I wouldn’t say I am a luddite, but I’m certainly not a gear head. That positions me in the middle somewhere like most folks. Is modern technology useful? You bet. It can make many things a lot easier and more efficient. So that made me wonder just how good AI handles fishing information, such as “where-to” and “how-to” questions. Ask and you shall be given. What happens when you simply type in a question on your browser? (In my case, the Safari browser, and we’ll compare that with the ChatOn app.)
AI Talks Striped Bass
Let’s start with something in the where-to category: “Where to catch a trophy striped bass?” Safari’s AI (Apple Intelligence) came up with some fairly general suggestions.
“The best places for trophy striped bass fishing are the Chesapeake Bay in the winter and early spring, Cape Cod and Chatham, Massachusetts in the summer and fall, and Boston’s Harbor for shore access. The Susquehanna Flats in Maryland, the Sluiceway in New York, and areas around New Jersey and New England also offer excellent trophy-sized fish throughout the year, depending on migration patterns.”
The AI did go on with some additional detail and referenced some articles and videos on the subject.
ChatOn AI had similar locations as answers. First was Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and Virginia. Second, the Hudson River and third Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They did include the best seasons, but not much more specifics in the initial answer. They did give some “Tips For Success,” such as using heavy tackle. Okay, nothing wrong with that, but maybe focused on certain anglers. They did give additional options for using the right lures and bait, but I had reached my limit for free searching, so it was back to my browser which initially had more specifics.
In both cases, there wasn’t angst on my part about the locations (although not really specific), but the order of priority might be a little different for me. The general seasonality was also okay.
Does AI Know Fishing?
Well, striped bass is a very popular fish caught in just about every state, so there is a big pool of info available for AI to grab from. What happens when the fish is a little more obscure? How about, “Where to catch a trophy cutthroat trout?”
No problem! Safari’s AI nailed it. Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada, has the Lahontan strain and they grow big! If that fish is on your bucket list, they give you a bunch of different rabbit holes to go down. All good. Been to Pyramid Lake and done that. It is a real gas, but a strong suggestion is to get a guide for the first outing, no matter what AI says.
Maybe location questions are almost too easy for any of the AI apps. What happens when you get a little more specific in some technique questions. Let’s try, “How do you tie a spider hitch?” Bingo. A number of videos pop right up. What about rigging a ballyhoo for trolling? Yup. Got that covered and it even offers videos on trolling techniques. Pretty much the same type of response when asking to “select baitcasting equipment for walleye fishing.” Some basic info and a selection of videos with a lot more details.
A Common AI Pattern
I’m seeing a real pattern here. Not that it’s a problem, but how AI gets the answers to the questions. Or put another way, how the questions get asked. If I prompt “Give me 50 words on how to rig a Texas style worm for bass fishing.” Simple, the 50 words asked for and a pretty good rundown are given. Then, additional links to actually see how to do it.
After playing around with it for a while, I tried to stump it with an extremely specific question. “Who holds the 16-pound tippet flyrod world record for blackfin tuna?” It told me that there were only flyrod length records. Huh? I’m quite certain the IGFA still has line category records. I personally know who holds the record in question. Gotcha!
Fishermen Beware
The bottom line, pun intended, is that AI has an incredible ability to search through vast digital files at the blink of an eye. That aggregation ability generates an answer to the question. It is not producing any new information. It’s almost like another search engine in today’s fast-paced world. For some parts of fishing, that works just fine.
However, if I were going out after a target species this weekend, I’d want to know what the current activity was in my area. Some of the AI apps are better at that than others. There are also apps that are designed to give users current activity information. Some may search with a specific algorithm and some may depend on a constant inflow of current data.
AI isn’t going to fill up the fish box for you, but it will certainly give you a lot of information to help plan. Still, the best way to learn is getting out on the water, because there is no substitute for doing it.
