Fishily: New app links skippers with anglers

Neighbours Todd Morris and Scott Clarke, along with local software engineer Jackson Currie, have launched Fishily, which links anglers with boat owners who are keen to make new friends on the water.

The idea came about after Todd and Scott chatted at a barbecue about all the neighbourhood boats that seemed to sit in the driveway more than they did on the water.

“We were just talking about fishing and how many boats we see around the neighbourhood, and how much they stay in driveways and never get used,” Todd says.

“They probably go out about half a dozen times a year if they’re lucky. For some people, it’s just a very expensive ornament on their driveway,” he says.

Todd says he believes boat owners would head out frequently if they had more of a chance to do so.

“I think most boaties would like to go out more than they do, but often their schedules don’t align or they can’t launch on their own. And with the cost of living at the moment, fuel is expensive, and it can be a pretty costly hobby.”

Todd says it can cost around $60 for fuel and $60 for bait for a day out on a boat, even more when you book a charter.

“Having a few more people to come out with you on your boat makes it much more affordable,” he says. On the other side of it, Todd says, not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to a boat.

“It’s sort of a waste, because there’s plenty of people out there who’d love to contribute towards a trip, and actually just help launch a boat and help pay for fuel and just go out and do it. And so we thought, how can we match these people up?”

The app

Boat owners can register their intended date, time, and location of a fishing trip on the Fishily app, while potential “crew” (those without boats) can log their desire to join them on board. In return, they can contribute petrol money, food, bait, gear, and expertise.

After the user builds a profile describing their personality and interests, they can list or apply for a trip. People can then apply to be a part of the trip and once accepted, can contact the other crew members to organise the details, including how to split the costs.

After the trip, members can rate each other and write reviews to build connections and for safety reasons, similar to Uber or Airbnb. For boat owners, there are plenty of advantages to registering on the app.

“They might need help to launch their boat or get advice from experienced anglers who know things about certain types of fishing that the boat owner doesn’t,” Todd says.

“Maybe someone who’s just recently bought a boat and isn’t completely aware of all the different types of fishing that they can do, all the different lures, and all the different baits and all that sort of stuff. All the good spots they might not know about. Not every angler knows everything,” he says.

“You could use the app to search for someone to teach them how to do trolling, or ask for some good safety tips, or it could be a young fella who has just bought a boat and needs someone to help them learn the ins and outs.”

Connecting people

Released globally on 1 February 2024, Fishily currently has around 2000 users.

“We went through a lot of iterations, a lot of testing, and we’re still going through it to just figure out what works and what doesn’t. We want to make sure it’s exactly what people are looking for,” Todd says.

The app features a feed where people can post photos and videos of their fishing trips, as well as any advice, weather watches, tips and tricks, and good spots for hunting certain fish species. There’s a log functionality as well where users can create a log of their trip.

At its most basic level, Todd says Fishily is about connecting people: “We wanted a way for people to get to know each other as well as create opportunities to get out on the water for people who did not have access to a boat,” he says.

Todd says he hopes the app will bring together people from all walks of life. “I think increasingly society’s very divided. You don’t really meet people from outside your bubble as much as you should,” he says.

“I own a business that has a lot of employees who can’t afford a boat, and they spend a lot of time fishing off the rocks. I just know that they would never just bump into like an ex-dairy farmer or a stockbroker, but through this app, we can bring people together who have a lot more in common than they ever really realise.”

Fishily is free to use but members can opt to pay for a premium subscription. From each subscription, $1 would be donated to Mike King’s I Am Hope Foundation.

The app is available on both the App Store and Google Play. Find out more at fishilyapp.com.

Words by Shannon Williams, images supplied and Adobe Stock