We’re living in a new world. People have changed and angling has changed with them.
At Clubmate, we’re fortunate enough to work with some of the best fisheries in the UK and there’s no doubt that the most successful ones have adapted to modern methods, modern pressures and modern fishing.
Let’s take a look at some ideas you can implement at your fishery to make a difference, make your life easier and give you more time to spend on the bank!
We’ll Cover:
Get Yourself Out There: Media, Marketing & Brand Awareness for Fisheries
Your fishery might be great, but if no one knows you exist, it’s tough to attract anglers to your venue. On top of that, today’s anglers expect to browse and book online, right from their smartphones.
Social Media for Fisheries
Modern fisheries embrace the power of social media, so setting up a Facebook page and an Instagram account is a great place to start. They’re great platforms to advertise, communicate and celebrate success. Nothing moves anglers more than fish, so if you can post the latest catches or let anglers know one of the ‘A-Team’ has been out, you’ll always generate interest.
Do you still need a website?
The fact that social media is so quick and easy makes some fisheries question whether websites are still a necessity, but there’s certainly still a place for a well-made fishery website. It gives legitimacy to your business and helps you appear in web searches. With over 80% of online traffic now being on mobile devices, your website can be optimised for phones and prove just as attractive – take a look at our fishery website demo.
Branding for Fisheries
Social media and websites work best when they’re tied together with consistent branding. Create an identity for your fishery by picking a simple colour scheme and get yourself a recognisable logo to instantly let your audience know who you are. Some fisheries are hesitant to invest in a great logo due to the cost, but it’s a lasting asset that pays off more than just another round of fish stocking!
In short: Get visible, stay connected, and make your fishery memorable.
Fishery Management: It’s More Than a Buzzword
“Fishery management” gets thrown around a lot in the industry, but what does it actually involve? The answer: many things. From gardening and predation to litter picking and bailiffing – fishery management includes managing all stakeholders in the fishery and most importantly, all of the fish! They’re the most important part of angling, our job as fishery managers is to sustain and improve their habitat in whatever way we can.
Many fisheries will be members of the Angling Trust and there are dedicated Fishery Management Advisors (FMAs) available to support you FREE as a benefit of your membership, so make sure you take advantage of it.
Clubmate has partnered with British Aquacare, who offer Fishery Management services designed to enhance the productivity of your aquatic environments. Clubmate Clients can claim 10% off all of their fishery services, from fish stock surveys to predation management. Learn more here.
In addition, there are plenty of other both free and paid resources out there. The Institute of Fisheries Management does exactly what it says on the tin and you can join today for a small annual fee that will definitely yield dividends for you and your fishery.
Plan Instead of React
The best advice is to plan rather than just react. Schedule routine of fishery health checks every week, check for damage to any fences, monitor the health of your stock (it’s a good idea to get your anglers to submit catch reports that include space for any issues or concerns) and occasionally stump up the cash to bring in a qualified expert to give your fishery a once-over.
There’s a lot to cover in this area, so let us know if you’d like us to do a deep dive in a future post, remember to book your space in our upcoming seminar on How to Run your Fishery in the 21st Century.
Go Digital: If You’re Not Online, You’re Behind!
Make it Easy for Anglers to Purchase
And lastly, let’s talk about going digital. If you’re spending hours on admin, paperwork and writing receipts for every angler, you’re missing out on time that could be spent managing your fishery, teaching young anglers, or even enjoying a bit of fishing yourself!
If you can bring together sales, accounting, communication, waiting lists and catch reports all in one place, your life as a fishery manager is going to be a lot easier.
Automating your ticketing system means you can sell tickets 24/7, even while you sleep. This means more revenue, more anglers, and more investment in the future.
Allow your anglers to book in, submit their photos and renew their membership without having to follow a lengthy process. Research tells us that if these processes aren’t convenient, you’ll lose their interest before they’ve even made a purchase.
Empower Your Bailiffs
Empower your bailiffs too. With online tools, they’ll be able to see who’s on-site at any time of day, within seconds of anglers purchasing a ticket. We need to combine effective enforcement with modern methods to protect our fisheries and make sure anglers all have the best experience every time.
Change can be scary but, once you take the leap, you’ll never look back. We’re certain that you’ll look back and wonder how you ever managed before. Rather than spending hours poring over paperwork, you can be out on the bank adding real value to your fishery, or even catching a few yourself!
How GJ Fisheries Transformed Their Fishery with Clubmate
A great real-life example of a forward-thinking fishery manager is our friend Jamie at GJ Fisheries Manchester. Before deciding to use a fishery management platform, the ticketing process was very messy. “I started to see a rise in anglers wanting to pay by debit card or even with their smartphones using Apple Pay on the bank, so I knew I had to modernise our approach,” says Jamie, Owner of GJ Fisheries.
“I like that Clubmate automatically matches up the ticket payment to the member because it essentially does my accounts for me. It’s saved me so much time and it’s a relief to know that anglers can book their tickets 24/7 and aren’t limited to when the tackle shop is open. Most importantly, Clubmate has given me back time to focus on managing my waters because it does all of my admin for me.”
To recap, the most successful fisheries are the ones that embrace modern methods and offer their anglers a positive, convenient fishing experience. By putting effort into raising brand awareness, spending valuable time on fishery management and embracing digital tools, your fishery will thrive for many fishing seasons to come.
Clubmate is the go-to fishery management software trusted by over 100,000 anglers and 1500+ fishing club committee members and bailiffs. We’ll help you remove unnecessary paperwork, increase revenue and take back your spare time with our simple-to-use, cloud-based system designed specifically for fishing clubs and fisheries. Book a 1-2-1 demo with one of our fishing club experts or see what people have to say about working with us.
Leave a comment