What the Heck Do I Do Now?!

You're standing in your garage, packing up the car before a weekend fishing trip. You know that you really want to fish, but your not sure where. And then you realize that you have a fishing log. You see that this weekend's weather is going to be cool and windy. By going into past logs, you can see what year was cool and windy and where you caught fish. You pick out the spot where you caught fish a few years back, and it was cool and windy. Later that weekend, you're reelin' them in.

Fishing logs are great tools that can help you when you're not sure about where to fish or what to fish. Keeping track of past records can help  you make the right decision and could be the difference between catching fish or not.

I recommend the computer program FishersLog. With this program you can type in your fishing logs and they will be organized and kept in one place. Then, when you have a dilemma, you can "ask" FishersLog to search logs for you and comes up with a chart to show you the best plan. Unfortunately, it is priced at $19.95. But they do offer a 7-Day free trial.

http://www.fisherslog.com/

If you don't want to pay, you can use Fish Swami, which is an online fishing log. You can make a free account and submit fishing logs. It does have an analysis tool but has some disadvantages when compared to FishersLog.

http://fishswami.com/

Fishing logs are a great tool to have when you're not sure about something, or just want to remember one of your best fishing days ever. And there will likely be more of those after starting your logs.

Let the 4th be with You

I know it's kind of a cheesy title. Many people across the country are traveling this Fourth of July and fishermen will flock to their nearby streams to catch some fish. There will be lots of men and women getting up early and heading to the stream. With so many people, there will be lots of competition and lack of space. I've already had my own experience with that.

I decided to take off work on the Friday before Independence Day to fish in the afternoon. I was sure the crowds of fishermen wouldn't be out until dusk. After all, the Fourth of July next Friday, still one week away. I got to my usual fishing spot around 2:00 pm and it was already taken. Looking for spots up and down the road, I could find a place where I could fish. After searching for about 30 minutes I had given up and found no location. I did find a few spots that I could use in the future though.

Don't underestimate the number of people that could be fishing, they all have the same idea: get out before the crowds. But so many people go early that they become the crowds. Don't let it get to you, be patient and don't try to push people out of their space.

So let the 4th be with you, but don't make it sour for everybody else.