How can we help?
Getting started
How do I set up my first water body?
After creating your account and selecting your state, tap Add Water Body on the home screen. Name it (e.g. Lake Anna, South Fork, Galveston Bay), select the water type (lake, pond, river, stream, inshore saltwater, offshore saltwater, bay, tidal river), and draw the boundary on satellite for lakes or the line for rivers. Then add your first spot by tapping the map and selecting a spot type.
How do I attach a USGS gauge or NOAA tide station?
When you set up a river water body, Bield shows you the closest USGS gauges — tap to attach. For saltwater, the closest NOAA tide stations are listed — same flow. From that moment on, every catch on that water body automatically pulls live flow or tide data without any extra taps.
Do I need cell service to use Bield: Fish?
No. Set up your water bodies and spots at home on WiFi. In the field, logging, map, pattern engine, and tide stage all work without signal. Tide is predicted, so it captures exactly even with no service. Weather, river flow, and SST backfill automatically when you return to signal.
How many catches do I need before I see patterns?
The pattern engine begins showing early correlations around 15 catches. Spot ranking needs at least 5 sessions per spot. Hatch correlation needs 20+ catches with hatch logs. Migration calendar needs 2+ seasons of inshore data. Confidence indicators on every pattern tell you exactly how much data supports each finding.
Why are my weather conditions showing as blank?
You were likely in an area without cell service when you logged. Air temp, wind, pressure, and humidity backfill automatically when your device reconnects. The backfill uses historical Apple Weather data for the exact timestamp and location of your catch. Tide stage is computed locally from prediction tables and does not need backfill.
Tide and flow data
Where does Bield's tide data come from?
NOAA Tides and Currents. Set the closest tide station on your saltwater body once and Bield pulls tide stage, height, and hours from last high or low at every catch.
Where does river flow data come from?
USGS Water Services. Set the gauge ID on your river water body once. Bield captures CFS and gauge height at every catch and correlates it to your results in the pattern engine.
What about offshore — how is sea surface temperature captured?
NOAA CoastWatch ERDDAP. Offshore catches automatically pull SST at your exact coordinates at log time. Backfills on signal return.
Can I see live tide and flow on the map?
Yes. The Map tab shows current tide stage and live USGS gauge reading for the active water body. Free users see current data only; Pro users see historical correlation against their catch records.
Subscription and billing
How do I cancel my subscription?
iOS: Settings app → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Bield: Fish → Cancel
Android: Google Play app → Account → Subscriptions → Bield: Fish → Cancel
Web: bieldfish.com → Settings → Subscription → Cancel
Your data and Pro access remain until the end of your current billing period.
Can I get a refund?
For iOS subscriptions, Apple handles all refunds at reportaproblem.apple.com. For Android, Google handles refunds through the Play Store. For web subscriptions, contact us within 14 days of charge at support@bieldfish.com.
Will my data be deleted if I cancel?
No. All catches, sessions, hatch logs, tide readings, and water-body data remain in your account indefinitely. Pattern analysis locks until you resubscribe but nothing is deleted.
Do I need separate subscriptions for Bield: Hunt and Bield: Fish?
Yes — each app is a separate Pro subscription today. Bundle pricing for users of multiple Bield apps is being considered as the portfolio matures.
Still need help?
Email support@bieldfish.com. Response within 48 hours during peak season (March–October), within 72 hours off-season.
General contact→