NOTE: I write this not as an official moderator of the site but simply as a user of the site (so it's not official, just my opinion).
We have a lot of new people on board and we are getting some great fishing reports or as I like to call them, catching reports. In fact I think that is one of the most popular reasons people come to forums like this one. I read a lot of reports, listen to a lot of them on the phone and talk to professional guides every week. All this is in an effort to give the most accurate and useful report I can in the newspaper column I write weekly.
So over time I have developed an eye & ear for certain things, you may have noticed what I'm talking about in reports here and elsewhere. Some reports are just for bragging rights (it's okay to brag, more on that further down), others are vague on facts but make interesting reading (like a novel or short story), some are full of useful facts and info. The best combine some of all of those elements.
Here's what I look for and appreciate in a report (not in any particular order):
1. What's biting
2. When was the best time
3. What bait or lures were most effective
4. What technique was used (trolling, casting, jigging, etc)
5. Where (general, we don't expect exact locations)
In giving the facts go ahead and incorporate some of your experiences from the trip to make it interesting if you want.
By including as much of the above as practicable you get to brag about your catch or your kid's catch but at the same time you help fellow anglers out, most of whom have limited time for fishing and want to make the most out of the times they do fish.
A word about photos: I think folks like photos as much as they do reports. Nothing like seeing some nice fish and big smiles. It also lends credibility to your post and makes the place look nice . Not that you have to post pictures every time you report. Many people don't post pictures of average size fish they catch on a regular basis every time but occasionally even average sized fish are nice to see.
Just my opinion, what's yours?
We have a lot of new people on board and we are getting some great fishing reports or as I like to call them, catching reports. In fact I think that is one of the most popular reasons people come to forums like this one. I read a lot of reports, listen to a lot of them on the phone and talk to professional guides every week. All this is in an effort to give the most accurate and useful report I can in the newspaper column I write weekly.
So over time I have developed an eye & ear for certain things, you may have noticed what I'm talking about in reports here and elsewhere. Some reports are just for bragging rights (it's okay to brag, more on that further down), others are vague on facts but make interesting reading (like a novel or short story), some are full of useful facts and info. The best combine some of all of those elements.
Here's what I look for and appreciate in a report (not in any particular order):
1. What's biting
2. When was the best time
3. What bait or lures were most effective
4. What technique was used (trolling, casting, jigging, etc)
5. Where (general, we don't expect exact locations)
In giving the facts go ahead and incorporate some of your experiences from the trip to make it interesting if you want.
By including as much of the above as practicable you get to brag about your catch or your kid's catch but at the same time you help fellow anglers out, most of whom have limited time for fishing and want to make the most out of the times they do fish.
A word about photos: I think folks like photos as much as they do reports. Nothing like seeing some nice fish and big smiles. It also lends credibility to your post and makes the place look nice . Not that you have to post pictures every time you report. Many people don't post pictures of average size fish they catch on a regular basis every time but occasionally even average sized fish are nice to see.
Just my opinion, what's yours?