Fishing Journel

I made a journal for a while. I got lazy and need to restart. It is amazing the details you forget. Reading mine is as captivating as any book.

I kept a few years of fishing details while living in Erie.  Taught me a lot.

I keep a journal for trips out west.  I use the journal to keep  notes on hotel reservations, airlines, and all of that sort of thing  for all of the planning prior to the trip, and then use it to record the what, where and when information while I am there.  I keep copies of reservation printouts, and some reciepts in case they are needed, I know where they are if I need them.  (This paid off one year, when the owner of a cabin I was going to rent suddenly "didn't have my reservation")
As for keeping fishing information in a journal,  I like the idea, as it reminds me of the details that get away from you from year to year, but it also reminds me of what a creature of habit I can be as well.  Just the same, I have one from 1998 through 2007, and have can index alot of information I would not normally remember.  (And some that might be best forgotten as well.....)  Just the same, it is pretty cool to pull one of them out every once in a while as a reminder......
 
Try keeping one if you get the chance, it is a great way to document your fishing trips.
 

I kept a hatch journal for the little J about a year or 2 ago. I dont even know where it is now. I wish I wasnt so lazy or I would try to keep one for a couple years straight.
 
Oh yeah, just for a preemptive strike for duncsdad, silverwype, or jlh....NO, I DONT KEEP A SUCKER FISHING JOURNAL.

I did one for about 10 years & when I bought the house I am
in now & that was over 20 years ago, when we moved it
disappeared & I have never seen it again. that ended me
keeping a journal.

Hey early second stop by the store and see me i can show my joornals of trout and salmon dating way back to the 80s by the way you can use my time machine lol here is a pic from time machine nov 2007 you know the sea monster

I keep a journal to help me pick my " fishing destinations " at certain times of year ... You can never be too tidious when you document... I use water clearity , water temperature , predicted thermoclines, time of day , cloudiness , lures used , presentation  ( as shown by a fish finder on my boats ) . It is better to customize your own as the majority I've seen do not include the information I use . I use notebooks and categorize them by species ...... walleye , trout , steelhead salmon . Works well for me and perhaps god willing will be able to pull all this information together someday. It definately helps ME catch more fish . I suppose you could create an Excel database to show you trends in fishing but I think that would be overkill ; maybe someday I will write a book & include vital statistics about catching? Fishing in my eyes has too many variables to put the information to use in a computer format. Rather mine is just a tool to find thermo clines , lure selection , locations (structure , baitfish , ect) , quicker .... It works for me and I sincerely hope it ends up working for you ...... I think it also depends on YOUR memory as I cannot remember yesterday let alone last year ( from sleep deprivation)... DC