About FishingSide

What is FishingSide?

FishingSide is an independent, advertising-supported site built around eight practical calculators for anglers, plus a species reference. There’s no charter service, tackle shop, or guide business behind it — the site is the tools themselves, along with a Game Fish Species museum built from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons entries.

Who is it actually for?

Someone who wants a quick, rough answer before or during a trip: weighing a fish without a scale handy, checking whether tomorrow’s tide and weather line up, or figuring out what pound-test to spool on a reel. It isn’t built for guides who already know these answers from years on the water, and it’s not a substitute for a state wildlife agency or an official tide station.

What tools are here, specifically?

• Fish Weight Calculator— estimates a fish’s weight from length, refined with a girth measurement, using standard length-girth angler formulas.
• Tide Predictor— projects the next high and low tide, and whether the water is rising or falling, from one known recent high tide.
• Weather Fishing Planner — scores conditions 0–100 from barometric pressure, wind, sky cover, water temperature, and moon phase.
• Fishing Line Calculator — suggests a pound-test for your target species and estimates how many yards your reel spool holds.
• Catch Log Tracker— logs fish from a trip and totals catch count, weight, and your biggest fish by species.
• Bait Selector— suggests live bait or lures and a presentation tip by target species and water type.
• Fishing Knot Guide— filters knots by job — tie a hook, join two lines, form a loop — with strength and difficulty for each.
• Fishing License Checker — informational license basics for select US states.

That’s the complete list — see them together on the tools page.

Where do the numbers come from?

Each tool runs on a fixed formula or reference table, not a live feed or a sensor reading your actual water. The weight calculator uses standard length-girth relationships anglers have used for decades. The tide predictor extrapolates from the one high tide you enter — it doesn’t pull live station data. The weather score applies a fixed, points-based rubric to the numbers you type in. None of it is measuring conditions in real time.

Is any of this professional or official advice?

No. Every result is an estimate meant as a planning aid, not a guarantee. The Fishing License Checkeris informational only — always confirm current rules with your state or local wildlife agency before you fish. Treat the tide and weather output the same way: a starting point, not the final word, and follow safe boating practice on top of it.

Is it free? Why are there ads?

Yes — every tool is free, with no account or sign-up. The site runs on on-page advertising, which is why you’ll see ads next to the calculators. FishingSide isn’t affiliated with any tackle brand, weather provider, or state wildlife agency referenced or linked here.

What’s the Game Fish Species section?

The Game Fish Speciesmuseum is a reference gallery covering freshwater fighters like largemouth bass, trout, and northern pike, and saltwater species like tuna, marlin, and tarpon. Every entry, image, and fact is sourced from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons rather than written in-house, which is also why it’s kept out of search results as a reference page rather than editorial content.

What else is on the site?

The blog and learnsection carry longer articles on techniques, gear, and species — background reading a calculator alone can’t cover.

What FishingSide is not

It’s not a charter service, a licensing authority, a tackle retailer, or a weather service. There’s no support desk or research department behind it — it’s a small set of tools kept deliberately simple. If a tool’s output disagrees with something you can verify locally — a posted regulation, an official tide table, your own scale — trust the verified source.

How do I reach someone?

Through the contact page. Specific questions about a specific tool get read.