Go back to previous topic
Forum nameCalfishing.com Main Board
Topic subjectNew Features on the site!
Topic URLhttp://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=4602
4602, New Features on the site!
Posted by swimbait, Sat Sep-15-07 11:23 PM
Over a year in the making, I am beyond thrilled to present the latest version of calfishing.com.

The new features include:

--------------------------------------------
Integrated Forum and Reports
--------------------------------------------
The new report section is tied to your forum login. Log in in one place, and you will be remembered in the other.

Your login is good for the forum, and for reports
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/login.jpg

--------------------------------------------
Report Section
--------------------------------------------
There are now 623 unique fishing locations that you can post a report to and counting.

Reports Screenshot
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/locations.jpg

Each location has been validated, marked, and mapped using Google Maps. Finding these spots could not be easier. You can view them on a map, list them alphabetically, sort them by county, or by geographic region.

Sort Options
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/sorts.jpg

The latest reports can be viewed on the home page - giving you a quick snapshot of what's new.

Check the Latest on the Home Page
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/recent_reports.jpg

To add a photo to your report, simply paste in an image link from anywhere on the internet. You could add a pic from your calfishing gallery, from flickr, momentoffame, or anywhere you like.

--------------------------------------------
Maps
--------------------------------------------
Each location that can be reported on also has a large map page where you can get information about the location, view links, and view sub-locations like marinas, points, or launch ramps. For example, check out the California Delta for a growing list of marinas -- each marked on the map with easily accessible driving directions.

CA Delta Screen Shot
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/delta.jpg

Each location has a convenient weather forecast from Accuweather.com, and already there are over 300 links to get more information about individual locations, links for camping, local lake management, lake levels, and more.

The information here will grow and expand over time. This is just day one.

--------------------------------------------
Tides
--------------------------------------------
Have you ever looked at the tide web-sites for California? If you are like me, you probably got confused trying to locate exactly where the tide markers were. Take a look at the Calfishing Tide Map page and wonder no more. Every tide station from Mexico to Oregon, including every Delta location. Now you can find Snodgrass Slough, click the marker, and get the tides.

Finding Snodgrass Slough the Easy Way
http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/tide_example.jpg

Take a look at the tide map for yourself here:
http://www.calfishing.com/loc/tides.html

--------------------------------------------
If you have a fishing location you'd like to see added, please use the contact form to suggest it. I'll have more formal procedures available in the future. There's hundreds of hours invested here to make this happen but I know that like you - I will want it to be better, more comprehensive, and more exciting. I hope you'll choose to be a part of this - it may take another year - but this is only just the beginning of what calfishing.com will become.

Thanks for your support - and thank you to all who contributed to this project - Nico Raffo whose programming expertise is beyond anything I will ever attain, and without whose help none of this would be possible. Mark Rogers, Ryan Thoni, John Lake, Jeremy Pratt, my wife Summer and everyone else I bugged for feedback and user testing. Thank you. Enjoy the site :D
4603, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by Leapin Bass, Sun Sep-16-07 12:08 PM
Rob - great idea! Maps and specific locations. I am looking forward to using it. Thanks for the effort!
4604, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by MountainBass, Sun Sep-16-07 12:12 PM
DUDE!! YOU DID IT!!

All I can say is everyone....get stoked!

This is by far, the best fishing resource for California fisherman that we have available on the web. For the last year Rob has put his heart and soul into creating this system and it looks like he's finally perfected it.

The best way to keep improving on such a great resource is for all of us to use it. Post reports, read reports, give side notes about any difficulties with the maps provided (comments like: pavement ends at mile 4 on so and so road, be prepared)

And for all who plan to fish the delta, Rob just made my favorite delta tides resource easily accessible.

Congrats Rob on this accomplishment, and we are all stoked to learn the new features.
4605, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by SWMB8R, Sun Sep-16-07 02:43 PM
I can attest to the amount of time that Rob spent on this. There are a TON of useful tools to help everyone out that visits Calfishing.com

Great job Rob.
4606, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by Jeremyfisher, Sun Sep-16-07 03:52 PM

Absolutely awesome.
4607, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by Matt Peters, Mon Sep-17-07 04:55 AM
Wow Rob, awesome new additions.

I'm not sure what site is more useful, Google or Calfishing?

Needless to say, you are helping out a lot of Western anglers with quick access to information they'd otherwise have to glue together from various resources.

Calfishing.com continues to raise the bar for professionalism in every category: content, structure, innovation, graphics, etc. You are already the envy of every other site, and this just takes it up a notch.

The ability to have a more interactive experience is awesome, and the site serving as a central repository of information of all things fishing becoming more and more refined. Outstanding work, and kudos to you for continual progression and innovation with this site. Glad to be part of it all!


Matt
4608, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by Sacto John, Mon Sep-17-07 07:40 AM
Rob

This is absolutely amazing. You are the reason that calfishing.com is the BEST fishing website on the net. Keep up the good work.
4609, RE: You have out done yourself
Posted by Lake, Mon Sep-17-07 10:31 AM
Very impressive, I just spent the last hour playing with all the new features. I really like how you incorporated google earth into a tide chart. It doesn't get any easier then that. It will be nice to see the reports pages fill up as well. calfishing.com setting the bar once again. Great work Rob
4610, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by mteman, Mon Sep-17-07 04:15 PM
Rob, What can I say man... great job! Cudos to you and Nico and everybody else who helped out. What an awesome resource.

And without the clutter of a gazillion ad banners too, I'm impressed.

MT
4611, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by Nico, Mon Sep-17-07 06:49 PM
This reminds me, I gotta remember not to move to central california :)

http://www.calfishing.com/files/Images/help_pages/reports_maps/locations.jpg

4612, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by swimbait, Mon Sep-17-07 08:16 PM
Thanks for all the kind words. I know that a lot of this will not be immediately useful, but I believe that over time it will grow and expand to become something truly valuable. It's worth pointing out that in many ways, this is just the beginning - the framework - for what will be even more interesting and useful.

I waited a long time to release this so that I could get a solid chunk of the state covered, but there is still so much more to cover. In the future we'll let you, the loyal calfishing fans, add your own markers, your own comments on the locations, etc. And someday, someday, we'll tie it all up so that everything becomes more interactive, more about you, and what you are interested in. Reviews, forum, gallery, video, and more...

A lot of people have stuck with this site for many years and I want you to know that it's not going away, it's just going to keep on the road it's on. Slow and steady and patient. Like a big old fish laying under a log, just growing and getting bigger each year slowly :) Stick with me.
4613, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by magmaster, Tue Sep-18-07 09:58 AM
Rob as always you (and Nico from what I understand) did a great job! Thanks for this great feature!!!
4614, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by Brian 2, Wed Sep-19-07 09:21 AM
Rob, this looks absolutely incredible! You have really out done yourself buddy! From the looks of it, this site is really going to change every fishing message board in exsistance or ever created. Nice job. I'm way impressed.

And on another note, thanks dude for this site! You put in tons of time to maintain this site just for us fishermen and that is really really cool of you. So many people have benefited from your work of trying to create a tighter knit fishing community. I know you work on this site must often go unappreciated but I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you Rob (for being a total computer nerd) :),

Brian Kettler

AKA: #2
4620, RE: New Features on the site!
Posted by alvo69, Wed Oct-03-07 09:09 PM
A-1 PRIMO Job done by all. I can't wait to visit Cali again just so I can utilize this great feature!! THANKS ROB ! and Nico and all!!!