FishScope Angling vs Start Fishing
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FishScope Angling
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FishScope Angling FishScope Angling helps you spend more time fishing the right places, at the right times, under the right conditions. Built specifically for anglers, FishScope combines marine forecasts, weather, tides, moon phases and your own fishing history to help you plan every trip with confidence. Unlike traditional weather apps, FishScope lets you create personalised fishing spots by simply selecting an area on the map. Whether you're fishing from a beach, river, lake or offshore reef, your fishing spots become the centre of your forecasts and fishing history. FishScope also allows you to personalise forecast tolerances to suit the way you fish. Set your preferred limits for wind, sea height and rain, then instantly see which days and times best match your conditions. Plan Better Fishing Trips • Create personalised fishing spots by selecting areas directly on the map • Save your favourite fishing locations for quick access • View detailed marine, weather and tide forecasts • Hourly and daily forecast views • Identify the best fishing days and times based on your personalised tolerances • View wind, gusts, swell height, swell period, swell direction, chop height, sea height, tides, air temperature, air pressure, rainfall, sunrise, sunset and moon phases Personalise Your Forecasts No two anglers fish the same way. FishScope lets you customise forecast tolerances to match your own preferences. Whether you prefer calm mornings offshore or don't mind fishing in stronger winds from the beach, FishScope adapts to the way you fish. Your personalised tolerances are used throughout the app to calculate Conditions Ratings and highlight the best fishing windows. Record Every Catch • Log fishing trips and catches in seconds • Quickly create historic trips from previous fishing sessions • Record species, length, weight (auto), bait, rig, location and notes • Attach photos to trips and catches • Automatically group catches into fishing trips • View catches and trips on interactive maps Learn From Every Trip FishScope doesn't just record your catches—it helps you understand them. Discover how wind, gusts, swell height, swell period, swell direction, chop height, sea height, tides, air temperature, air pressure, rainfall, sunrise, sunset and moon phases have influenced your fishing success using powerful charts and insights built from your own fishing history. Smart Species & Weight Estimation FishScope includes a comprehensive built-in species database with automatic length-to-weight estimation for supported species. You can also create your own custom species and improve weight estimation accuracy by recording two or more known length and weight samples. FishScope builds a personalised length-to-weight model for your custom species, making estimates increasingly accurate over time. FishScope Pro Upgrade to FishScope Pro to unlock: • Full 8-day forecasts • Unlimited fishing history • Unlimited favourite fishing spots • Personalised forecast tolerances • Advanced fishing insights • Data exports • Future Pro features as they're released Whether you're chasing snapper, kingfish, trout or your local favourite species, FishScope helps you fish smarter, understand the conditions that produce results, and build confidence every time you head out on the water. Download FishScope Angling today and fish smarter.
Start Fishing
This app acts as a fishing coach for beginners, offering guidance on what to use, how to rig it, and where to cast. It provides real-time fishing conditions, allows you to save your favorite spots, and helps identify your catches and gear through photos.
- Real-time bite score and conditions
- Save and manage fishing spots
- Photo identification for fish and gear
- Step-by-step rig setups
- Catch logging and pattern analysis
- Free first week trial
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Start Fishing is the fishing coach beginner shore anglers actually need. No boat, no jargon. Save the water you fish, and get a grounded call on what to throw, how to rig it, and where to cast. THE BITE CARD A live read for your exact fishing spot: a bite score, what the fish are doing right now, today's top targets, and the next prime window. Built from real conditions (weather, water temperature, river flow, tides, and moon) for the water you're actually standing next to. YOUR FISHING SPOTS Save the bank, pier, or beach you fish. Lakes, ponds, rivers, and the surf all work. PHOTO ID Snap a photo of your catch and the app identifies the species and logs it. Snap your tackle and it builds your gear list. RIGS FOR YOUR GEAR Step-by-step rig setups matched to what's already in your tackle box, not a catalog of stuff to buy. THE CATCH LOG Log catches and skunks in seconds. Your fishing spots learn what actually works: best baits, best windows, your patterns. Your first week is free, no card needed. After that, Start Fishing Pro is $1.99/month or $9.99/year through your App Store account; cancel anytime in Settings. Without Pro, everything you saved stays viewable. Always check your state's fishing regulations and license requirements before you keep a fish. Privacy: https://startfishing.app/privacy Terms: https://startfishing.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: FishScope Angling at 15.1 against Start Fishing's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
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. FishScope Angling sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Start Fishing sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
FishScope Angling ships an update every 2 weeks, Start Fishing every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FishScope Angling | Start Fishing |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul Scott | MICHAEL PATRICK ADAMS |
In-app purchases
FishScope Angling
- FishScope Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- FishScope Pro Annual$34.991 Year
Start Fishing
- Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$9.991 Year





