Fishing Log

Question: What would you like to see in your records, Lures? depth fish was ? color? water clarity? weather? etc etc. So far I have columns for size, weight, lure, lure color, conditions. What else would you keep. The drop down menus once populated would make entering the information a breeze. I would like to know more about the fish I catch. This year I am 1 fish short of 600, but couldn't tell you how many were keepers and what the average weight was, I couldn't even tell you what my most productive bait of choice was. This is all stuff I want to be able to look back at over the years.. any suggestions?

You're balancing on a slippery slope, Randy. First, you keep count, and then you make a log in Excel. Ok, fine... no harm in that. Then you try to keep good notes.... weather, temps, lures, presentation, depth, size and number of fish.... Still seems innocent enough. But then you start referring to your log and giving out accurate information, and that leads to telling the truth about your fishing exploits. First thing you know, you'll be cranking out fishing stories that no one wants to hear. Sad... so sad.... You'll end up a bitter, lonely old poot, mumbling facts and figures to the bedroom wall.

I've seen it too many times. Neglecting the fine art of embellishing fishing stories has been the ruin of many a promising young angler.

Trust me... I know. I used to keep logs, back before I kicked the habit. Sure, I enjoy looking back at the old logs every so often and reliving memories, but I moved around so much that the specifics aren't as helpful as if I'd stayed put, so I quit. Guess what? The years I kept logs, my catches weren't too impressive. Fish were few and far between. And they were kind of puny, too. The weather was pretty tame, as well.

But the years I didn't keep logs... Whoooo-doggies! Those were bumper years for fishing. More bass than you could shake a stick at. We'd catch one largemouth after another, almost every cast, 'til our arms ached and thumbs were lacerated and bleeding. And big! I'm telling you, there were some real whoppers... almost every other week, too! The baits I favor were always the most productive. The weather was a lot more interesting as well... I vividly remember fishing through tornadoes, lightning, torrential floods, gale force winds driving four foot waves and tossing our little jon boat like a chip of wood on the mill race. Boy, some great stories come out of the "no-log" years.

You see, one advantage of not having logs is that, just as in nature, the fish you caught keep getting bigger with each passing years.... and they multiply, too.

Let me give you an example.... I weighed in one bass at Mohawksin last week. I vaguely remember the weight as 1 pound ten ounces... I couldn't swear to that; my memory is already starting to fade. It might have been two bass, about two pounds apiece. I didn't keep a log, of course. Ask me about the 2006 Northwoods Classic in about ten years, and I'll tell you without blinking that I believe I limited out both days, with a total weight upwards of 24 pounds, and my stringer was anchored by a 4.6-pound smallmouth taken on a Secret Weapon Spinnerbait.

So tell me... is a log worth giving up all that pleasure? Wouldn't you rather remember catching ten bass weighing 24 pounds?

Think about it, and don't do anything rash.

Joe ____________________________

"alwaysfishking" <Fishking@nospam.ptd.net> wrote in message news:teqcnX66ZNfo24feUSdV9g@ptd.net... I am creating a excel document with drop down menus to keep track of next years catch, This year I just kept numbers that's it. I would like to keep some better records next year.

Question: What would you like to see in your records, Lures? depth fish was ? color? water clarity? weather? etc etc. So far I have columns for size, weight, lure, lure color, conditions. What else would you keep. The drop down menus once populated would make entering the information a breeze. I would like to know more about the fish I catch. This year I am 1 fish short of 600, but couldn't tell you how many were keepers and what the average weight was, I couldn't even tell you what my most productive bait of choice was. This is all stuff I want to be able to look back at over the years.. any suggestions?

Charles, I thought he was going to share that log with others ;<}

danl4x@charter.net Remove the x for e-mail reply www.outdoorfrontiers.com www.SecretWeaponLures.com A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and Fish!!!

"Dan, danl, danny boy, Redbeard, actually Greybeard now"

JK

And people wonder how lures can possibly cost so much....? Thank every level of government that has decided to fund their programs by picking the pockets of small businesses. Not only do we have to pass every cent of taxes on to the consumer, but enormous amounts of time, effort, and funds are funneled into making sure we are in compliance with regulations.

What was it that Friedrich Nietzsche said... "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." He must have been in the fishing tackle business.

Joe _________________ "Bob Rickard" <r.r.rickard@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:wx7Te.450$zq6.92@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net... Hmmmmmm... this is my fearless leader speaking?