I’m interested in designing a thorough spreadsheet to monitor all my fishing outings and catches. I would appreciate suggestions on columns and data points to include for maximum usefulness.
My plan is to log details such as the date, location, weather conditions, bait used, and fish caught. However, I feel there may be key elements missing that would enhance this spreadsheet’s effectiveness.
Has anyone else created a similar tool? What information do you think would be beneficial to keep track of over time? I aim to review my past fishing experiences and identify any patterns in my success.
I’m also curious about the ideal way to structure the data to facilitate easy searches later on, especially when I accumulate many entries.
Had the same issue tracking deployments across tons of servers at work. Started with spreadsheets but spent more time managing data than actually using it.
With fishing logs, the real problem isn’t what to track - it’s keeping everything updated without it feeling like work. You want automatic insights, not spending 20 minutes crunching numbers every time you’re curious about last Tuesday’s success.
Automating the whole thing changed everything for me. Now I log a spot and it pulls weather data, tides, and historical catch reports automatically. Takes 30 seconds instead of 10 minutes of typing.
Pattern recognition is where it gets cool. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of rows trying to remember what worked, I just ask “show me my best smallmouth days when it was cloudy” and get instant charts.
Connecting external data sources is the best part. Weather APIs, moon phases, local fishing reports - all feeds in automatically. No more forgetting conditions or misspelling location names.
For this kind of automation, Latenode is unbeatable. Gives you a real system instead of another spreadsheet to babysit.
I’ve been tracking my fishing for three years and learned some tough lessons about what really matters. Water temperature is the most overlooked thing - wish I’d recorded it from day one since it matches up perfectly with fish activity. Time of day matters way more than you’d think. I break it into specific hour ranges instead of just morning/afternoon because there are clear bite windows. If you’re fishing saltwater or tidal rivers, track the tides - it’s essential. Early on I made the mistake of trying to record every single cast in detail. Don’t do that. Focus on overall trip success and only take detailed notes when something big happens. I use a simple rating system for trip quality which helps me spot patterns fast. For organization, keep your location names consistent - use the exact same name every time. I learned this after realizing I had ‘Lake Henderson’, ‘Henderson Lake’, and ‘Henderson’ as three separate entries for the same damn spot. Also add a notes field for weird stuff like construction noise, heavy boat traffic, or anything unusual that might explain why you got skunked.
Fishing spreadsheets turn into a nightmare real quick. Trust me - I spent months trying to track my trips in Excel and it was a mess.
The problem isn’t just figuring out what columns you need. It’s connecting everything - weather affects fish behavior, bait choice changes your catch rates, locations have seasonal patterns. All that stuff links together.
I got tired of fighting with formulas and pivot tables, so I built something that handles it automatically. Now it pulls weather data on its own, tracks my gear, and even alerts me when conditions match my best fishing days.
Best part? No more typing in weather conditions or forgetting to log stuff. It grabs GPS coordinates, matches them with fish databases, and actually learns patterns that help.
I can ask “show me successful bass catches in spring with overcast skies” and get answers instantly. Good luck doing that smoothly in a spreadsheet with hundreds of entries.
For complex stuff like this, you need something that handles data connections and external integrations properly. Latenode makes building these systems super easy without coding.
Keep it simple when you start. I went overboard with mine and quit using it after 2 months lol. Just track the basics - date, location, catch, and weather. You can add more later once you figure out what you’re actually forgetting. Don’t try logging everything on day one, that’s where most peeps mess up.
I’ve been keeping fishing records for over five years. Here’s what actually matters: track moon phases and barometric pressure. Most people skip these, but they’re huge for predicting fish behavior. Moon data’s free online, and most weather apps show pressure trends. Add water clarity too - muddy water after storms totally changes which baits work. Set up your spreadsheet with separate tabs for locations, gear, and trips. Saves you from entering the same stuff over and over. On your location tab, log GPS coords, depths, and what the bottom’s like. For your main log, use dropdown menus for weather and bait types. Trust me - it stops you from having “sunny,” “Sunny,” and “SUNNY” mess up your sorting later. Here’s something I wish I’d tracked from day one: actual fishing time vs. total trip time. Catching three bass in two hours of fishing hits different than catching three in an eight-hour trip. Way better for figuring out real success rates. Don’t overcomplicate it at first. Start simple and add stuff as you figure out what patterns actually help your fishing style.