The Fishing Buddy App
The fishing buddy app for anglers who want to fish with someone
MyFishingBuds is the only fishing buddy app built around matching anglers — not logging fish. Find a compatible partner near you, plan the trip together with live conditions, and file a free GPS float plan before you launch. iOS, Android, and web — one login, every device.
Free forever · 14 days of Pro included · Float plans & SOS free for everyone
Updated June 2026
Everything you need on one home screen
Open the fishing buddy app and the first thing you see is your Quick Access grid: Find Buds, Find a Trip, Create New Trip, AI Trip Planner, Drop Waypoint, Live Map, New Journal Entry, Fish ID, Tackle Logbook, and Catch Map — one tap away. The Open to Fish Now chip at the top tells your network you have a window today, so the buds nearest you can ping you in real time.
- ✓ Buddy matching + trip discovery in the same launcher
- ✓ AI trip planning and fish ID built in — no extra app
- ✓ Waypoints, live map, and catch journal for the day-of
Definition
What is a fishing buddy app?
A fishing buddy app is a mobile application that matches you with compatible anglers near you so you can plan a trip and fish together. Unlike a catch-logging app (which focuses on fish data) or a fishing-spots app (which focuses on locations), a fishing buddy app focuses on people: how you fish, what species you chase, your skill level, your availability, and whether you have a boat. The app gives you messaging to vet a partner, ratings from their previous trips, a shared trip planner, and a safety layer that includes a GPS float plan with automatic emergency-contact alerts. The category exists because most fishing apps assume you already have someone to fish with — and for a growing number of anglers, that is exactly the problem they need solved.
Who the fishing buddy app is for
If you fit any of these, the fishing buddy app is built for you.
Bank anglers who need a boat
Filter for anglers with a boat, message a captain, and split fuel and bait. The fishing buddy app pairs people with seats with people who want them.
Boat owners with empty seats
Post a trip, set your skill expectations, and let the fishing buddy app surface compatible crew so you are not fishing alone — and not paying the full fuel bill.
New anglers who want to learn
Match with experienced buds by species and skill. A fishing buddy who knows the water is the fastest way to level up.
Just-moved-to-town anglers
New zip code, no local network? The fishing buddy app rebuilds your fishing circle from day one — by water type, species, and how you actually fish.
Ice and offshore anglers
Never fish alone applies double for ice and offshore. Match a partner and file a float plan before you launch.
Solo fly + wading anglers
Wading alone is the highest-risk fishing scenario. Find a wading partner near you and have your float plan alert your emergency contact if you do not check in.
How the fishing buddy app works
Open the fishing buddy app and build a profile
iOS, Android, or web — same account. Tell us how you fish: style, target species, skill level, your boat (or that you need one), and when you are free.
See compatible anglers near you
Discover ranks the anglers nearest to you by compatibility — fishing style, species, skill, availability, and distance. No swiping, no games — just the matches that make sense.
Message, vet, and connect
Send a request, chat to compare notes, see profile ratings from previous trips, and decide if you want to fish together. The fishing buddy app keeps everything in one inbox.
Plan the trip together
Build the trip in-app — crew, gear checklist, meet point, target species. The AI Trip Planner reads live NOAA weather, USGS water data, barometric pressure, and solunar tables and proposes the bite window.
File a float plan and go
Every plan — free or Pro — gets a GPS float plan with an automatic emergency-contact alert if you miss a check-in. It is the single most important thing this fishing buddy app does.
Free float plan safety — for every angler, on every trip
Most fishing apps treat safety as a premium upsell. The fishing buddy app includes a GPS float plan on every account — free or Pro. File the plan before you launch, share it with an emergency contact, and the app pings them automatically if you miss a check-in.
File the plan
Departure, return, route, launch ramp, vessel, crew — all in one form. Link it to a trip so the buds on your trip get the same plan.
Set up the safety net
Safety equipment checklist, comms plan, primary and secondary emergency contacts. The fishing buddy app stores it once and reuses it for every trip.
Live GPS while you fish
The app pings your location while the plan is active. If you miss a check-in your emergency contact gets an automatic alert — no separate hardware required.
See the full safety stack on the on-water safety page.
Why MyFishingBuds is the fishing buddy app
There are dozens of fishing apps. There is one fishing buddy app. Here is what makes the difference.
A fishing buddy app — not a catch logger
Fishbrain, ANGLR, and Fishidy are built for logging catches and finding spots. MyFishingBuds is built for finding the person you fish with. That is the entire product loop.
Safety is free for everyone
GPS float plans, automatic emergency-contact alerts, and SOS are included on every account — free and Pro. A fishing buddy app should never paywall the part that keeps you alive.
AI trip planning with live conditions
Once you have a buddy and a date, the AI Trip Planner builds a plan from live NOAA weather, USGS water data, barometric pressure, solunar tables, and the species you and your buddy both want.
Works on every device you own
iOS, Android, and a full-featured web app on the same login. Plan from the laptop the night before, meet your buddy from your phone at the launch ramp.
Free learn-to-fish library
Knots, species guides, techniques, gear, and state-by-state regulations and licenses — no login required. The library is open even before you decide whether the fishing buddy app is for you.
Fishing buddy app vs. catch-logging apps
A side-by-side of what each app is actually built to do.
| Feature | MyFishingBuds | Fishbrain | ANGLR | Fishidy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match with a fishing buddy | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Filter buds by skill + species | ✓ | — | — | — |
| AI trip planning (NOAA + USGS + solunar) | ✓ | — | — | — |
| GPS float plan + emergency alert | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Post-trip angler ratings | ✓ | — | — | — |
| AI fish ID from photo | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Private catch journal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free forever tier | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web app — not just mobile | ✓ | — | — | — |
Read the full breakdown in our best fishing apps comparison and the head-to-head MyFishingBuds vs Fishbrain.
Fishing buddy app pricing
Free Forever
$0/forever
Everything you need to find a fishing buddy and fish safer.
- ✓ Profile + Discover matching
- ✓ 3 trip joins per month
- ✓ Unlimited messaging
- ✓ GPS float plans + SOS
- ✓ Free learn-to-fish library
Pro
$12.99/mo
Everything in Free, plus the AI toolkit and unlimited trips.
- ✓ Unlimited trip joins
- ✓ AI Trip Planner (NOAA + USGS + solunar)
- ✓ AI Fish ID from photo
- ✓ Advanced search filters
- ✓ Priority match boosting
No credit card required to start. Cancel anytime.
Fishing buddy app FAQ
What is a fishing buddy app?
A fishing buddy app is a mobile application that matches you with compatible anglers near you so you can plan a trip and fish together. Unlike a catch-logging or fishing-spots app — both of which focus on fish data — a fishing buddy app focuses on people. The match is built from how you fish (style, target species, skill level), when you can fish, and whether you have a boat or need one. The app then gives you the tools to message, vet a partner from past-trip ratings, plan the trip with crew and a gear checklist, and stay safe on the water with a GPS float plan that pings your emergency contact if you miss a check-in. MyFishingBuds is the only app built specifically around this loop.
Which fishing buddy app is best?
There is really only one fishing buddy app on the market right now: MyFishingBuds. Fishbrain, ANGLR, and Fishidy are excellent at what they do — logging catches, finding spots, building a fish database — but none of them match you with a partner. If your goal is to find someone to fish with, MyFishingBuds is the only app that solves that directly.
Is the fishing buddy app free?
Yes — MyFishingBuds is free forever. You can build a profile, browse matches, join up to 3 trips per month, message connected buds, file unlimited float plans, and use the full safety stack at no charge. New accounts get 14 days of Pro included automatically, no credit card required. Pro is $12.99/month after that and unlocks unlimited trip joins, the AI Trip Planner, AI Fish ID, advanced search filters, and a few other power-user tools.
Does the fishing buddy app work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. MyFishingBuds runs on iOS (App Store), Android (Google Play), and any modern web browser. The same account works everywhere — plan from your laptop, run the trip from your phone, file the float plan from whichever is handy at the ramp.
Is it safe to meet a fishing buddy from an app?
MyFishingBuds is designed around vetting before you commit: every profile shows past-trip ratings from anglers who have actually fished with the person, in-app messaging lets you compare notes without sharing your number, and every account gets a free GPS float plan with automatic emergency-contact alerts if you miss a check-in. For a first trip, meet at a public boat ramp or dock, file a float plan, and tell someone outside the app your plan.
What if I don't have a boat?
That is exactly who the fishing buddy app helps. Plenty of boat owners have empty seats and are looking for crew to share the trip and split costs. Filter for anglers with a boat — or offer to cover bait and fuel — and message a captain near you.
How is the fishing buddy app different from Fishbrain or Fishidy?
Fishbrain, ANGLR, and Fishidy are catch-logging and spot-discovery apps. They show you where the fish are and what others have caught — useful, but they leave you fishing alone. MyFishingBuds is the only app built around finding the person you fish with, planning the trip together, and staying safe. We complement those apps rather than replace them — a lot of our users still log catches in Fishbrain or look at Fishidy maps. We are just the missing buddy layer.
Can I use the fishing buddy app for ice fishing or offshore?
Yes — and it is exactly when you should. Solo ice and offshore fishing are the two scenarios where the safety case for a buddy is strongest. The fishing buddy app filters for ice, freshwater, and saltwater anglers and the float plan is built for both inland and offshore use, with the emergency-contact alert tuned for the conditions you set.
The Bottom Line
Every other fishing app assumes you already have someone to fish with. MyFishingBuds is the fishing buddy app for everyone else. Build a free profile, match with one compatible bud near you, and file a free float plan before you launch. That is the entire loop — and it is the only loop we are built around.
Try the fishing buddy app free
Match with anglers near you, plan a trip, and never fish alone again. Free forever — and 14 days of Pro on the house when you sign up.
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