Really, Fishidy fishing app is for anyone who is interested in fishing.
⇒ Experienced fishermen will benefit from swapping stories, and keeping up to date on the conditions of their favorite places. Also, you can post to, “The Braggin’ Board” to compete in weekly photo contests.
⇒ For newbies, like me, the app provides guidance, tips, and inspiration that you need sometimes after hiking up to a 7,200 foot elevation lake and coming away with nothing but a lost lure. The view was gorgeous though.
Main Features of Fishidy Fishing App
⇒ The main page of Fishidy app is the “Activity Stream” that looks like your typical social media feed. The difference is that this stream shows posts from the catches of fellow fishermen. The default view is a general feed that shows posts from app users all over the USA. However, you can select the stream to only show posts for areas that you are interested in. I selected to follow only posts made in the areas around Northern California that I want to try out.
⇒ The app allows you to search and follow waterways across the US, post and record catches, follow other anglers, and share advice info and questions about your favorite fishing holes. I loved these features because they gave me an advanced view of what I had to look forward to.
⇒ Fishidy fishing app has an interactive map that shows the locations of fishing areas and shows where other users have recorded a catch. This was super helpful to me as I was planning where I was fishing. I was able to see where fish were biting recently and know what species have been caught. If you are an experienced angler you know what areas are popular, so you can sneak off to find your own private spot.
⇒ Fishidy app includes information for thousands of waterways, and the map is divided up by counties, which helps when searching out specific regulations and fishable areas.
What I Liked The Most?
Fishing Map
Fishidy fishing app has no shortage of useful features. One of my favorite features is the fishing map. The map is a satellite overlay of the US that can be zoomed in to focus on your specific area.
The coolest part of this is that the app places markers where users have posted their catches. When you tap on the marker it brings up a user posted photo, the fish they caught, and the gear and baits they used to catch. When you’re new to an area, these posts can help set you off on the right hook.
Species Info and Regulations
For each of the waterways, Fishidy app has information for, they also include a list of common species that are caught. You can tap the species to see a picture, and identification information. I’m not an ichthyologist (expert in fish studies), so having a little help knowing the key identifiers of different fish is indescribably helpful. Out here in California, the fishing regulations can be rather strict and punishing, so having the extra knowledge of what fish is what removes the stress of fishing.
Weather Conditions
Along with species identification and fishing tips, the app also shows weather conditions for your chosen spot. Not all of us have the luxury of hopping out our back yard to a lake or river, so knowing conditions before you make the trek can help save a day, or help find the best conditions close by.
Social Media
I think my favorite feature is the social media aspect. Fishidy fishing app lets me customize my feed and follow other people who know and fish my favorite waterways. I have been able to follow people who are local to my area and get to know how best to fish. Getting back into the sport is becoming a lot easier thanks to being able to link up with people. I haven’t made any friends on the app, yet, but I look forward to swapping stories of epic tug-o-war battles with feisty fish.
What I Liked The Least?
I have been singing the praises of Fishidy, and really like most of what the app has to offer. There are a few exceptions, though.
Exclusion of Saltwater Fishing
The first, and most annoying for me, is the complete exclusion of saltwater fishing in the Pacific Northwest. I have lived in Northern California for over twenty-five years, and have known many people who fish in Monterey Bay, San Francisco, and other areas. However, the Fishidy Fishing App is completely devoid of any saltwater fishing north of Santa Barbara. This includes Washington and Oregon. I would love to see this app include these waterways and the fish species found there.
Missing Pictures
Speaking of fish species, other apps I have seen include pictures for almost every sportfish out there. Given the weight and support of Fishidy, I was surprised that they had so many missing pictures for their listed species. Often times, it is just as important to know what to avoid when fishing, so it would also be nice to include some information on protected species.
Road Markers Fishing
My only other complaint is in the map section. It is obvious that Fishidy developers and partner Fishing Hot Spots put a lot of work into creating the map, but they have left out major road markers and identifiers. While I was up by Tahoe, I was trying to find a few spots suggested to me by a local, but couldn’t track them down in Fishidy, because of the complete lack of identifying roads. One of the best parts of fishing is finding good spots, and that little extra, “here’s highway 50” would be really nice.
Fishidy Fishing App – User Experience
Splash Screen, Tips & On-boarding – Rating: 4/5
- The splash screen is consistent with the brand.
- Splash screen engages users and communicate the essence of the brand, and doesn’t keep the user waiting. So it puts the user in control and lets him execute the next task ASAP (Sign up).
Home screen & Navigation – Rating: 3/5
- Uses a menu drawer, it displays it on first use.
- Only primary content and functionality is on-screen by default.
- Long screens don’t have dead-ends (load more features).
Sign-up, Sign-in & Permissions – Rating: 3/5
- Doesn’t provide non-signed-in journey.
- It doesn’t request sign-up “only” when it is dependent on providing value.
- Requests minimal data during sign-up.
- User sign-up for the app is quick but the benefit statements are not compelling.
Content & Design – Rating: 3/5
- Content is used instead of a traditional home screen to engage users immediately.
- Users can discover new content or products via an Infinite stream (load more).
- Visual design is not that engaging to enhance the user experience.
Usability Hygiene – Rating: 4/5
- Content is not accessible when the user has no internet connection.
- Primary call-to-action buttons (add catch) are persistently visible.
- On-screen content and transitions between screens appear fast and responsive.
My Final Take
Ok, so Fishidy isn’t perfect, but it is an awesome app. Even though there are several features, I was able to quickly learn how to use them. I loved the breadth of information available, and that a lot of the info is from locals who know the area the best. I highly recommend using this fishing app for any angler.
They have a premium version that gives more information on some of the best areas, including specific locations and tactics if you aren’t quite getting what you need.
