About the Fishing Trips app
The Fishing Trips app is for people who want to make new friends, for people who get days off when all of their usual fishing mates are stuck at work, for those legends who take people out in their boats, for those who work their asses off to support their families and struggle to make ends meet and can’t afford their own boat, for those travelling who want to wet a line during their trip, for those new to fishing and those legendary experienced fisho’s who are happy to pass on their knowledge. Simply, it’s for everyone who enjoys fishing.
What those non-fishers don’t realise is that fishing is more than catching fish. It’s the chance to have a beer with mates. It’s the chance to create stories that will last for a lifetime. It’s the opportunity to escape the worries of the real world and enjoy the simple things in life.
These statements encompass what Fishing Trips is about. The fishing community is such an amazing bunch of people from all walks of life with a communal passion. As the sport evolves, one thing remains the same, there is no better feeling than wetting a line with good company.
How the Fishing Trips app started
My co-founder and I were working inland and rarely got to the coast, certainly not often enough to buy a boat and pay for it to be stored for those few times a year we could get there for a fish. When we did get to the coast, we would have to annoy our friends to see who was heading out, which usually resulted in no trips.
As we explored the idea further with family and friends, we realised how many boat owners were having the opposite problem to us. They had a boat but no one to go with, so they couldn’t go out. A very specific example was when my father (a true fishing fanatic just south of Perth) gave up chasing lobsters. He had all the gear, knew the spots and would regularly catch plenty. The reason he gave up…because the pots were getting too heavy to lift. I’ve lifted a few of these over the years and they certainly aren’t light, I can see where he was coming from. It seemed like madness though, that there are plenty of strong, fit people who would love to go out and help pull in a few pots in exchange for a feed of lobster. The sad part was that he couldn’t connect with them.
These discussions are what led to the creation of the Fishing Trips app.
Why we’re different
Now we’ve heard plenty of people say that they just use Facebook to find trips and we understand that. But we’ve also heard plenty of boat owners say they’ve been stood up by people who were supposed to go out with them. That’s where Fishing Trips is a step ahead of finding a fishing buddy through Facebook. The app utilises an active rating system where our users get to rate each other after a trip.
It works in a similar way to the Uber system. If someone does the wrong thing like, doesn’t show up or cancels at the last-minute ruining your chance to go out, you can provide them with an appropriate rating. If this user tries to book another trip, the next users can see their rating and make an informed decision. Not to mention the app isn’t restricted by any sort of geographical region. You don’t need to joining a new group every time you move, or look to fish somewhere else. The filter system also identifies trips that suit you.
Our app is getting updated all the time. We’re continually striving to provide new updates and make the app better for our users. Unfortuntely we can’t build them fast enough (if only we had a budget like Facebook)!
Did you know that Commercial fishing operators (Charters, Captains, etc) can advertise for free on the app. There are some paid versions of advertising if they want it however, we don’t take any commission. You can view more details about this here. This means private users can search for these trips as well.
Our mission is to see more people out there enjoy the amazing waters our world has to offer!