How to use ArtaFishal
Step-by-step guides for every feature. From your first login to reading sounder images — everything you need to get the most out of the app.
Fishing Mackay
A practical guide to Mackay's rivers, dams, islands and reef fishing, including common species, seasonal patterns and the conditions that decide where to go.
- 1
Go to your Profile page
Tap your name in the top nav bar, or 'Profile' on mobile.
- 2
Scroll to Measurement Units
You'll see dropdowns for wind speed, depth, temperature, distance, boat speed, tide height, swell, weight, fuel, and boat length.
- 3
Pick your preferred units
Change any dropdown — for example, switch wind from knots to km/h, or depth from metres to feet. The whole app updates instantly.
- 4
Hit Save
Your preferences are saved to your profile and will be there next time you log in, on any device.
Tip: Defaults are Australian standard: knots for wind, metres for depth, Celsius for temp. Most Aussie fishos won't need to change anything.
- 1
Look for "Ask Skipper"
It shows up throughout the app — on Home after your daily briefing, on Forecast, in your Log, after planning a trip. Tap it and a chat drawer opens, already knowing what you were looking at.
- 2
Ask a question
Type something like 'What's biting today?', 'Should I go out tomorrow morning?', or 'Best spots for barra with this wind?'
- 3
The Skipper checks live data
He pulls real-time wind, tides, swell, and weather from WillyWeather and BOM to give you advice based on actual conditions — not guesswork.
- 4
Follow-up questions work great
The Skipper remembers the conversation, so you can say 'What about Saturday instead?' or 'Is it better to go early?' and he'll adjust.
- 5
Heading out? Use Live instead
The 'Live' tab in the bottom nav is the Skipper's full on-the-water mode — map, voice chat, and your GPS position, built for when you're actually underway rather than planning from the couch.
Tip: The more specific your question, the better. 'Where should I fish?' is OK — 'Where should I target fingermark on a rising tide with 15-knot SE?' is better.
- 1
Open the Forecast page
Tap 'Forecast' in the nav. You'll see today's detailed conditions at the top.
- 2
Check the fishing rating
Each day gets a rating: PRIME (green), DECENT (blue), SKETCHY (yellow), or ROUGH (red). This factors in wind, swell, and tide patterns.
- 3
Pick your range — 48 Hour, 5 Day or 7 Day
48 Hour gives hourly detail on the wind and swell charts; 5 Day and 7 Day switch to a daily outlook so you can plan further ahead.
- 4
Tap the line for a reading
On the wind, swell and tide charts, tap or click anywhere on the line to pop up the exact speed, height, direction and time at that point — no more guessing between grid lines.
- 5
Scroll sideways for more days
The charts scroll horizontally — the scale on the left stays put as you scroll so you never lose track of what the numbers mean.
Tip: The Dashboard also shows a quick Mackay snapshot with today's bite windows calculated for you.
- 1
Tap 'Plan Trip' from Home, or 'Plan trip' in your Log
Both open the same simple form — no long checklist to fill in.
- 2
Pick where and when
Choose your spot from the destination list and set a date. If you've saved spots there already, they show up as a hint straight away.
- 3
Add notes if you want
Target species, who's coming, camping plans — anything that'll help Skipper's advice later. Optional.
- 4
Save it — Skipper does the rest
Your trip shows up in Log under the Trips tab. Skipper watches the forecast for it automatically and figures out tides, fuel, warnings and gear from your profile and past trips.
Tip: Turn on Weather Alerts in your Profile and Skipper will notify you if conditions change before you go — see the Weather Watch alerts guide below.
- 1
Open Log → Trips → Live Tracker
This works with or without a planned trip — it's a standalone "heading out now" flow.
- 2
Add an emergency contact's number and start tracking
Your phone opens a pre-filled text with a live tracking link — hit send. Your contact can see your position in real time, no account or app needed on their end.
- 3
Skipper can see your position too
While tracking is active, Skipper factors your live location into his advice.
- 4
Stop & notify when you're back
Tap 'Stop & Notify' — it ends tracking and opens a pre-filled "heading home" text to your contact.
Tip: Always add an emergency contact before you head out. If you lose signal or go overboard, someone already knows your last position.
- 1
Tap 'Log Catch' from Home — camera opens straight away
Fastest way in. You can also log one from the Log tab, or mid-trip from a trip's page.
- 2
Snap or upload a photo
Take a photo of your fish. The app can help identify the species from the image.
- 3
Fill in the details
Species, size, weight, bait/lure used, and any notes. GPS location is auto-captured if you're on a trip.
- 4
Save it
Your catch is added to your personal logbook — the Catches tab in Log for a quick view, or Gallery from Home for the full searchable view with a map.
Tip: The Skipper can see your catch history. After a few trips, ask him 'What's been working for me lately?' for personalised advice.
- 1
From the Chat, ask the Skipper about spots
Try 'Show me good barra spots' or similar. The Skipper can suggest general areas based on conditions.
- 2
Pin your own spots
When you find a honey hole, save it with a name, species, and notes. Your GPS coordinates are captured automatically.
- 3
Your spots are private
Nobody else can see your saved spots. They're encrypted to your account. Not even we can access them.
- 4
Ask the Skipper about your spots
Say 'Which of my spots would be good today?' and the Skipper cross-references your saved locations with current conditions.
Tip: The more spots you save with good notes (species, tide state, time of day), the better the Skipper can recommend them back to you.
- 1
Go to Tools
Tap 'Tools' in the nav to access the sonar analysis feature.
- 2
Upload a sounder screenshot
Take a photo of your sounder screen or screenshot from your fish finder app. Upload it to the analysis tool.
- 3
Get a breakdown
The Skipper analyses the image — identifying structure, bait schools, fish arches, bottom composition, and depth changes.
- 4
Ask follow-up questions
After analysis, ask things like 'Should I anchor here?' or 'What species could those arches be?' for tactical advice.
Tip: Clearer screenshots get better analysis. Try to capture the full screen including depth scale and frequency mode.
- 1
Emergency contact tracking
When you start a trip, your nominated contact gets a live tracking link via SMS. They can see your position in real-time.
- 2
Marine weather warnings
The Dashboard and Forecast pages show active BOM marine warnings for the Mackay region. Check before every trip.
- 3
Fuel range calculator
If you enter your boat's fuel capacity and burn rate in your profile, the Skipper can estimate your range and flag when conditions might increase fuel burn.
- 4
Tide awareness
The app highlights tide changes so you don't get caught out on shallow bars or reef crossings at low water.
Tip: No app replaces good seamanship. Always carry required safety gear, check BOM forecasts, and tell someone where you're going.
- 1
Turn it on in Profile
Under Notifications, switch on Weather Alerts (and Trip Reminders if you want an evening-before nudge too). Android app only, right now.
- 2
Plan a trip as normal
As soon as it's saved, Skipper starts watching the forecast for that date and location — nothing else to set up.
- 3
Get a push if it turns
If conditions deteriorate before you go, you get a real push notification. Tap it and it opens straight to that trip.
- 4
Good news gets a reminder too
If a calm window forms for a trip that looked marginal, your trip reminder updates with the good news.
Tip: This only watches trips you've actually planned — Plan a Trip first, then turn on Weather Alerts.
Still got questions?
Ask the Skipper directly — he knows the app inside and out.
