This is something I Plan on using very heavily this season. That way, the season after next I can look back and see what I was up to..
My guess is that I should write down where I fished, what I was catching, what was using, tides, moon and times..

:humpty:

I've been using one for about 3 years now. I write down how many,size of fish,tide, time of day,bait or plugs I tried,etc. I just keep a notepad in my truck and I write it all down when I get back. It's funny how bass usually show up in the same spot at the same time every year. I also keep track of fuel and hours on the boat to see how much I used at the end of the year. That usually makes me sick!! As long as the wife don't see how much fuel I use!!:hang: :behead:

I try to memorize the day of my fishing excursion and plant them on the microsoft words.

A Log Book is perhaps the MOST Important thing a fisherman can have. It is impossible to remember acurattly from year to year to year. I have chased these darn Striped things since I caught my first one when I was five years old and wish I had started a Log Book then.Wether you fish by boat or by shore you cannot remember all you need to remember over the years.
I have been involved in the Charter Fishing Game since I was about 13 years old and didn't realize the value of an acurate Log Book till the mid sixties. Here it is the new century and as each season comes and goes I find myself forgetting more but being able to look at a log book refreshes my slipping mind and keeps me on course.
It pays to write down as much as possible, wind, currents, weather, moon, baits used and what ones worked and didn't.Where you were as the night wore on and at the end of the entry the people who were with you, the fish taken and those released and the expenses, fuel, oil, tackle.
I didn't keep an alaborate log when I was younger and so you younger guys learn from my mistakes. Make your Log Book as informational as you can.
Who knows, when you get to be older you might want to publish a book and it will already be written for you.

Hey Chet, whens your book gonna be done? :happy:

Originally posted by Joey T
I try to memorize the day of my fishing excursion and plant them on the microsoft words.

I think I'm seeing double. :hihi:

FWW, it's his evil twin.:D

I voted no, but thats only because I haven't started a log, even though I know I SHOULD. Had planned to start it this year, was cleaning out the trunk yesterday and found the empty notebook I had planned on using :smash:

Originally posted by BigBo
FWW, it's his evil twin.:D
:hidin: :devil2:

i left a log while fishing once..... :laughs:

i write stuff down, but not as much as i should.

Yes have keep one for the last 7 years and it really shows the changes in seven years and not all for the good.

I did start one in the beginning of the season on the computer and it kinda tapered off after june. I'll try again next season. Once I missed a couple of entries I kinda blew it off.

Cool...
I'm going to keep one this season. It cant hurt.

I KEEP BOOK IN CAR AND WRITE DOWN DATE,TIME OF TIDE FISHED,AREA FISHED AND WHAT I CAUGHT.ALOT OF TIMES IF I ZIP OUT NOT CATCHING I'LL ASK ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHAT HE DID AND WRITE DOWN TIME ETC FROM SAME AREA I FISHED.

You should have included the option of "plan to start using one"
because I want to keep a journal starting next year.
Part of the reason is for my own enjoyment and for "looking back" to when the fishing was better/worse.
The other reason is in response to something I experienced a number of years ago, but has stuck in my mind.
My godfather (and uncle) had kept a journal of all his fly fishing trips from over 50 years ago when he was a young man. He would invite freinds and relatives to join him on his regular excursions. My father went on a number of these trips. According to his journal, you could tell the name of the lake/pond/stream where they fished (without a hiking map you get lost), the time of day, the air temp., water temp, wind speed and direction, who went, what they caught and how big they were. My first thought was that this was like a holy grail, with directions to secret fishing spots. If anything else, it's a history/science lesson of his little piece of heaven.
He gave up flyfishing reluctantly after the logging companies created access roads that were too close to his fishing spots.
Hearing him read from his journal would be like hearing Stephen King read one of his own stories. I definitely want to start keeping my own fishing journal, if for no other reason than to keep my own experiences around for others to ponder.

A really good friend of mine and I, have a relentless go around every winter about this topic. If nothing else, that’s about the only pattern that always seems to repeat. He is a huge proponent of keeping a log. As for me, I really couldn’t be bothered writing down all this stuff. I do however see one big benefit to it. It serves as a great reminder of the good times you have had while fishing. Or how much, or little, time you spent doing it. I have no way of ever looking back to see the days he and I had caught a couple dozen fish apiece, only he could tell me the info. Or the nights when both of us got skunked, he could tell me that too. And then there are the nights I have caught the few fish that were there, while he go skunked. It’s funny how that never made the logbook. The bottom line seems to be if you feel as though it has value then it does. For the 25 years of fishing, both with and without my friend. We both seem to do ok each year.

I do. But mine needs more discipline. Many nights with nothing written down.