A first-of-its-kind social fishing app, developed in New Zealand, is set to go live next week, connecting keen anglers with available skippers so everyone has an opportunity to get out on the water more, cast their lines and meet new people.
The sight of rarely-used boats parked up in driveways was the genesis of an idea that launched three Bay of Plenty mates into the social media business.
Todd Morris and Scott Clark were next-door neighbours in Tauranga long before they co-founded an app aiming to connect skippers with new fishing buddies.
Called Fishily and set to be released globally on February 1 and the pair worked with local software engineer Jackson Currie to create the app, promoted as the “first-of-its-kind”.
The idea struck as Morris and Clark hosted one of their many barbecues and began discussing the array of unused boats sitting in the neighbourhood’s driveways.
“There were all these people who loved getting out on the water but didn’t know each other,” Morris said.
They wanted a way for them 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.
Morris said he knew people from his work who fished off the rocks and he said it was “a real shame all these people who want to go out fishing don’t know all these people who’ve got boats who don’t even take them out”.
They had also noticed people could not afford to get their boats out as often due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Scott Clark, Todd Morris and Jackson Currie have developed a social media app for people who love fishing or other water hobbies and sports. Photo / Alex Cairns
“It costs about $60 for fuel and $60 for bait for a day out on a launch boat like this,” Clark told the Bay of Plenty Times on Wednesday, anchored in Pilot Bay.
For a charter, he reckoned the price could range anywhere from $350 to $500.
“Having a few more people to come out with you on the boat makes it that much more affordable,” Clark said.
The app was not only open for people who loved fishing but also those interested in jet skiing, sailing, fly-fishing, water sports or even a simple lunch out on the ocean.
Todd Morris said the idea struck him at a barbecue with his neighbour. Photo / Alex Cairns
“It’s just bringing people together from all different places down the water.”
He said it could help connect people in an “increasingly virtual but physically detached world”.
“Fishily facilitates authentic, real-life connections and allows its users to gain the mental and physical health benefits that being on or in the water brings,” said Morris.
He said the app could be ground-breaking for older generations, who may have large boats but their friends were no longer able to go out on the water.
Scott Clark grew up with a love of fishing, diving, surfing and being out on the water. Photo / Alex Cairns
“It’s designed to get more people together out on the water doing what they love.”
The app 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.
“We feel that the app’s benefits of getting out on the water are so closely aligned with his goal of trying to bring people back to a place of calmness,” said Morris.
“When this app takes off, we believe it will make the world a better place because we are connecting people who would otherwise never meet.”
Morris said the app was targeted more towards men, who he believed were less likely to “catch up over coffee”.
”They can make these connections that they otherwise wouldn’t by spending a day out on the boat together.”
Research by Ipsos NZ for Maritime NZ estimated about 50 per cent of people in New Zealand were involved in recreational boating.
Using the Fishily app
Jackson Currie is the software engineer for the app. Photo / Alex Cairns
After the user builds a profile describing their personality and interests they can list or apply for a trip.
“Say a skipper wanted to get out on the water, but didn’t have enough money to go on their own, they would post a trip on the app,” said Currie.
People could then apply to be a part of the trip and once accepted, could contact the other crew members to organise the details, including how to split the costs.
After the trip, members could rate each other and write reviews to build connections and for safety reasons similar to Uber or Airbnb.
Todd Morris, Scott Clark, and Jackson Currie have developed a 'first-of-its-kind' social fishing app. Photo / Alex Cairns
A personal logbook could then be used to keep track of trips and Currie said after six months, the app would be able to notify members of similar conditions to the past.
“For example, I might get a notification saying ‘on Wednesday there will be a similar window of fishing to the time you caught that snapper six months ago,” he said.
There was also a social media feed, where members could post the catches of the day, or ask locals where the best spots were.
