now when next year comes around during the same moon but the wind is different, so the sandeels are not visible and are not being pushed up, but they are still there, you know you should check because the bass are back again, only in a slightly different spot, not feeding so obviously.

I can't remember exact events correlated to each moon every year without a little help from a log. And after a while you can at a minimum correlate certain bait activity to other bait activity in a different area, i.e. if you find shrimp spawning in a certain place at a certain time you can be sure that there are silversides staging at the same time in another area, or something like that.

But then again, you are right about the general fishery stuff. If you know how to fish the waves or inlets you will always catch fish, but a log can help you try to pattern your area over the years and there is certainly no harm in trying to do that. Especially when it comes to bait. Even if you never succeed, you always learn something.

I'd recommend starting one to anyone who plans to fish a certain area for a long time. The best commercial fisherman have been doing it for years, and I bet most good charter captains do too. And they fish a lot. But then again, if you don't want to do it, you can still catch fish.

[scottw]

and eventually you can pick out all of the good days and assemble them back to back and write a book that makes it sound like you go out everyday of the season and run into hoards of bass in the 20-30 lb range with an occasional 40+(each day)

sorry, I just finished another book and it's always the impression I'm left with

personally, I'm considering a book with a broader appeal...maybe with a working title like " FAT GUY IN NEOPRENE " the trials and tribulations of a highly motivated yet perfectly average fisherman....

[merch]

Originally Posted by scottw

sorry, I just finished another book and it's always the impression I'm left with

Ain't that the truth...

Your new book title sounds perfect. I'd read it.

[ChiefLinesider]

Originally Posted by merch

remember that there were, for example, clouds of sandeels in some cove, on a certain stage of the tide, with a certain wind, on a specific moon, during a certain year, where they found a school of 20lb bass pushing them onto the beach.

Ive found these events to be too specific to find anything to rely on for the following year. A good time of year is going to be good in a certain general area. And you probably don't need to go to that certain cove with a certain wind. The spots I fish produce year after year. Ive just found that if you rely on your journal, it will make a liar out of you and waste your time. The same idea as relying on a weekly magazine report. Adapting to the years unique changes will put you on fish. Ive only been able to rely on an educated Guess and Check.


I guarantee I will catch fish tonight.

[Kevin J]

Chief, I don't agree that a log book is a waste of time. It's a historical document that can set trends over the years. Yes, things change from year to year but in general, patterns will start to show themselves. I don't use my log for weekly patterns, that time is spent on the water. For me (and it's all about personal preference)................the more detail the better.

Besides, it's a great document to read over the winter and to pass down to your kids and grandkids. I find it pretty cool to read my grandfather's logs from Quonny in the 60's and 70's. It's a piece of history.