Fishing and boating apps for iPhones

[Bluevien]

Not sure how many of you have an iPhone but I thought I'd start a post for those who do or are thinking about getting one. Feel free to share your favourite fishing or boating applications here also or make comments. Hopefully some of this will be helpful as most recommendation are through word of mouth.

I've had my phone since Dec 09 and have built up a handy collection of apps that I have found useful. I'll start with the one that I think is the best working and best value app I have on my iPhone.

Navionics Marine. For $14.99 this app is incredible value for a marine GPS with built in charts. I have only used it locally so can only comment on its performance in and around Brisbane and the Sunny Coast. I have found the detail of the maps and charts spot on. The maps have Beacon to Beacon style detail and are updated on a semi-regular basis. The chart plotting, spot marking and tracking functions are very easy. I have read reviews stating that it stands up well against units over $1000. Navionics has a good rep when it comes to charts and maps and it shows in this app. Being new to boating and Moreton Bay it's great to be able to chart a course, work out how long and how much fuel a trip is likely to take (with some caution built in of course) and know where possible hazards are. I can’t speak highly enough of this app.

Wind Guru is another great app. It's a weather/marine/wind forecaster app and is very helpful as part of your trip planning. It gives you a week of forecasted wind speed and direction, temp, 3 level cloud cover, rainfall, air pressure, humidity, wave height and direction and peak wave period. The choice of locations is impressive. Places like Moreton Island, Inner Beacon, Days Gutter, Tangas and Scarborough can be added to your favourites just to name a few. Forecasts within 2 days I have found to be quite accurate.

If you buy a fishing almanac every year this is a good one for you. Fishing Calculator is an almanac on your phone but it has more details on the supposed peak bite periods. It rates the fishing efficiency per day and by the hour. If you believe in that then it is worth it. But what I like about this app is being able to record your catches with a photo and it will also automatically enter the time, date and GPS location of the catch. You can even add more details such as length and weight of fish, bait used, weather condition, water temp etc. It's a nifty little diary keeping tool.

The Knot Guide app lists over 120 knots of all types which are animated. 20 of these are fishing knots like the albright, blood, perfection and more. Pretty handy to have close by or when learning to tie a new one. Again you can make a favourites list so you don’t need to search each time.

There’s one called Day Tides. Pretty good for tides on the day per locations. I don’t use it often but it's free and handy if you wake up one day and just want to know what the tide is doing. You can pin point the tide location easily.

Pkt Weather is a weather app and fairly basic as far as location choices but what I do like about it is the tide function. With this app you can project the tide 4 weeks ahead. It also has radars, warning and synoptics.

The Rules and Signals app is what it says. It lists basic marine rules and signals including lights. It's not specific to Australia from what I can see but it does list what looks like international recognised rules of the road, signals, marks and communication. What it does have is a list of Australian frequencies for marine radios. It helped me identify some flag displays in the Brissy River not long ago so I got some use out of it.

BrisWind has local wind predictions, forecasts and graphs and is detailed in the locations listed. it gives you the current BOM marine forecast too.

These are the app that anyone can download from iTunes. Some are free or come in a lite version to try before you buy. The others you pay for but are cheap. The only one over $5 is the Navionics one and I think it is more than worth it. Another App that I have and I use to find boat ramps is TomTom. It costs $99 and is just like the stand alone unit only a third of the price and it is always with you. The latest update for this app has added boat ramp locations in the Point Of Interest search and so far so good but it's worth cross checking it against Google earth before you trust it with a new ramp.

Apart from these apps I have also added frequently used websites to the home screen. These include AFO, Willy Weather, Seabreeze, BOM bay report and Coast Watch’s fishing report so with just one tap it opens the page you want.

With all the GPS enabled apps, the good news is your phone doesn't use any of your plan data so you don't have to worry about going over your cap. But one of the gripes I do have with the iPhone is how short the battery life is when running the built in GPS system. So what I have done is use a small marine 12v battery left over from my last boat. I bought an accessory socket with battery clamps from Super Cheap auto for only $3, hooked it up to the battery and use my car charger. It keeps the phone charged and I can use the socket for other rechargeable items like lights. All you have to do it keep the cables dry.

Hope this is of help to those with iPhones or people thinking about getting one. The only thing left is for Mr. Jobs to fix the problem with version 4 before it comes out here.

Cheers,

Rob

**Disclaimer - Mr. Bluevien is not associated with Apple corp or the developers of the above mentioned apps and does not receive commission (unfortunately).

[woody1]

GPS for $14... errr I knew I should have bought an iphone instead of a blackberry!

[51MPL]

Nice info I'm gonna have to start looking. No need to pay for apps - jailbreak. Although credit where credit is due and some devs definitely create awsome apps.

[dhess]

Great post.

Will definitely have to pick up the navionics app.

Has anyone bothered playing the fishing games available on the iphone? What are they like?

[Bluevien]

I've have flick fishing. Pretty cool use of the iPhone tech. Love the twang when the line snaps.

[Bluevien]

I better clarify this. Apps which need GPS to operate will only do so on the 3GS model or later. The earlier models and iPod touches do not have the built in GPS required so they will not work. So please check if yours is compatible before spending the money.

[51MPL]

hmm what do you mean they need GPS to operate? I have the first model iphone 3G and i run Tomtom etc perfectly which use gps?

[Bluevien]

The App has a disclaimer stating that iPhone original and Itouches need the car kit with its inbuilt GPS receiver to work, something that the later model iPhones came with. Just be sure yours has an inbuilt receiver is all I am saying.

[sweresy]

Navionics App is brilliant , had it running since day 1, amazing $15 well spent

[woody1]

iphone 3G uses Assisted GPS which works our your position from phone towers, not a satellite

[chonna]

good info!!

[kriso]

hahhahha good app to have if new to offsore and dont have anyspots - jump on a charter boat and away you go lol!

[51MPL]

haha dam, awsome info!

Where are the phone towers out the back and past mud island? I've been on google maps behind Mud island trying to find a mates boat haha.. he screenshot his google map of where he was then i used that to find him cos our gps was playing up

[lrak]

On 7/22/2010 at 1:38 AM, 51MPL said:

Nice info I'm gonna have to start looking. No need to pay for apps - jailbreak. Although credit where credit is due and some devs definitely create awsome apps.

 

On 7/21/2010 at 9:51 PM, Bluevien said:

Not sure how many of you have an iPhone but I thought I'd start a post for those who do or are thinking about getting one. Feel free to share your favourite fishing or boating applications here also or make comments. Hopefully some of this will be helpful as most recommendation are through word of mouth.

 

I've had my phone since Dec 09 and have built up a handy collection of apps that I have found useful. I'll start with the one that I think is the best working and best value app I have on my iPhone.

 

Navionics Marine. For $14.99 this app is incredible value for a marine GPS with built in charts. I have only used it locally so can only comment on its performance in and around Brisbane and the Sunny Coast. I have found the detail of the maps and charts spot on. The maps have Beacon to Beacon style detail and are updated on a semi-regular basis. The chart plotting, spot marking and tracking functions are very easy. I have read reviews stating that it stands up well against units over $1000. Navionics has a good rep when it comes to charts and maps and it shows in this app. Being new to boating and Moreton Bay it's great to be able to chart a course, work out how long and how much fuel a trip is likely to take (with some caution built in of course) and know where possible hazards are. I can’t speak highly enough of this app.

 

Wind Guru is another great app. It's a weather/marine/wind forecaster app and is very helpful as part of your trip planning. It gives you a week of forecasted wind speed and direction, temp, 3 level cloud cover, rainfall, air pressure, humidity, wave height and direction and peak wave period. The choice of locations is impressive. Places like Moreton Island, Inner Beacon, Days Gutter, Tangas and Scarborough can be added to your favourites just to name a few. Forecasts within 2 days I have found to be quite accurate.

 

If you buy a fishing almanac every year this is a good one for you. Fishing Calculator is an almanac on your phone but it has more details on the supposed peak bite periods. It rates the fishing efficiency per day and by the hour. If you believe in that then it is worth it. But what I like about this app is being able to record your catches with a photo and it will also automatically enter the time, date and GPS location of the catch. You can even add more details such as length and weight of fish, bait used, weather condition, water temp etc. It's a nifty little diary keeping tool.

 

The Knot Guide app lists over 120 knots of all types which are animated. 20 of these are fishing knots like the albright, blood, perfection and more. Pretty handy to have close by or when learning to tie a new one. Again you can make a favourites list so you don’t need to search each time.

 

There’s one called Day Tides. Pretty good for tides on the day per locations. I don’t use it often but it's free and handy if you wake up one day and just want to know what the tide is doing. You can pin point the tide location easily.

 

Pkt Weather is a weather app and fairly basic as far as location choices but what I do like about it is the tide function. With this app you can project the tide 4 weeks ahead. It also has radars, warning and synoptics.

 

The Rules and Signals app is what it says. It lists basic marine rules and signals including lights. It's not specific to Australia from what I can see but it does list what looks like international recognised rules of the road, signals, marks and communication. What it does have is a list of Australian frequencies for marine radios. It helped me identify some flag displays in the Brissy River not long ago so I got some use out of it.

 

 

BrisWind has local wind predictions, forecasts and graphs and is detailed in the locations listed. it gives you the current BOM marine forecast too.

 

These are the app that anyone can download from iTunes. Some are free or come in a lite version to try before you buy. The others you pay for but are cheap. The only one over $5 is the Navionics one and I think it is more than worth it. Another App that I have and I use to find boat ramps is TomTom. It costs $99 and is just like the stand alone unit only a third of the price and it is always with you. The latest update for this app has added boat ramp locations in the Point Of Interest search and so far so good but it's worth cross checking it against Google earth before you trust it with a new ramp.

 

Apart from these apps I have also added frequently used websites to the home screen. These include AFO, Willy Weather, Seabreeze, BOM bay report and Coast Watch’s fishing report so with just one tap it opens the page you want.

 

With all the GPS enabled apps, the good news is your phone doesn't use any of your plan data so you don't have to worry about going over your cap. But one of the gripes I do have with the iPhone is how short the battery life is when running the built in GPS system. So what I have done is use a small marine 12v battery left over from my last boat. I bought an accessory socket with battery clamps from Super Cheap auto for only $3, hooked it up to the battery and use my car charger. It keeps the phone charged and I can use the socket for other rechargeable items like lights. All you have to do it keep the cables dry.

 

Hope this is of help to those with iPhones or people thinking about getting one. The only thing left is for Mr. Jobs to fix the problem with version 4 before it comes out here.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

 

**Disclaimer - Mr. Bluevien is not associated with Apple corp or the developers of the above mentioned apps and does not receive commission (unfortunately).

 

On 7/21/2010 at 9:51 PM, Bluevien said:

Not sure how many of you have an iPhone but I thought I'd start a post for those who do or are thinking about getting one. Feel free to share your favourite fishing or boating applications here also or make comments. Hopefully some of this will be helpful as most recommendation are through word of mouth.

 

I've had my phone since Dec 09 and have built up a handy collection of apps that I have found useful. I'll start with the one that I think is the best working and best value app I have on my iPhone.

 

Navionics Marine. For $14.99 this app is incredible value for a marine GPS with built in charts. I have only used it locally so can only comment on its performance in and around Brisbane and the Sunny Coast. I have found the detail of the maps and charts spot on. The maps have Beacon to Beacon style detail and are updated on a semi-regular basis. The chart plotting, spot marking and tracking functions are very easy. I have read reviews stating that it stands up well against units over $1000. Navionics has a good rep when it comes to charts and maps and it shows in this app. Being new to boating and Moreton Bay it's great to be able to chart a course, work out how long and how much fuel a trip is likely to take (with some caution built in of course) and know where possible hazards are. I can’t speak highly enough of this app.

 

Wind Guru is another great app. It's a weather/marine/wind forecaster app and is very helpful as part of your trip planning. It gives you a week of forecasted wind speed and direction, temp, 3 level cloud cover, rainfall, air pressure, humidity, wave height and direction and peak wave period. The choice of locations is impressive. Places like Moreton Island, Inner Beacon, Days Gutter, Tangas and Scarborough can be added to your favourites just to name a few. Forecasts within 2 days I have found to be quite accurate.

 

If you buy a fishing almanac every year this is a good one for you. Fishing Calculator is an almanac on your phone but it has more details on the supposed peak bite periods. It rates the fishing efficiency per day and by the hour. If you believe in that then it is worth it. But what I like about this app is being able to record your catches with a photo and it will also automatically enter the time, date and GPS location of the catch. You can even add more details such as length and weight of fish, bait used, weather condition, water temp etc. It's a nifty little diary keeping tool.

 

The Knot Guide app lists over 120 knots of all types which are animated. 20 of these are fishing knots like the albright, blood, perfection and more. Pretty handy to have close by or when learning to tie a new one. Again you can make a favourites list so you don’t need to search each time.

 

There’s one called Day Tides. Pretty good for tides on the day per locations. I don’t use it often but it's free and handy if you wake up one day and just want to know what the tide is doing. You can pin point the tide location easily.

 

Pkt Weather is a weather app and fairly basic as far as location choices but what I do like about it is the tide function. With this app you can project the tide 4 weeks ahead. It also has radars, warning and synoptics.

 

The Rules and Signals app is what it says. It lists basic marine rules and signals including lights. It's not specific to Australia from what I can see but it does list what looks like international recognised rules of the road, signals, marks and communication. What it does have is a list of Australian frequencies for marine radios. It helped me identify some flag displays in the Brissy River not long ago so I got some use out of it.

 

 

BrisWind has local wind predictions, forecasts and graphs and is detailed in the locations listed. it gives you the current BOM marine forecast too.

 

These are the app that anyone can download from iTunes. Some are free or come in a lite version to try before you buy. The others you pay for but are cheap. The only one over $5 is the Navionics one and I think it is more than worth it. Another App that I have and I use to find boat ramps is TomTom. It costs $99 and is just like the stand alone unit only a third of the price and it is always with you. The latest update for this app has added boat ramp locations in the Point Of Interest search and so far so good but it's worth cross checking it against Google earth before you trust it with a new ramp.

 

Apart from these apps I have also added frequently used websites to the home screen. These include AFO, Willy Weather, Seabreeze, BOM bay report and Coast Watch’s fishing report so with just one tap it opens the page you want.

 

With all the GPS enabled apps, the good news is your phone doesn't use any of your plan data so you don't have to worry about going over your cap. But one of the gripes I do have with the iPhone is how short the battery life is when running the built in GPS system. So what I have done is use a small marine 12v battery left over from my last boat. I bought an accessory socket with battery clamps from Super Cheap auto for only $3, hooked it up to the battery and use my car charger. It keeps the phone charged and I can use the socket for other rechargeable items like lights. All you have to do it keep the cables dry.

 

Hope this is of help to those with iPhones or people thinking about getting one. The only thing left is for Mr. Jobs to fix the problem with version 4 before it comes out here.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

 

**Disclaimer - Mr. Bluevien is not associated with Apple corp or the developers of the above mentioned apps and does not receive commission (unfortunately).

An option for those who do not wish to download apps  is to use an online chart viewer.