FishingBC vs sailingBC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FishingBC
This app serves as the official digital license and logbook for tidal fishing in British Columbia. It allows anglers to record catches, store license information, and access up-to-date regulations and weather forecasts.
- Digital fishing license storage
- Mandatory catch recording
- Official regulation updates
- Species identification and logging
- Location-based weather forecasts
- Certified guide logbook functionality
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NEW & IMPROVED FOR SPRING 2026! FishingBC is the official app for tidal (saltwater) fishing in British Columbia, created by the Sport Fishing Institute of BC with support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Features: • Now the FishingBC app replaces the need to carry a paper licence! After linking it with your BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, the FishingBC app allows you to permanently record, store, and display mandatory catch information including for Chinook salmon, halibut, and lingcod, as well as provide proof of your current, valid licence. • Up-to-date, easy-to-view official regulations including closures and contamination areas. • Updated catch log and species ID to identify and record your catch and access your historical catch data. • Certified Tidal Angling Guides (CTAG) can now easily complete DFO catch log requirements. • UBC Enhanced Catch Log provides additional Chinook and Coho catch log information to University of British Columbia researchers. • Current, location-based weather forecasts including marine synopsis.
sailingBC
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A comprehensive list of regatta schedules for dinghy sailing in British Columbia along with results from those regattas. In addition to results you can see the Power Rankings which represent the number of sailors in the various fleets, and how many sailors each club had attending the regattas, and how well they did. The intention is to encourage sailors to attend regattas and increase participation across regattas being held across the province.
Screenshots
Verdict
FishingBC and sailingBC are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | FishingBC | sailingBC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (75 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 75 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sport Fishing Institute of BC | Blueridge Business Solutions Inc. |
Bugs and requests
FishingBC
Reported bugs
40 issues- Unable to register account (verification email not received)
- Corrupted data requiring re-download
- Dead link for AI species identification
- Species ID not always accurate
- Maps are terrible/difficult to discern boundaries
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- Maps not detailed enough/zoom issues
- Rockfish identification needs improvement
- Species identification generic
- Regulation changes not always timely in app
- Seasonal changes not communicated ahead
- Rockfish Conservation Area maps vague/poor resolution
- Sub-area closures unclear
- Crab sizes/limits unclear
- Shellfish biotoxin report conflicts
- Wrong regs for area 14
- Unable to link BC gov account
- Catch log portal displays productive areas
- Pop-up salmon facts annoying
- Pop-up tips annoying
- Max size for halibut not listed
- Some fishermen gun shy about using it due to catch log portal
- Unnecessary addition in catch log portal
- Needs to be spot on with closures/limitations
- Needs better maps
- Needs RCA and sponge reef on maps
- Needs more detailed area maps
- Needs to be able to zoom into area maps
- Needs to check tides
- Needs to communicate seasonal changes ahead
- Needs scaleable maps
- Needs clearer sub-area closures
- Needs live, zoomable, GPS enabled map
- Needs alarm for drifting into new areas with different regs
- Needs to be easier to understand for responsible fishing
- App is confusing
- Regulations are hard to understand
- Requires internet connection
- Useless without internet/account
- Does not trust app for regulations
- Lacks info about crab fishing regulations
Requested features
31 requests- Add freshwater license
- Add juvenile license and catch log data
- Ability to add multiple licenses
- Add hunting app
- Improve species identification
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- Add hatchery identification
- Include bio toxin reports from past years or remove
- Add tide charts
- Add live GPS map with boundaries
- Make map zoomable and GPS enabled
- Overlay fishing boundaries on map
- Click on map boundary to see summary
- Sound alarm if boat drifts into new area with different regs
- Add crab fishing regulations information
- Add RCA and sponge reef to maps
- Add more detailed and useful maps
- Improve map resolution and zoom capabilities
- Add ability to toggle between sub-area regulations and map easily
- Map should remember previous settings or allow default layers
- Better description of offline use
- Clearer guidance on legal transport and packaging of catch
- Add dark mode option
- Add advanced analytics dashboard
- Add freshwater licenses integration
- Add prawn opening map (green open, red closed)
- Add ability to zoom in on boundary maps
- Add ability to see seasonal changes ahead of time
- Add ability to see sub-area closures more clearly
- Add ability to see crab sizes and limits
- Add shellfish biotoxin report clarity
- Add ability to manage dependants licenses and catch
sailingBC
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
FishingBC
No in-app purchases
sailingBC
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FishingBC free?
Is sailingBC free?
Do FishingBC or sailingBC have ads?
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