Fishing journal layout

[thames mudlarker]

Over many years of fishing and searching for big fish in different waters I kept meticulous diaries (hand written!) which certainly helped my cause...
These days I make do with a column on the 'half page/ day' house diary in which to record events. Weather, where, hours fished, temps, baits, fish caught (rough numbers and biggest) sort of thing.
Generally speaking I use it to check back on catches and where I did well as I move through each month of the present year; However, take this month of February. I have not caught any roach at all from the venues I fish regularly and know very well indeed. A long cold spell was followed by a couple of weeks of air/ambient temps rising steadily and conditions (compared with those of 2015 and 2016) suggestes I should catch roach on a number of different baits..............

The problem is I am not catching ANYTHING at all (not even a small roach!) compared with reasonable catches for the years above (when anything from a half dozen roach to 25+ on the odd day was the general run of things) and this from swims that I fish several times a week with total knowledge of depth, bottom etc etc. This is good fishing water that has seemingly changed totally from pre Xmas to post Xmas!!

So getting back to diaries; Yes, I have all the info from past years and pretty comprehensive it is as well, BUT and it is a big but, the info contained therein is pretty much useless when it comes to working out why the fish have seemingly disappeared since the turn of THIS year!!
This is not to say diaries don't work for all the reasons given in the vast array of posts above, but when it comes to situations such as the one I've outlined above.......well, they are no bl%%dy help whatsoever!!!

I work hard for my fishing (generally alone, so undisturbed by others) and almost expect some form of return every time I go out. Not in 2017!

Answers/suggestions on a postcard and most welcome.................


ps Still, nice to look back and recall good days in seasons past, even if it frustrates the hell out of me! Just means I will need to fish even more days this week and even harder.......

pps Oh, I have caught carp and lost many, but NOT what I'm after, unfortunately..

Hi there mate,

With the experience that I have and making notes, observations and logging all info down that my sessions would come off to a tee, I often think this when I'm bass fishing as to when I next go fishing everything and I mean every little thing appears to be spot on, IE, night, low water, big Spring tides, onshore northwesterly winds, right location, casting correct distance, correct bait and yet when I think I'm gonna do well there's always something to throw the spanner into the works,

This is probably always something to do with Mother Nature that we just simply can't match and never will,
At times I can actually predict me fishing on particular days but other times is completely hopeless.

As much as I like to make a dialogue of all my main worthy captures this can obviously only be used as a very rough guide line, one could never religiously go by it on a day to day basis as mentioned conditions change all of the time that us as anglers simply cannot match no matter how good an angler we might like to be,

Always remember that nothing is set in stone and is often why we have to continuesly addapt to try and suit those awkward conditions :thumbs:

 

[no-one in particular]

Over many years of fishing and searching for big fish in different waters I kept meticulous diaries (hand written!) which certainly helped my cause...
These days I make do with a column on the 'half page/ day' house diary in which to record events. Weather, where, hours fished, temps, baits, fish caught (rough numbers and biggest) sort of thing.
Generally speaking I use it to check back on catches and where I did well as I move through each month of the present year; However, take this month of February. I have not caught any roach at all from the venues I fish regularly and know very well indeed. A long cold spell was followed by a couple of weeks of air/ambient temps rising steadily and conditions (compared with those of 2015 and 2016) suggestes I should catch roach on a number of different baits..............

The problem is I am not catching ANYTHING at all (not even a small roach!) compared with reasonable catches for the years above (when anything from a half dozen roach to 25+ on the odd day was the general run of things) and this from swims that I fish several times a week with total knowledge of depth, bottom etc etc. This is good fishing water that has seemingly changed totally from pre Xmas to post Xmas!!

So getting back to diaries; Yes, I have all the info from past years and pretty comprehensive it is as well, BUT and it is a big but, the info contained therein is pretty much useless when it comes to working out why the fish have seemingly disappeared since the turn of THIS year!!
This is not to say diaries don't work for all the reasons given in the vast array of posts above, but when it comes to situations such as the one I've outlined above.......well, they are no bl%%dy help whatsoever!!!

I work hard for my fishing (generally alone, so undisturbed by others) and almost expect some form of return every time I go out. Not in 2017!

Answers/suggestions on a postcard and most welcome.................


ps Still, nice to look back and recall good days in seasons past, even if it frustrates the hell out of me! Just means I will need to fish even more days this week and even harder.......

pps Oh, I have caught carp and lost many, but NOT what I'm after, unfortunately..

The thing is TC, you may think the conditions are good for roach given all your past experience and notes but are they!. Some subtle unnoticeable changes in conditions might apply. Its rare I find we catch an array of species over a session, usually one or two dominate and that can change even when superficially the conditions look the same. Which is why I like my own excel way of doing things, I can think its a good day for roach but my systematic search of records done nicely for me by excel in seconds! might say otherwise and I would be better going for bream (how nice). Its not always right of course, fishing is not a science but....

 

[thames mudlarker]

The thing is TC, you may think the conditions are good for roach given all your past experience and notes but are they!. Some subtle unnoticeable changes in conditions might apply. Its rare I find we catch an array of species over a session, usually one or two dominate and that can change even when superficially the conditions look the same. Which is why I like my own excel way of doing things, I can think its a good day for roach but my systematic search of records done nicely for me by excel in seconds! might say otherwise and I would be better going for bream (how nice). Its not always right of course, fishing is not a science but....

Spot on, absolutely agree :thumbs:

 

[joshua]

Cheers Mark, I won't be doing anything to complicated, not until I've got at least a year or 2 of data. For now I will just be recording everything for myself, or perhaps, just for the memories. I mean, once we've been and done everything we want, what is the most important thing to make? In my eyes, it's memories. Maybe, I'm just doing this to give my son something, knowedge of fishing or his father's memories? Who knows eh?

 

[john step]

Just a quick wade through the previous pages. Only one or two mentions about wind direction as a log entry. I think for stillwaters that can be important.

I use a bog standard desk diary. The sort that does a week per left hand page and just lines on the right side for more detail.

 

[greenie62]

I'm surprised that Peter Crabtree hasn't mentioned that the easiest way to 'journalise' your fishing exploits would be to do prompt write-ups on the HDYGO thread! Gives a permanent record for you or others to view/share - free-format with piccies where appropriate.

The old "Rivers Report" thread used to have a semi-formatted approach on the Ribble section - see John Conway's excellent posts for examples, e.g. http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/river-reports/39008-ribble-river-ribble-fishing-reports.html#post1352896

Haven't heard anything from John for ages - hope he's OK - Tigger / TBO ? Have you heard from him recently?

 

[thames mudlarker]

I'm surprised that Peter Crabtree hasn't mentioned that the easiest way to 'journalise' your fishing exploits would be to do prompt write-ups on the HDYGO thread! Gives a permanent record for you or others to view/share - free-format with piccies where appropriate.

The old "Rivers Report" thread used to have a semi-formatted approach on the Ribble section - see John Conway's excellent posts for examples, e.g. http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/river-reports/39008-ribble-river-ribble-fishing-reports.html#post1352896

Haven't heard anything from John for ages - hope he's OK - Tigger / TBO ? Have you heard from him recently?

As I used to be a member of the Chub study group and still having a few connections I'm led to believe that John is still ok :thumbs:

 

[no-one in particular]

Cheers Mark, I won't be doing anything to complicated, not until I've got at least a year or 2 of data. For now I will just be recording everything for myself, or perhaps, just for the memories. I mean, once we've been and done everything we want, what is the most important thing to make? In my eyes, it's memories. Maybe, I'm just doing this to give my son something, knowedge of fishing or his father's memories? Who knows eh?

Nice one, at least you have got a few ideas to your original question, we all do what suits us at the end of the day but have fun with it wherever you go, it can only enhance your general enjoyment and knowledge of your sport-If you need any help just ask.

 

[joshua]

Nice one, at least you have got a few ideas to your original question, we all do what suits us at the end of the day but have fun with it wherever you go, it can only enhance your general enjoyment and knowledge of your sport-If you need any help just ask.

Will do mate, thanks for the help. You're right though, each to their own. Everyone has their own preferences, wether that's recording their pb''s, keeping a diary or just watching time go by on the bank. It's the passion for nature and being out on the bank that brings us together.
Honestly this thread has brought me a lot of enjoyment, not just regarding journals but how many people have their own style of fishing. It truly is a great thing.