SUM Magazine has received many different programs for review. One of the most original is Fish Locator.
Fish locator is a program that will analyze the fishing environment in your area from the date, weather, and coordinate information you supply and give you a comprehensive summary of the day’s overall fishing prospects. You are also provided with two major and two minor solunar fishing periods and the exact sunrise and sunset times for the date requested.
Fishing for specific species is provided for Bass, Walleye, and Northern Pike. Another section covers the use of baits and how to choose the right bait for the type of fishing you plan to do. You can also go back and repost your conuitions along with a different long- titude and latitude for a different locale. Fishing times for the whole month can also be printed on the screen or to the 2040 printer.
The program has a built-in directory of 75 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Alaska to provide you with accurate coordinates if you do not know them yourself. It comes pre-programmed with the coordinates of your area.
Lastly, the program contains specific suggestions for using the three most common lures, i.e., spinnerbaits, crank-baits and artificial worms.
When the program comes up running, you are asked if the pre-programmed longitude and latitude coordinates are to be used or not. If not, you are given the choice of coordinates of 75 cities to select from, or you can enter your own exact coordinates. Next you are asked to enter the date and weather conditions: wind speed, wind direction, temperature trends, water surface temperature, current barometric trends, current weather trends, and water clarity.
Fish Locator then computes the day’s outlook figuring the overall outlook along with the day’s solunar times and sunrise & sunset. At this point, you can get a hard copy on the printer or continue. When you continue, you get suggestions on where and how to fish for the given conditions, using different techniques and lures. Next you are shown a main menu. From this you can choose:
- Today’s Prospects
- Select a Species
- Repost Conditions
- Fishing times this Month
- Select a Bait
Choosing Today’s Prospects (1) gives you what was just described. Select a Species gives you specific tips on how to fish for Northern Pike, Bass, and Walleye. Repost Conditions takes you back to the beginning and lets you change all your variables.
Fishing Times This Month gives you a summary of all the solunar times for the month in question along with the full and new moon. The last choice is Select a Bait which gives you all kinds of hints on how to use some of the more popular lures with tips on what color to use and types of water conditions to use them under.
Although I’m not an avid fisherman, I can see that this is a valuable tool in helping someone who is. It has been long known that the changing of the tides and the phases of the moon have had an effect on fish (and animals). And now formulas have been perfected to calculate when they have the most effect over them, causing them to seemingly lose much of their natural caution. With this program, you should be able to coordinate your fishing times with those of the solunar peeks and greatly enhance your fishing success.
The program is well-written and has plenty of error trapping routines so as to almost make it idiot proof. The program is chocked full of information, although I would like to see it cover more then just the named species and lures. I personally am planning a trip the end of July and expect to do some fishing, with the help of this program. I think it will help. The documentation is good and states that the program has been field tested for two years .
Available from BUDGETSOFT, 230 North Main Street, Rushville, IN 46173; (317) 932-3966.
