FISHING FROM SPACE

Having a good idea of conditions before we leave the dock can save us a bit of guesswork and a lot of fuel, but are we making the most of all that data?

- CAPT. JOE BYRUM

MODERN TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES to transform our lives, and the fishing world is no exception. From sonars, stabilizers and power systems to social media and satellite phones, the paradigms are endless. But some of the most useful and accessible of these advancements are the satellite-data services that specialize in consolidating ocean conditions into a near-real-time, practical form for fishermen.

To start, it's important to understand how this data becomes available. I spoke with Mark Hess, director of operations of SeaView Fishing, and Matthew Upton, president of ROFFS, to learn how these two industry leaders break down this data, and how all fishermen can benefit from services like these.

While it seems fishermen have no problem spending money to find fish, we still haven't launched our own satellites into space, so the information that these companies use comes from data derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA satellites, as well as other space agencies and universities. All of the various fishing services are essentially using the same data, with the algorithms and breakdown of how this information is processed and interpreted being the difference between them.