No I’m not losing it. When the field and stream offered there bass fishing video game I purchased one years ago. You can learn the different presentations by the rod movement while seeing the bait react to it. We can’t see the bait sometimes in the real world. But knowing how the bait reacts to the rod movement on the game does work while fishing. You can actually learn how to handle the boat too. It’s a simulation but we can learn from it. For me it gave me a new approach to learn different baits and presentations. You twitch the rod and watch the bait movement.

For someone wanting to learn it’s a help.

I've never seen any fishing video games where the baits reacted even very close to how they would in real life. A fish tank full of tap water would be a much better way to see how they actually move under water, then you can even adjust water temperatures to see how it effects different baits like suspending jerkbaits. 

 

Personally, I prefer to test baits on the water in front of the most important lure critics out there

 

Remember back when golfing was first a video game....buddy came over as we were going fishing next day.  Anyway...played golf till said it was time to go hit the hay and get ready for next day.  The lights got turned off and the room was still light!!!  We had played through the night.....#@!$...haven't done any videos to much since.

But...good luck with fishing video's...they can be fun if can't get out.

In the winter when the ice is on it was good to learn from somewhat.

 

now we have this awesome sight that has it all.

I have 12 or so fishing games for my Wii. While they are great for entertainment I don't believe I have learned anything from them.

If anyone is interested, look up Fishing Planet.  It's advertised as a simulator, at least as much as you can simulate fishing using a mouse and keyboard.  On some of the lakes you can fish from a kayak, but most are just shore at the moment.  It's free to play, but be warned that there are in game purchases which can be made, some for significant cash.  Such outlays are not essential to get fishing, although you will start out by catching a lot of panfish with hook and bobber to climb the first levels and earn in game credits.  Here are links to a couple of You Tube videos:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dde27vcdSBc  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWJbyL5ZwhI

 

Since I downloaded it this morning, I've caught Bluegill, green sunfish, redear sunfish, several species of shiner, spotted bass, Yellow perch, grass pickerel, chain pickerel, redfin pickerel, and one small northern pike.  That is less than half of the fish species available, although not all are in all lakes and it costs game credits to travel around the country, so you usually have to stay at least 3 days in a location to save enough to move on.  It has a multiplayer feature and fishing tournaments where you compete against other real people.

During the dawn of home computers a buddy and I played a floppy disk tournament game.  When you paid your entry fee, they mailed the disk to you.  It was a different lake each time.  You could pre-fish the lake for a certain length of time and then you had to start the tournament.  Your results were written to the disk and you mailed the disk in when you were finished.  Tourney results were mailed out about a month later with the entry form for the next tournament.  It was pretty cool for 1990!  I can't remember the name of it though.

fishing planet is free for ps4.  Rapalla just released a game for ps4 but its less simulation and more acradey

 

My son got a PS4 for Christmas and downloaded Fishing Planet. With it being cold and cruddy out lately I since downloaded the game on my PC and it's been kind of fun.

 

As stated above, you don't have to spend real world money to play this free game. But to improve your gear, get new baits and lures, purchases licenses and travel to most lakes you need to earn the in game currency. So for me, right now that means grinding on catching spotted bass at the Texas Lake. That can get boring.

 

But once you get enough in game currency and get some new gear it gets interesting again. In fact, it's kind of addictive.

 

I'm only at level 14 out of I don't know how many levels, so I can't yet purchase crankbaits, frogs, and other lures. That leaves me fishing mostly bass jigs (can't put a trailer on them, at least at my level), spoons, and some plastic baits. At one lake I managed to pull in a 3.5 pound largemouth on light gear. It probably took me 8 minutes to reel it in.

 

Anyway, if you're stuck inside with the frigid temperatures it might make a nice diversion for a while. And again, it's a free download and free to play.

Purely an arcade game, but Sega Bass Fishing for computer can be bought on Steam. Not very expensive and a fun way to pass the time when it soon will be -20 here in the Midwest. Here is the link:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/71240/SEGA_Bass_Fishing/

3 hours ago, Chowderhead said:

Purely an arcade game, but Sega Bass Fishing for computer can be bought on Steam. Not very expensive and a fun way to pass the time when it soon will be -20 here in the Midwest. Here is the link:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/71240/SEGA_Bass_Fishing/

I haven't seen that one. BTW, I fixed your profile pic:

 

 

16 minutes ago, Koz said:

I haven't seen that one. BTW, I fixed your profile pic:

 

 

 

Ha Ha -- Nice Try!