Running a fishing competition when there's no phone signal

If your club fishes offshore or up a river, you already know the problem. The best spots are where the signal isn't. Paper cards get wet and lost. Phone apps freeze when there's no coverage. And the leaderboard at the ramp is only as good as the last boat to get back in range.

Here's how to set up a comp so the scores are fair whatever the signal does.

1. Score on the phone, not on the network

The scoring screen should keep working with no signal at all. In Club HQ, each catch is saved on the angler's phone the moment they tap Send, with its photo and the time it was caught. When the phone finds signal again, the catches go up on their own, in order.

That means the angler never has to wait, retry or remember to send it later.

2. Use the catch time, not the arrival time

A catch logged at 11:40 that reaches the server at 2:15 was still caught at 11:40. Set your rules so the time on the catch is what counts. A catch made before lines-out counts even if it arrives late, and one made after lines-out doesn't count even if it arrives on time.

Decide how long after the finish you'll accept late catches (most clubs allow 30 to 60 minutes for boats to get back into range) and tell everyone at the briefing.

3. A photo for every fish

A photo on the brag mat, with the fish's mouth closed and the tail flat, settles almost every dispute. It also means you don't need a judge on every boat. The judge reviews photos as they come in and approves or queries each one, from a fishing competition app on any phone or laptop.

Ask anglers to put a club token or the day's code word in the shot if you want extra proof the photo was taken on the day.

4. Have a plan for flat batteries

Phones die. Before the day:

• Remind everyone to bring a power bank.
• Let a skipper log catches for the whole boat from one phone.
• Keep a few paper cards in the club kit, and let the committee enter them at the end.

5. Show the leaderboard at the ramp

Put the live leaderboard on a TV or tablet at the weigh-in. People will crowd around it as boats come back into range and the scores jump. It's the best part of the day.

What to say at the briefing

Keep it short:

1. Scan the QR code on the board and enter your name and boat.
2. Photo every fish on the mat before it goes back.
3. No signal? Keep logging. It'll send when you're back in range.
4. Catches made after lines-out don't count. Late arrivals are fine.

You can see how the scoring screen works on a phone in the interactive demo.