you know what would be cool..

[Nebe]

a simple computer program that has a way to enter your favorite spots to fish into a data base and the prime tide to fish. The program would be synched up with something like the main harbors tide carts and would calculate tide lag times for you-

for example- you select your favorite breachway from the list and the day you would like to fish it.. it would take what info you have given it, say add 3 hours from watch hill or point judith low tide and give you the exact time to go

how could you make this ?? excel? Im programming illiterate.

[eastendlu]

[Megabyte]

Probably need a database program and include a tide chart with the tides say for Newport and then put in the difference in time of the tides other places.

What other info would you like to save?

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Nebe

how could you make this ?? excel? Im programming illiterate.

Microsoft Access.....I've been flirting with trying to create a database for my log....

[lurch]

I can do something like that...

say you wanted to go to the canal to fish at pole 9999 on June 10th. I can have it tell you when the best time to start fishing that spot using the data you want. If you like to fish that spot 3 hours before slack when the current is running east on a cloudy day with south winds...the program can send you an e-mail to remind you that this day is a prime fishing day at this spot.

All I need is your best SPOTS and the time you want to fish them

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by lurch

I can do something like that...

say you wanted to go to the canal to fish at pole 9999 on June 10th. I can have it tell you when the best time to start fishing that spot using the data you want. If you like to fish that spot 3 hours before slack when the current is running east on a cloudy day with south winds...the program can send you an e-mail to remind you that this day is a prime fishing day at this spot.

All I need is your best SPOTS and the time you want to fish them

thats exactly what i am talking about- someone could make some coin if they did this right..

My best spots have names you would never understand... the moon, the cave, the keyhole... good luck finding em

[Nebe]

I think the key to making this a jem would be to allow it to calculate tide lags according to different tide heights due to the moon phase- anyone can look at a chart and say i have to be there 2 hours before high, but if its a week tide and you forget to take that into account, your timing might be off and you may miss the bite-

other features that would be cool is an option to upload an image be it an areal photo or a pic of a scetch of the prime standing rocks so you can remember them and a imput section for notes about past experiences

[JohnR]

I've been wanting to find a way to have a fishing Journal for S-B folk that could they could update (privately) plus incorporate tide & weather data - only some elements so far...

[Joe]

computer-assisted spot burning....

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Joe

computer-assisted spot burning....

As opposed to print assisted spot burning?

[Joe]

A sharpie knows when to beat a tactical retreat.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Joe

A sharpie knows when to beat a tactical retreat.

[spinncognito]

Could a lazy-mans log be created? Say you just had a banner day/night at a particular spot/time. Could a program be created where you just enter the time and place. All of the conditions that were present at that time (tide/wind/current /weather) could be automatically put in by the computer using data from weather/tide databases? Do this every time you fish (good or bad results) and at the end of the season you have an accurate log. Do I make sense?

[MrHunters]

sounds like a job for an expert php/mysql guy if you like the free stuff

[Swimmer]

That only JR could access in the dark confines/inner reaches of his cellar when the web server is located1

[Swimmer]

Looking for JR Goodbar!




Over there>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I can't see its too dark.

[Swimmer]

Actually its a great idea Nebe. All kidding aside. I have to be more serious.

[vanstaal]

Originally Posted by spinncognito

Could a lazy-mans log be created? Say you just had a banner day/night at a particular spot/time. Could a program be created where you just enter the time and place. All of the conditions that were present at that time (tide/wind/current /weather) could be automatically put in by the computer using data from weather/tide databases? Do this every time you fish (good or bad results) and at the end of the season you have an accurate log. Do I make sense?

this would be great if it could be done this way tide/wind/current /weather/ moon)

[Christian]

holy crap this sounds complicated but awsome

you could also hook it up to noaa forecast or perhaps a bouy and have an email for the best spot for the current wind/tide/current/wave etc...

[lurch]

It can be done....it would be best if it was web based that way you can gather data from the maine harbors, weather channel and the site that has the canal tides. The problem is that this log will mean nothing unless you fill in the data of where you want to fish and at what time. The fisherman who will benefit the most will be the most experienced fisherman.

A database is useless unless it has data in it...

the program can be built as a searchable database where you enter the wind direction and which way you want the wind (in your face or at your back) and the data base will give you a list of locations......SPOT BURNING without putting in your time.

[Nebe]

if its private, i dont see why its spot burning, but at anyrate whoever can do this, should put in some time and whip one up- Yes it is worthless without info, but its like a 401K for your future trips down the road

[zacs]

it doesn't have to be web based. a non web based app can still suck info off the net as long as you are connected.

sounds like a good idea. if i had any idea how to program it i would do it.

it could also be a cool plugin to google earth

GoogleFish.

Originally Posted by lurch

It can be done....it would be best if it was web based that way you can gather data from the maine harbors, weather channel and the site that has the canal tides. The problem is that this log will mean nothing unless you fill in the data of where you want to fish and at what time. The fisherman who will benefit the most will be the most experienced fisherman.

A database is useless unless it has data in it...

the program can be built as a searchable database where you enter the wind direction and which way you want the wind (in your face or at your back) and the data base will give you a list of locations......SPOT BURNING without putting in your time.

[ThrowingTimber]

I told you I built it already when you asked the other morning Eben. And no you cant have my database

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

I told you I built it already when you asked the other morning Eben. And no you cant have my database

can i have your database?

I am the keymaster... are you the housekeeper???

[fishpoopoo]

it can be done ... but would require a tremendous amount of raw data to reflect all the variables that go into a successful hunt (time of day, tide, moon phase, turbidity, wind, presence of bait, barometric pressure, penis size, van staal or no van staal, the direction in which nancy pelosi queefs ...etc)

what you are looking for is a statistical and/or optimization model, the rudimentary building blocks of which can be programmed into MS Excel (or similar). But as I said, you'd need a ton of data - otherwise, garbage in, and garbage out.

even then, you'd be building a model that would spit out a result based purely on prior probabilities. while fish are creatures are habit, they are not robots, so you the best you can expect is an algorithm or back tested system that optimizes probabilities, not certainties.

btw, people do this all the time - not with fishing or hunting, but gaming the trading markets. it's called building a black box.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I've been wanting to find a way to have a fishing Journal for S-B folk that could they could update (privately) plus incorporate tide & weather data - only some elements so far...

Check out triptracks.com my friend does that for the Maine Inland Fisheries. Maybe we could cop a deal

[striperman36]

Most of the other material for getting together what eben is suggesting is available online. Would be a cool mashup we could host as a extra paid membership thingy. You could great some dynamically but to get your map as a stored profile you would have to pay member dues to support the site.

[fishpoopoo]

given a particular spot ...

the first pass at a basic model would be to input all the conditions associated with getting a fish, PERIOD.

then, it would be no big deal to drill down deeper to find all the conditions associated with getting a big fish (say, over 48 inches), assuming you have such data.

a robust package would be able to suit the mood you're in. say you want to target big fish, but with plugs on an evening tide in august on a full moon while john kerry is buggering little boys in Edgartown.

then the model becomes a bit more complicated.

truth be told, a paper log is a lot easier to comb through. sometimes there's no substitute for the power of the human mind and meticulous record keeping.

but, if you have the data, it can be done.

[Jigman]

I did something along these lines a few years back for a couple of lakes I fish regularily. Used ArcView, a GIS program. Set up the database with all the variables that I wanted to record and updated after every trip. Had it linked up to maps of the lake. I could run a quick query to obtain some basic data on locations to check out, depth to be fishing, methods, etc prior to a trip to give me at least some starting locations. The better your data, the better the output. You could also write a program to do this associated with a database. Though as bassturbed noted, you need a good deal of quality data before it would really be of any use. By the time you have that kind of data, you pretty much know when to be at your spots anyway.

Jigman

[Nebe]

true jigman.. my original idea was more in the lines of a tide calculator- you enter in the spots and tide lags acording to the moon- it would be linked to a tide chart online and calculate it for you- that is what has not been done before i think.