I log things such as venue information, date, time of day, weather, water conditions, bait / lures used, tactics used, fish caught e.t.c.
They allow me to build up a picture of the places I fish throughout the year and it serves as a reference guide for the following year/years.
I am old fashion and use a standard notebook and pen.
To some this may seem excessive but I find that it takes my fishing to the next level. It allows me to build up an accurate picture of what works at even given time.
I urge you all to make a simple log book that you can refer to for years.
Why I use a log book
For me, the real value comes from being able to look back and build a picture of patterns across the year.
After a while you start to notice things like:
certain venues fishing better in specific conditions
which lures consistently produce fish
how weather and tides affect activity
and what doesn’t work, which is just as important
It becomes a personal reference guide that gets more valuable every season you fish.
Building long-term understanding
One of the biggest benefits is long-term learning.
When you rely on memory alone, it’s easy to forget details or mix up sessions. A log book removes that problem completely.
Even simple notes from months or years ago can suddenly become useful when you return to the same venue under similar conditions.
Over time, this builds a level of understanding that’s hard to get any other way.
My approach
I’m pretty old-fashioned with it — I just use a standard notebook and pen.
There’s something about physically writing things down that helps me remember sessions better. It also keeps things simple, which fits the way I like to fish.
That said, some anglers prefer apps or digital logs, and those work just as well if you stay consistent with them.
The method doesn’t matter — the habit does.
Pre-formatted log books
If starting with a blank notebook feels a bit too basic, there are plenty of pre-formatted fishing log books available online that make things easier.
These usually include sections for:
weather and conditions
tackle used
species caught
notes and observations
They can be a good way to get started if you want a bit more structure.
Final thoughts
Fishing log books might seem unnecessary at first, but over time they can genuinely change the way you fish.
They help turn random sessions into patterns, and patterns into results.
Even if you only write a few lines after each trip, it adds up quickly — and before long you’ll have something that genuinely improves your fishing year after year.
