7 Cool (FREE) Fishing Apps You Might Not Know About [2019 Update]

Fishing sure has come a long way over the past 20 years in terms of technology.

I can recall fishing out of Daytona Beach with my dad in our 24ft Hydra-Sport many years ago, and the two most (and only) sophisticated things on the boat were:

• A simple 2-way radio
• A really basic Lowrance Fishfinder (that we thought was the coolest thing since sliced bread back then)

Nowadays, the GPS mapping and fishfinding capabilities on boats make what we had just 10 years ago look like a joke.

And of course today, you can get your new boat outfitted to have WiFi, satellite TV, and more.

Not to mention, that little device that most of us keep in our hands or pockets at all times that has a wide assortment of tools and cool apps to keep us entertained and connected…

Which brings me to the topic of this blog.

Smart Fishing Spots

Before we dive into some free apps, let’s talk about the Smart Fishing Spots App.

This is the ULTIMATE app for inshore saltwater anglers looking to catch more redfish, seatrout, snook, flounder, and MORE!

It includes a map with several layers as well as the weather and tides all in one simple, concise view.

The tides talk to the maps and vice versa to provide you with constant updates so you can follow the fish around.

The great news is that Smart Fishing Spots is IN the App Store!!!

We’ve updated its features to run smoother and faster than before.

Download the app and log in TODAY to start using the #1 saltwater fishing app for inshore anglers.

7 Free Fishing Apps

Recently someone asked me what mobile fishing apps that I liked the best.

Quite honestly, I could only name a couple of them off the top of my head as I am one of those that try to keep my phone off while fishing unless if I am taking a picture or video.

So the question intrigued me, as I knew that there were probably some pretty cool fishing apps that I didn’t even know about yet, so I set aside a couple of hours to research, test out, and play around with some new fishing apps.

Here they are (in no particular order):

1. FishAngler

This app is great because it has detailed maps and weather forecasts, so you can decide where and when to go fish, as well as a logbook so you can keep track of what you caught and what the conditions were, so you can repeat your successes. Plus you can share your catch and connect with the FishAngler community.

2. FishBrain

We had the chance to interview the FishBrain CEO Johan Attby (you can watch it here), and we were incredibly impressed with what they have done in a short amount of time. This cool fishing app lets you post your own fishing pics, it enables to you see where other people are catching their fish (I could even zoom into the little lake that I grew up on see where a guy had caught a few bass), and it even can tell you the best times of day, best tides, etc. to catch the biggest fish. You can even set it up where it will send you automatic alerts to your email or text when someone catches (and posts) a big fish near you. Pretty cool.

3. Fishidy

Scout out new fishing spots with detailed maps, log the details of your catches, and connect with the Fishidy community on this app. Also, you can follow local waterways and stay up to date on what the weather conditions are like and what people are saying about them in real time.

4. IGFA Mobile Lite

In just the past month alone, I have read about two instances of anglers releasing (and forfeiting) potential world record fish because they did not know the precise current record, where to find an IFGA weigh station, etc. Well this free fishing app by the IGFA tells you every “All-Tackle Fishing Record” (you have to upgrade to see every line class, etc), where to find the nearest IGFA weigh station, the IGFA rules, etc. So never again will you release a world record fish and not get the credit you deserve!

5. Fishing Knots Lite

Although it usually isn’t that tough to at least get some Internet access to watch “Fishing Knot Tying” videos while out on the water (like this Head-to-Head Fishing Knot Video Contest), I must admit it is cool to have pretty much every fishing knot known to man all at your fingertips in an a free fishing app. The only downside to this free fishing app is that it is all picture-based, so you won’t be able to watch someone actually tie it like you would in a knot video.

6. ProAngler

I have been using the ProAngler app for a few months now, and I think it is really cool. It started off 100% focused on Florida saltwater fishing (which is right in our wheelhouse), but they appear to be hitting some other states as well now. This app lets you see what is biting in any area of Florida, it lets you find any marina, boat launch, etc near you, and even gives you angling tips and handling tips on every possible species of saltwater fish that you might run across or be targeting. And the upgraded version even tells you the best times to fish based on where you are.

7. Trimble GPS Fish Free

This is one of the free fishing apps that I wasn’t aware of until I did my research. I liked it because it had detailed weather forecasts and updates based on my GPS location, it let me zoom into any area I wanted to via a satellite map (similar to zooming in on a Google satellite map to find hidden rivers, lakes, etc), and you can track your entire trip like a virtual fishing diary (so you could look back a year from now and see exactly what path you took, where you caught each fish, etc). Pretty cool.

Conclusion

Regardless if you are the most connected angler in the world, or if you go fishing just to get away from your phone and email, it is tough to ignore these free fishing apps that keep coming out.

And it would certainly be hard to argue that they can’t help you catch more fish, as some of these can be serious time-savers.

We hope you enjoyed this quick review of the 7 free fishing apps that you might not know about, and we would love any feedback on fishing apps that we might have missed, etc. Because clearly this is new territory for me… but fun nonetheless.

Fish On!

P.S. If you like these apps, then you need to check out this tool that tells you when the best day to go fishing is.

Related links

• The Best Online Fishing Club…
• The BEST DAY For You To Go Fishing (New Tool)
• 3 Tips To Find Feeding Inshore Fish (Even In Bad Weather)

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