Hello there my fellow fishing enthusiasts and welcome to my post where we will check out my 10 best smartphone apps for fishing this year. As with most things in life, there are quite a number of smartphone apps available that can help you with everything you may need to give yourself a better chance of getting that fish onto the hook.
And I from what I have found, a great many of them do actually provide a great array of information for fishers of every level – even the free ones. So how have I picked my 10? Well… I really just wanted to give you a good cross section of what is out there so I did some searching around and checked a few out and chose them by looking at:
- What they are
- What they do
- How much they cost
- Login requirements
- App store rating
Let’s check them out below..
What do fishing apps do?
As it turns out, apart from actually casting the line, there really is not much that you cannot find on some sort of fishing app including:
- Outlines of best times to fish
- Advice for fishing per species, location etc. (bait, tackle, time of day etc.)
- Tides and weather conditions
What are the costs?
We will cover this in more detail as we run through each app below however many of them are free to access, whilst others charge a small subscription cost for access to greater information or functionality. Now, if you are new to the world of phone apps, you might be asking at this point why on earth an app developer would let you download one for free.
The reason is that in most cases, the more sets of eyes that they can get onto their app screens, the higher revenue they can earn from:
- In app advertising
- Data collection (i.e. demographics, geographic etc.)
- App referral (i.e. getting you download other games)
- Providing access to retailers (affiliate income.)
- In app selling (for premium/pro versions, bonus features and merchandise etc.)
In most cases, these are simple online marketing methods that are relatively harmless to the user however you will generally need to provide some login details such as a FaceBook or Google Account (we could go into internet privacy but hey … I think we all know the answer to that).
Anyway, let’s have a look at 10 smartphone apps that I have found below:
1. Fishing Times
This first app, Fishing Times, is one that I use quote a lot myself and find it to be quite useful. And whilst it doesn’t have the full array of functions that some of the other listed here include, it does provide a single screen referral point outlining:
- Tides
- Sun and moon rise and set times
- Moonphases
The above information is then displayed based on your location (or anywhere else you want to see) to report the major and minor times for best fishing and and overall day rating. These are obviously guides only but to be honest, it comes true for me more often than not.
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Pro version costs $5.99 that removes advertising and ads calendar functionality
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: No, but does ask for your location
App store rating: 4.5 out of 5
2. Fishbrain
Our next app, Fishbrain, is working at “connecting anglers to make fishing dreams come true, today and tomorrow”. In short, it allows anglers to choose a location and see real time information based on current weather trends, historical data and entries by other fishers in the area. This information includes:
- Most caught species
- Baits used
- Time that they are biting
- Current weather
- Satellite maps with local fishing results and locations identified
This allows you to see what is biting and where in your local area. And for those upgrading to the pro version, you also have access to:
- Comprehensive fish finding maps
- Depth maps
- Fishing forecasts
- Outline of what baits are catching what fish in real tome
- Personal statistics
- Pro shop discounts
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Pro version offers a 14 day free trial with ongoing costs around $USD15 per month ($USD6 per month if paid yearly).
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: No, but does ask for your location.
App store rating: 4.5 out of 5
3. FishAngler
As with the previous app above, FishAngler is a user based app that allows users to “explore, catch and connect”, with the use of fishing based information and entry by real time fishers in your chosen locations. Focused mainly on the fishing log side of things, users can enter their own information such as their catches, fishing locations, reports on the day and even the gear they are using.
And as with most other fishing apps, it includes helpful information such as weather forecasts, tidal information and satellite mapping as well.
What does it cost?: Free.
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: Yes, you will need to sign in with a Google account, FaceBook or email address. It will also ask to allow to identify your location as well.
App store rating: 4.7 out of 5
4. ANGLR
Promoting itself as “America’s best fishing trip technology”, ANGLR is another all round app that allows fishers to access all manner of information in regards to their fishing exploits including:
- Real-time conditions, catch patterns & gear breakdowns for each species
- Personal results tracking
- Fishing challenges
- Maps and weather information
There is also a closed social media network that allows anglers to interact, share information and complete challenges together as well.
And as with many others on this page, users who upgrade to the pro version gain access to greater functionality including:
- Premium fishing maps and layers
- ANGLR Bullseye fishing tracker
- Waypoint transfer from or to any boat-mounted electronic
- Real-time weather, water & mapping overlays
- USGS & NOAA fresh & saltwater contour mapping
- Over 100k USGS & NOAA water gage stations with live condition reports
- Over $100 in added partner perks for PRO members
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Pro version costs around $USD29.99 per year.
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: Yes for pro version.
App store rating: 4.5 out of 5
5. Fishidy
Fishidy is another all encompassing app that offers a “one-of-a-kind fishing resource to give anglers of all kinds the chance to catch more fish”. The app runs on a waterway database with over 20,000 freshwater waterways, 180,000 saltwater waterways and 1075 Stream gauges allowing users to base their fishing exploits on these by logging catches and to learning from others.
And again, there is a premium version available as well which adds the following to the information above:
- Over 27,000 marked fishing hot spots
- Nearly 50,000 bottom composition areas mapped
- Over 260,000 vegetation and structure points
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Pro version costs $USD9.99 per month.
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: App asks for login with FaceBook or email details to get started
App store rating: 4.0 out of 5
6. FishTrack
Offering, “everything you need for finding fish”, FishTrack is aimed at saltwater anglers looking to locate their next big one. It is a map centric app that uses Cloudfree Sea Surface Temperature (SST) charts and high-definition global satellite imagery to outline everything a deep sea fisher may want to know including:
- Water temperature
- Chlorophyll
- Water color
- Currents
- Tides
- Moon phase
- Marine weather forecasts
Users can also mark ‘hots spots’ and GPs locations of water conditions and bite zones based on their own experiences as well.
Premium upgrades also give access to:
- Latest Satellite Imagery
- Waypoints And Routes
- Currents, Bathymetry And Altimetry
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Premium version costs $USD14.99 per month.
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: App asks for login with FaceBook or email details to get started
App store rating: 4.6 out of 5
7. Bass Forecast
Bass Forecast, the #1 rated fishing app by Apple and Google, is aimed at “assisting Bass fishers increase their odds of catching more and bigger Bass – by 68% to 305% percent”. It works via the tracking of past and forecast weather to predict the best times to get out and chase the big ones. This includes:
- 10-Day Future Bass forecast Ratings
- 10-Day Historical Weather
- Complete Weather Details
And again, as per most apps listed here there is also a premium option that also provides:
- Adapted Patterns
- Spot-On Solunar
- Tackle Tips
- Cover Selector
- Notifications
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Premium version costs $USD2.99 per month ($9.99 per year).
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: App asks for login with FaceBook or email details to get started
App store rating: 4.5 out of 5
8. Fish Deeper
Fish Deeper is another app that allows users to “plan their fishing trips better with access to over 50,000 fishing spots”. It uses access to both off and online local and global bathymetric maps as well as weather forecasts and historical data.
Users can also keep track of spots and catches including pictures and notes as well.
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Premium version (with access to more maps and spots) costs $USD2.00 per month ($9.99 per year).
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: App asks for login with Google, FaceBook or email details to get started
App store rating: 4.5 out of 5
9. Fish Rules
For those of you who like to fish in a number of different areas and locations, keeping up with local rules and regulations in terms of fishing seasons, bag and slot limits and licensing requirements can be tricky. The Fish Rules app then assists here by providing “an innovative way to understand complex fishing regulations” for state and federal waters from Maine to Texas, California, Hawaii, Bahamas, and the Caribbean.
Information can be located by location, fish type and season. There is also the option for local business owners to list their details on the interactive maps as well.
And of course the premium version offers greater functionality such as:
- 10,000’s more reef locations
- Ability to catches identified by Pro fishers
- Location bookmarking
- Ad free use
And a part of the subscription costs is donated to fishery sustainability programs too.
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Premium version costs $USD29.99.
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: App asks for login with FaceBook or email details to get started
App store rating: 4.3 out of 5
10. Fishing Knots
And finally, let’s discuss fishing knots. As the name suggests, the fishing knots app lists hundreds of knots with step by step guides, pictures and videos. This includes knots for:
- Binding two fishing lines
- Tying leads
- Attach large and small hooks, baits, lures and swivels
- Even how to tie off boats
There is also an educational section outlining such topics as to how knots damage lines and so on.
What does it cost?: Base version is free. Pro version costs $USD7.99 per month.
Platform: iOS, Android
Login required: App asks for login with FaceBook or email details to get started
App store rating: 4.4 out of 5
How to find your own apps
As I have mentioned earlier, there are 1000s of fishing related apps out there. My 10 above are a minute example of what is available so if you are interested in looking at some others, then all you need to do is go into your relevant iOS or Android app store and do some searches.
Below is an example of a basic app search for fishing information (just searching for ‘fishing’ will return a lot of fishing games as well):
From there you would simply run through them all until you find ones that suit your needs.
Note: App store results are geographical in nature with some only available within certain countries.
Conclusion
So… There are 10 fishing apps to help your fishing exploits this year. I hope it has been helpful and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share.
Oh, and especially comment if you have any experience with these, or any other apps as well.
Until next time
Have fun
Paul
