Tale Waters and Tides

10/13/2026

The dam is generating. But what does that mean where you’re fishing?

That’s the question behind my latest data visualizations in Pocket Fishing Guide’s Generation Reports.

Built for tailwater guides and anglers targeting trout and other species, these views connect water data to practical trip decisions:

• Downstream timing: See estimated release arrival times at access points along the river.
• Recent patterns: Scan an hourly heatmap to understand how conditions changed throughout the week.
• Seasonal context: Compare typical monthly releases, low-generation days, and lake levels using dam records dating back to 2015, alongside Arkansas Game and Fish reports.

A release at Bull Shoals means something different near the dam than it does miles downstream at Cotter or Rim Shoals. Location and timing matter.

As an angler and analytics builder, this is the work I enjoy: making complex data useful in the field.

Historical patterns aren’t forecasts, and estimated arrival times aren’t a guarantee of safe wading. They’re context for better planning—with current schedules and conditions still essential.

White River and Norfork guides: what would make these views more useful before your next trip?

https://www.pocketfishinguide.com/generation

07/08/2026

🚨 NEW: 7-Day - River Shadow Planning is now live on PocketFishinGuide.com

Reading tailwater generation schedules shouldn’t require years of experience.

Now you can see how the river is expected to rise and fall before you ever leave home.

New features include:

📈 Interactive Water Level Slider
Move the slider to preview different generation releases and instantly visualize how changing water levels affect the river.

🌊 7-Day Shadow Graph
Compare today’s estimated water level against the river’s typical daily pattern, making it easier to spot the best fishing windows.

🥾 Fish Your Water
Whether you’re wading or floating, we’ll help identify the morning, midday, and evening opportunities based on where you plan to fish.

🧠 Built on trusted data
Powered by USACE, SWPA, and curated local intelligence—designed to turn complicated schedules into something every angler can understand.

🔔 Coming Soon
Save your favorite tailwaters, access points, or river reaches and receive alerts when conditions match how you like to fish. No more checking schedules multiple times a day—we’ll let you know when it’s time to grab your gear.

This is another step toward our mission:

Know before you go. Fish the window.

👉 https://PocketFishingGuide.com

06/08/2026

Sneak peek at what’s coming next for Pocket Fishing Guide.

Lots of new ideas, new designs, and new ways to help anglers explore Arkansas waters.

Still a work in progress, but it’s exciting to see it coming to life.

🌊 pocketfishinguide.com

06/08/2026

Big weekend behind the scenes at Pocket Fishing Guide.

I spent most of my time working on the next evolution of the platform, redesigning major portions of the experience and bringing new ideas to life.

There’s still a lot of work ahead, but seeing these concepts move from sketches and notes into something real has been incredibly rewarding.

My goal has always been simple:

Build the fishing and outdoor guide I wished existed when I was learning Arkansas waters.

A place where anglers, paddlers, and outdoor explorers can quickly find the information they need without digging through dozens of websites, maps, reports, and regulations.

The screenshots below are early previews of some of the new designs and features currently being tested.

Some will change. Some will grow. Some may never make it into the final product.

That’s part of the adventure.

For now, Pocket Fishing Guide remains completely free to use as we continue building and learning alongside the outdoor community.

Take a look and tell us what you would like to see in your ideal digital fishing guide.

🌊 pocketfishinguide.com

From small streams to big water, we’re building this for the people who love being outdoors.

06/04/2026

Prompt Play update: one night, four topics.

We’re bringing everything into Tuesday, June 9 from 7:00–9:00 PM at Hey, Let’s Play in Benton, AR.

The June 16 session is no longer a separate date. Instead, we’re pulling Prompt to Manufacturing into next Tuesday’s session and making the night more useful, more hands-on, and more connected.

We’ll cover:

First Contact — a practical intro to prompting and using AI with better intent
Fishing with AI — how we’re using AI to build local outdoor tools like Pocket Fishing Guide
Prompt to Manufacturing — turning an idea into a real-world build path
AI Tinkerers Little Rock — introducing the new Little Rock chapter I was selected to help organize

This is for curious minds, builders, business owners, students, creatives, and anyone who wants to move past “I should probably learn AI” and actually start using it.

Bring a laptop if you have one. Bring curiosity either way.

Limited spots available.

Reserve your seat here: https://talewatersandtides.com/prompt-play/

Coffee. Community. Code. Curiosity.

06/03/2026

Two people showed up to my event last night.

And it was one of the best nights I’ve had in months.

One was my wife, Erin, curious about how AI could change the way she works in accounting.

The other was Kyle Curry, a founder I’ve been coaching.

Kyle runs a real business with real customers and real bookings. To do that, he was paying for two software platforms that together cost more than $10,000 a year.

About a month ago, he decided to build his own.

Last night, he demoed it.

I didn’t write a single line of code.

My role was simple:

“You can do this.”

He did.

That’s what I’m trying to build with Tale Waters and Tides.

Not a software company.

Not another AI consulting firm.

A place where people learn to build with AI responsibly and confidently.

One person in the room wanted to learn.

One person in the room showed what happens when you do.

The before and after were sitting at the same table.

Small room.

Big proof.



https://talewatersandtides.com/prompt-play/

06/02/2026

After Tacos or Before…

https://talewatersandtides.com/prompt-play/

06/01/2026

A few nights out. Mark your calendars

We have spent some time building apps, prototypes, and ideas with AI. Tuesday night, We are opening up the process and showing exactly how.

No experience required.
Bring your laptop.
Bring your curiosity.

📍 Hey Let's Play, Benton
🕢 Tuesday • June 2 • 7:30 PM

talewatersandtides.com/prompt-play

05/29/2026

Just added a new feature to the Paddler App for the Buffalo National River.

You can now check reservable campsite availability directly inside the trip-planning view.

The goal is simple: help paddlers, campers, and river people make faster decisions without bouncing between five different sites like it’s 2008 and we all enjoy suffering.

For supported campground areas, the app now shows:

✅ Available reservable sites
✅ Tonight’s availability snapshot
✅ Next 14-day availability view
✅ Weather outlook
✅ Quick link to reserve through Recreation.gov
✅ A simple “edge” note to help you read the timing

This is one of those small features that feels bigger once you use it.

Because the real question usually is not just, “What’s the river doing?”

It is:

Can we go this weekend?
Is there a site open?
Is the weather decent?
Should we wait until next week?
Can I send this to the group and make a plan before everyone disappears into adult responsibility?

That’s what we’re building toward with PocketFishinGuide.com and Paddler: practical outdoor intelligence for Arkansas rivers, campgrounds, and people who would rather be outside than digging through tabs.

Still early. Still improving. But this is a pretty cool step.

Check it out here:
https://www.pocketfishinguide.com/paddler.html

05/22/2026

Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend Float Trips!

Tyler Bend → Gilbert · mi 71 → 77 · Middle District · most popular floats https://www.pocketfishinguide.com/paddler.html?section=tyler-gilbert

Beta Testing

Latest feedback from Arkansas Canoe Club members.

Yes it’s a lot of information… We’ve got some plans for a young adult view and a simpler adult view. Would love some thoughts.

Live floatability, 7-day water-level trends, and access-by-access conditions for every reach of the Buffalo. Built with Riley's Outfitter.