To avid saltwater fishermen it could be what the Wall Street Journal is to a successful businessman at the start of his day; an essential source of information for better planning of a fishing trip.
No matter where in the world they're at, coastal and offshore anglers with iPhones (and others listed below), can take advantage of the latest advancements in technology that FirstMate offers for fishing across the globe, all for a onetime charge of $39.99.
Packing an incredible array of data and information into an easy-to-use handheld, FirstMate is the first iPhone application - or "app" in tech speak -- designed specifically to help saltwater anglers.
Developed by Sammy Lee, a fishing/marine industry veteran of over 30 years, FirstMate sold apps in eight countries within 24 hours of going "live," and follows the success of Lee's freshwater angler's app version called FishMate launched just two months ago.
There are plenty of features and benefits; a touch of the numerous screens include:
- the best "Fishin' Times" for the day at your immediate location - or worldwide
- times for moonrise and moonset, sunrise and sunset, plus the major and minor feeding periods and the current moon phase
- current weather conditions, including temperature, humidity, heat index, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction
- local color weather radar with a 100 miles range updated every 15 minutes
- an extended forecast prepared for your current location or anywhere else you plan to cast your bait
- the latest fishing industry news, including the IGFA and much more.
Another touch of the screen loads you up with tournament news, fishing tips and tackle information and delicious fish recipes from the most informed sources in the industry.
An extra fun feature is the S.L.O.B. (Saltwater Lunker On Board) page, allowing lucky fishermen to post details of their catches, with photos, for other anglers to enjoy, utilizing social networking media like FaceBook. The S.L.O.B. page even posts the GPS coordinates of your fishing location below a Google Map showing your exact spot. Additionally, the anglers have the opportunity to email their photos directly from their iPhones off of the S.L.O.B. page.
"If someone went out and gathered all of these components themselves they'd spend over $150," said Lee. "FirstMate at $39.99 really does give you all the information you need to plan a fishing trip anywhere in the world and we plan to have additional updates along the way."
FirstMate can be purchased online at Apple's iTunes Store in the Apps section. It requires either an iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone OS 3.0 or higher and itunes. A version for other smart phones will be ready for download by June.
For more information go to: www.firstmateapp.com
