ANGLR – A New Mobile App that Tracks Your Time on the Water
Dave Maas 03.15.17
Editor’s note: ANGLR Labs is a new player in the recreational fishing world, presenting a new way to document your fishing trips using technology to automate the process. Their technology has been dubbed by some as the “FitBit for fishermen.” Here, avid angler Todd Williams shares his thoughts on this remarkable new innovation.
The date is June 17, 2007 – it’s Father’s Day. The water is Lake Carmel, a small body of water in southeastern New York. My older brother, Eric, and I are getting a rare chance to get on the water together.
Man, were we having a great time. No matter where you are in life, such an experience – sharing the boat with a family member or close friend – can’t help but bring back wonderful memories of the past, when you and your boat partner did everything together.
To make the day even better, Eric and I were catching a lot of fish. A LOT. It was right then, somewhere between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., that Eric missed netting what would’ve been my biggest largemouth to date. My line snapped right next to the boat, and the big bass swam off. We stared silently in awe at the sheer size of this fish as it made its way out of Dodge.
Was it Eric’s fault for whiffing with the net? Was it my fault for not checking if my line was frayed? It didn’t matter – we settled back in and kept killing it.
I’m reliving memories of this fine fishing day to make a point. An important point.
Did Eric and I keep a fishing log? Nope.
Can we tell you anything about the reading on the barometer that day? God, no.
We were out on the water with each other making a memory that will last forever. That said, on the other hand, we’d love to have kept the locations of where we were catching those bass, have all the pictures, and have seen trends of the barometric pressure and water temperature while we were slamming numerous 5 pounders a piece. Such detailed info would give us the chance to relive that day together someday down the line. What we needed was a fishing log – but not like the one your grandfather might have kept in the bottom of his rusty tacklebox.
Tracking Fishing Info in a Modern World
ANGLR Labs, which manufactures its products next to the waters of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania, is a technology company that is simplifying the effort in keeping a fishing log book and journal. It all starts with a free mobile app that records and tracks your day on the water. The mobile app automatically records important weather and water information, marks and saves key GPS waypoints, stores memorable fish photos, and much more.
The app pairs with the rod-mounted ANGLR Tracker via Bluetooth (above), which essentially makes the process hands-free. At the end of the day, the ANGLR Log Book gives fishermen high-level statistics in a readable format.
The Tracker can drop pins, count casts, mark catches, and even track fight time. It automatically uploads data to phones and computers in a very simple, non-invasive way.
ANGLR was founded by three friends while recounting a fishing trip. Nic Wilson, Landon Bloomer and TJ Corbett were fishing near Oil City, PA, when they found themselves in one of those fun, heated arguments over who had caught more fish. Just like that, the idea was born. Bloomer touts that the biggest benefit of the ANGLR platform is it “provides you the capabilities to make smarter decisions and break down waters faster in the pursuit of catching more fish.” An additional benefit, in my opinion, is the ability to relive past trips on the water.
The Future
The team at ANGLR Labs is working toward constantly adapting and updating for the needs of anglers. They are looking to roll out a social platform that will allow anglers to share any information they’d like. Even cooler, they’re adding a “Squad Up” mode that will allow anglers to compete against each other, compare notes, waypoints, and share real-time fishing information as they wish.
As Eric and I settle into our lives in different parts of the United States, we can still use fishing to connect through the ANGLR platform. It won’t be as good as actually spending time in the boat together, but it’ll be the next best thing.
FYI: The ANGLR Tracker and Log Book are now available at tackle shops and sporting good outlets nationwide, as well as these online retailers. The ANGLR mobile app is a free download available from Google Play or the iTunes store. Learn more by visiting www.ANGLR.tech.
Check out the video below from Justin Rackley of LakeForkGuy Fishing TV. He dives into the strengths of ANGLR and explains why you should use it. Good stuff.
