Ok this is from my log..

5-3 98
Town river
cloudy
air temp 66
trolling green rap.
20 inch striper First fish that year

6-24-98
Brewster Spit
Hot clear
air temp 85-90
high tide 12:07 pm
5:07 am one striper 26 inch chunk pogey.

6-20-98
Fore River around the piglets
FOG!!
air temp 75
High tide 8:19 am
9:30 two stripers 24 inch
10:00 one striper 34 inch
10:15 one striper 37 inch
all on chunk macks

One thing I want to do this year is put more fish in the log:smash:

anyone keeping a log out there ????

No log but I had some 30+ fish days in the harbor last year. I will tell you my secrets later, they were all good fish too.

Specialist, we want the secrets now !! :D

striper1 i was thinking of doing the same thing this year. i am thinking of keeping a log on the following:

date
time
species
size
wind
weather
location
fishing method

i guess that should be a good start for a log. i have said that i was going to keep a log for the last three years but have never got around to do it. maybe this year.

I kept a log last year. I just used an Excel spreadsheet.

where
surf or boat
tide
weather/wind
technique(s)
#fish
size range
comments

The problem I had is that sometimes I'd be out sometimes 6-8 hours and alot of those things changed. I often used the comments area to note conditions when the fish were on, but as I look at the log now... its not detailed enough. For example, I just noted "high - drop" for tide.

But, in September-October, each time I went out in the boat, at some point in the morning, the fish would pop up in the triangle of Moon Head-Long Island-Hangman's... when I look at my log, I would hope to be able to see a pattern. They may have been showing up at roughly the same stage in the tide each day. Without the times of the appearance of the fish and the tide stage, I see no pattern. I also often ignored the tide when I was just out cruising for bird action in the boat. It still could be important, even in open water.

This year I want to note these things and then I should be able to say, "an hour into the drop, the fish show up."

I have some good info which show some patterns, but not necessarily everything I wanted. But, I learned an important lesson about what info I really need.

That is in itself, very good.

While the tide more or less covers it (sort of), you guys are forgetting moon phase........Just a thought........

Excelent idea keeping a log. I just have to stay vigelent. I plan on keeping a notebook somehow fixed to my console so I can jot down quick notes and then recopy them at home. Another thing I swear by is ''The Original Knight Solunar Tables''. They list a major and minor period for the AM and PM that the fish/wildlife will be most active. It has to do the the moon being ''overhead and underfoot''. I was fortunate enough to live with an ocean veiw for 3 years and these tables were acurate for feeding bluefish almost to the minute. They were in the Fisherman but I just looked in the recent issue and they were'nt there. I will do a little research.

Your right Steve it's

Moon
tide
air temp,weather
water temp
time

then it's what are they eating ?


I have a log book full of info now if I can only put it all together

:smash:

SM you know you got it when you can look at your log book and pick a spot and know like you say what time of the tide the fish should be there.

But then it's just as fun to fish the birds with light line and a plug:D

Hangmans theres no fish there :eek:

I like hangmans over to nut...:cool:

There's a couple more. Water temp! Good call. I guess I didn't have a water temp gauge last year, but I do this year, so I'll add that to the list.

And moon phase. Hey, its like using flourocarbon leaders or putting scent on your lures. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. Only the fish know for sure, but I'll take any advantage I can get.

Thanks Striper and Steve.

I generally rehash the trip when I get home, but it would probably be beneficial to keep notes while out there. My daughter has some little laminated books that you can write on than wipe off. I was actually thinking of something like that. I mean, everything you take out there seems to get wet, so a standard notebook might not last too long.

Good thread.

Moon phases....I could get a whole lot deeper....my wife is an Astrology expert.....but won't.....

"Full moon in Pieces? Don't bother...the sign of the fish, they got the advantage"...."um okay......;), whatever you say, dear...." ;)