FAQ & troubleshooting

Common questions and fixes for DontDieFishing.

General

Is DontDieFishing free?

Core features — spot browsing, conditions, and hazard warnings — are free. The current Pro card lists:

• A full 7-day fishable calendar
• Week-ahead comparison across saved sites
• The next-GO day surfaced automatically

The current Pro card does not list offline maps, extended forecasts, or unlimited saved spots as Pro perks.

Where does the data come from?

See Safety & conditions for the full data-source table. Primary sources include USGS, NOAA, and NWS services.

Is my location shared with other users?

When GPS track recording is enabled, the mobile app records location points and uploads them in batches to your account before the track is finalized. Tracks and their points are owner-scoped, so other users cannot read your position.

Authentication

How do I create an account?

On the web, select Sign up and enter an email address and password, or continue with Google or Apple. Email sign-up sends you to the sign-in page with a reminder to check your email and confirm the account.

Why am I sent to Sign in?

The app pages require an authenticated session. If you open a protected page without a session, DontDieFishing sends you to Sign in and retains the requested path so you can continue there after authentication. If the session has expired, sign in again and retry the original page.

I cannot sign in

• Confirm the email address and password are entered, then submit the form again.
• If you just created the account, complete the confirmation link in your email before signing in.
• If you used Google or Apple to create the account, use that provider again.
• If an authentication error remains, try again after checking your network connection. The form displays the provider's error instead of silently treating the attempt as successful.

Spots and conditions

A spot near me is missing

The spot database is growing. Tap Suggest a Spot on the map (long-press any location) to submit a new fishing spot. Include the name, water type, and access notes.

The conditions look wrong, stale, or incomplete

The app can show a dash when an individual value is unavailable, and the track replay can label a missing risk score UNKNOWN. That is missing source data, not a GO signal. Forecasts can also show Forecast unavailable right now.

If data looks stale or a condition request fails:

1. Check the app's online state and reconnect if the offline banner says You're offline — showing cached data. Scores may not be current.
2. Reload the page or use the page's retry/refresh action.
3. Remember that gauges and forecast sources can be temporarily unavailable. Community reports supplement official data; they do not replace it.

On the web, the site list can also show Create a vessel profile in Settings to see conditions. Create a vessel profile, then refresh the conditions.

Can I use this for saltwater fishing?

Yes. Surf, pier, jetty, and inshore spots include tide data from NOAA CO-OPS and saltwater species profiles.

Network and permissions

The app says it cannot connect

Mobile list screens show Unable to connect to the network. Please check your connection. when a data load fails and provide Retry. Community reports also provide retry actions for an initial load or a later refresh. Reconnect, select Retry, and avoid treating cached or missing conditions as current.

The web app shows an offline banner and may display cached data while the browser is offline. Reconnect before relying on a score, then reload the page to request current data.

Why cannot I start GPS track recording?

Track recording requires foreground location permission. The mobile app asks for background location permission as a second step; background permission allows the slower background recording task, while foreground recording still works without it. If foreground permission is denied, recording cannot start. Grant location access in the device settings and try Record again.

Why are alerts not arriving?

Web push: Allow browser notifications for DontDieFishing in the web app, then:

• Check that the saved spot has alerts toggled on (spot page → bell icon).
• Alerts fire on status transitions (for example, green to yellow), not continuously.

Native mobile push is not active. Native delivery is pending DDF-39 and device verification; changing phone notification permissions cannot make native alerts arrive.

Community reports

How do I report current conditions or a hazard?

Use Community Reports on the mobile site detail screen. A report requires one condition rating from 1 to 5:

• 5 — Great
• 4 — Good
• 3 — Okay
• 2 — Rough
• 1 — Dangerous

You can optionally add text for Wind, Waves, Visibility, and Notes. Reports are recent community observations, not official forecasts. The list shows reports from the last 24 hours for that site.

If loading or submitting a report fails, the screen shows an error and a Retry action. A report is not a separate hazard-type form with a required description or photo.

Contact

For bugs, data corrections, or feature requests: support@dontdiefishing.com.