There’s an App for That
Anglers are drawn to new technology, particularly when it improves the performance of their gear and increases their catch. So it’s not surprising that software companies are developing mobile phone apps for fisherman. The market is huge. There are nearly 49 million recreational fishermen in the United States alone, according to the website Statista.com.
Some fishing apps are worthless, while others are valuable or at least intriguing to those who angle from a boat or from land. While it’s always tricky manipulating an iPhone with fingers covered in fish slime, it’s worth giving these apps a close look.
FishBrain is the self-proclaimed largest social network of fishing enthusiasts with some 1.5 million anglers participating around the globe. The app was developed in Stockholm, the Silicon Valley of Sweden, but covers the whole United States, including small bodies of water like East Hampton’s Hook Pond. One can follow (think Facebook) a fish species, a body of water, or anglers you have invited into your personal circle. Recorded catches are displayed on a Google Earth-type map along with information about the bait used. Pictures of your trophy can be uploaded to taunt angler friends who decided to stay home and mow their lawns. Like with most social media platforms, it works best if you get a large group of people to participate in the fun. FishBrain should be attractive to a fishing club or marinas. The app is free for basic access, but costs $5.99 monthly or $39.99 annually for more detailed and valuable information.
There is nothing more frustrating to an angler than losing a fish due to a failed knot. Learning which knots to use and how to properly tie them is critical to fishing success. For example, while a simple clinch knot is fine when using light monafilament, one is better served using a uni knot with slippery braided lines. Animated Fishing Knots is a wonderful app because it uses simple step-by-step animation to demonstrate how to properly tie many different knots for a variety of purposes including line to line connections. Text instruction accompanies the animations for those who lean a little old-school. The app costs only 99 cents, which is less than the replacement value of whatever may be thrown in anger after a lost fish.
Commercial fishermen have long used National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) buoy data including wind speed and direction, wave height and period, water temperature, and barometric pressure to fish more productively. NOAA Buoys Live Marine Weather is a free app that conveniently delivers local buoy data to all anglers with handheld devices. Want to invite a landlubber neighbor to go fishing for striped bass around Montauk Point? Probably best to check wave height and wind direction before leaving the dock.
FindMeFish is one of the odder apps. It establishes a market economy where desperate fishermen pay professional fishing guides for the locations of the guides’ favorite spots. The professionals set their own prices for the information and can limit the number of people who can access the data. While there aren’t very many guides offering their info right now, perhaps some local captains might be able to auction off a favorite striper hole to one or two well-heeled fishermen.
Missing from the vast universe of fishing apps is one that detects whether or not your fishing buddy or loved one is lying about the big one that got away. So until that app arrives, just let them enjoy their moments. Please withhold the eye roll and snickers until after they have left the room. Remember, while golfers lie, fishermen simply mistruth.
Action is heating up locally for both saltwater and freshwater anglers.
Paul Apostolides at Paulie’s Tackle in Montauk reported that schoolie striped bass are at Ditch Plain. Harvey Bennett at the Tackle Shop in Amagansett added that schoolies have been caught at Napeague beaches on a stubby Hopkins tin and that alewives were in Gardiner’s Bay, which suggests good things to come. Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor reports schoolies up to 22 inches have been taken in Southampton creeks on swimming plugs and that larger striped bass are now in waters to the west. He added that bunker remain plentiful in the bays and that spearing have surfaced too. The Viking reports tough cod fishing, though Steve Doughty caught a nice pollock, according to Harvey Bennett.
Fort Pond in Montauk is experiencing great walleye action. Fish have been taken on small jigs with grub tails, spinner baits, and small swimmers as well as on minnows and worms. The open season for walleye in Fort Pond is the first Saturday in May through March 15. That fish fry will have to wait. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and even crappie also are biting at Fort Pond.
Freshwater fishing is a great way to introduce a child to fishing and there are many ponds on the East End. Give it a try. Local tackle shops can provide gear, tackle, and information about the best fishing spots.
Have a tale to tell or a catch to report? David Kuperschmid can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @ehstarfishing.