I have had a number of members looking to post their first report ask me for tips on what they should cover.
Firstly, GTPopping of course encourages all members to post reports of their trips. After all, it is these reports that are the primary reason why this forum exists. That said, we appreciate that writing and posting your first report can be daunting, particularly if you are new to this form of fishing.
On that basis, I have set out a suggested template for anyone looking for tips on how to post a report. The template is pretty simple and sets out a number of suggested topic in your report. No one is under any obligation to follow the template; it is only intended as a guide.
Suggested Template:Trip Summary
Trip Location:
Trip Date (month and year):
Number of days:
Charter operator (if private, state private):
Number of anglers:
Rating of trip (poor, average, good, great, amazing):
Report Details
Planning for the trip
Equipment you took
Location and terrain
How each day of the trip went
Notable captures
Quality of the charter operator and guides ? were they helpful, did they go out of their way to assist, how hard did they try to get you onto fish
Quality of accommodation (if on a charter)
Quality and quantity of meals (if on a charter)
Tips for other anglers looking to fish the location (gear, planning, logistics, travel tips etc)
Your overall assessment of the trip and why Just covering a few issues:
I have often had members come back from a trip where they have been less than satisfied with the charter they have been on for various reasons and as a result, are reluctant to post a report. I would suggest that your report is every bit as important to our members as an excellent report. What I suggest is you be completely factual as to the reasons for your dissatisfaction. if the trip didn't deliver what was promised, explain the facts. Don?t get emotive and don?t get personal but remember that negative feedback is as important as good feedback.
Another aspect of your report that can be very useful to members is to provide miscellaneous tips for the location you have been to. This can be anything from travel tips to requesting the operator to ensure there is enough drinking water on board. Anything that you can think of that would help make other members? visits to the same location would be helpful.
Photos ? attaching or inserting photos can be a bit daunting for a first timer. There are two ways you can do this. The first is to use the ?insert Image? function button which sit directly above the first smiley. You actually do not need to use this button to insert an image. In order to use this function, you need to first load your photos up on a internet photo website like Photobucket. After you load your photos up, you will see that there are a number of different codes. The one you want is the ?IMG Code?. Copy the whole line and simply paste it into the area where you are typing your report. The photo will be inserted this way.
The other way is to click on ?Attachments and other options? which sits below the text box you are typing in. Simply choose a file and attach. Just remember that photos are limited to 400kb if you want to attach photos this way.
Anyway, that's all! Happy posting
