Privacy Policy for Record.Fish

Last Updated: October 24, 2026

Introduction

Welcome to Record.Fish (“we,” “us,” or “our”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle information when you use our fishing records database platform.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal information when you visit https://record.fish (the “Service”).

Contact Information: If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected].

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide to us, including:

Email addresses when you contact us through our contact form
Email addresses when you subscribe to record alerts. Alert emails are opt-in only, and every message includes a one-click unsubscribe link
Push notification subscriptions when you enable push alerts. This stores a browser push token (no email address required) so we can deliver alerts to your device. You can turn push alerts off at any time in your browser or device settings
Messages and inquiries you send through our website
Personal-best submissions if you use our Measure Up feature, including the measurements you enter and any photos you upload. Submitted entries and photos may be displayed publicly on the Site
Fishing record submissions if you contribute data to our database

Information Automatically Collected

When you visit Record.Fish, we automatically collect certain technical information:

IP address (we do not store IP addresses at all)
City and region-level location (for example, “Boston, Massachusetts” – derived from your connection for analytics. Never GPS or street-level precision)
Browser type and version
Operating system
Pages visited and time spent
Referring website (if you came from another site)
Device information (desktop, mobile, tablet)
Aggregated clicks and scroll depth (which parts of a page attract attention and how far visitors scroll, grouped so no individual is identifiable)

Important: We do NOT collect:

Your name (unless you provide it)
Precise (GPS or street-level) location data – analytics records city and region only
Personal identifiers beyond what’s necessary for site operation
Sensitive personal information

A Note on Photos You Upload

Photos you submit (for example, with a personal-best entry) may be shown publicly on the Site. Phone and camera photos can carry hidden metadata, including the location where the photo was taken. We recommend removing location data from photos before uploading if you do not want that information shared. Only upload photos you own or have permission to share, and do not upload photos of other people – especially children – without their permission.

How We Use Information

We use collected information solely to:

Operate and maintain the Record.Fish database and website
Respond to your inquiries submitted through our contact form
Send record alerts you subscribed to, by email or push notification. We only send alerts you asked for, and you can stop them at any time
Display your submissions, including personal-best entries and photos you choose to share publicly
Improve our service by understanding how visitors use our site
Ensure site security and prevent abuse
Comply with legal obligations if required

We do NOT:

Sell your information to third parties
Use your information for advertising or marketing
Share your data with data brokers
Create detailed profiles about you
Track you across other websites

Analytics and Tracking

Umami Analytics

We use Umami, a privacy-focused analytics platform that we host ourselves. Umami helps us understand how our website is used without compromising your privacy.

What Umami collects:

Page views and session data
City and region-level location (never precise location)
Browser and device information
Site navigation patterns, including aggregated clicks and scroll depth

What makes Umami privacy-friendly:

No cookies – We don’t store tracking cookies on your device
No IP storage – We do not store IP addresses at all
No personal data – We can’t identify individual users
No session playbacks – We aggregate clicks and scroll depth only. We do not record video replays of visits, keystrokes, or anything you type into forms
Automated traffic is visible, not filtered – Umami records visits from any browser that loads our pages, including automated ones, so bot traffic can appear in analytics. We review only aggregate patterns (for example, sudden surges) to operate the site and prevent abuse. We do not log or store IP addresses ourselves; Cloudflare, which proxies and protects our traffic, processes connection IPs with brief retention (about 72 hours in dashboard exports, not stored by us)
No cross-site tracking – We only see your activity on Record.Fish
Self-hosted – Your data never leaves our servers
GDPR compliant – No consent banners needed

Google Search Console

We use Google Search Console solely to:

Monitor our website’s performance in search results
Identify and fix technical issues
Understand which searches bring people to our site

This service only processes aggregated, non-personal data about search performance.

Email and Push Alerts (OneSignal)

Record alerts are strictly opt-in. When you subscribe, we store what is needed to deliver them and nothing more:

Email alerts: your email address, used only to send record alerts you requested. Every message includes a one-click unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing deletes your address from the alert list
Push alerts: a browser push token that lets your device receive notifications. No email address or account is required. Turn push alerts off at any time in your browser or device notification settings

Alert delivery is handled by OneSignal, a notification service that processes your email address or push token on our behalf solely to send alerts. OneSignal does not use your information for its own purposes. See OneSignal’s privacy policy for details on their handling of this data.

Alert frequency varies with fishing-record news – typically a few messages a month. We never add alert subscribers to any other mailing list, and we never share the alert list with anyone.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We Do Not Share Your Personal Information

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

Limited Sharing

We may only share information in these specific circumstances:

Legal compliance: If required by law, court order, or government request
Safety and security: To protect against fraud, abuse, or security threats
Service providers: With trusted partners who help us operate the website (under strict confidentiality agreements). This includes OneSignal, which delivers the email and push alerts you subscribe to and receives only what is needed for that purpose (your email address or push token)

Public Information

The fishing records database itself contains public information about state fishing records. This data is intended to be publicly accessible and does not contain personal information about individual anglers beyond what’s already part of the public record.

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:

Secure hosting on protected servers
Regular security updates and monitoring
Access controls limiting who can view data
Data encryption for sensitive communications

However, no internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Privacy Rights

Access and Correction

You have the right to:

Request information about what personal data we have about you
Correct any inaccurate information
Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)

Opt-Out Options

You can:

Disable JavaScript to prevent analytics tracking
Use ad blockers that block analytics scripts
Unsubscribe from alerts at any time with the one-click link in any alert email, or turn off push alerts in your browser or device settings
Contact us to request removal of your information

No Account Required

Since Record.Fish doesn’t require user accounts, most privacy concerns are automatically minimized. You can use our service without providing any personal information.

Children’s Privacy

Record.Fish is intended for general audiences and does not specifically target children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover we have collected such information, we will delete it immediately. Content submitted by users under 18 requires parental consent – see our Terms of Use for details, including for photos depicting minors.

International Visitors

Record.Fish is operated from the United States and focuses on US fishing records. If you visit from outside the US, please be aware that your information may be processed in the United States, which may have different privacy laws than your country.

Data Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Contact form submissions: Deleted after resolving your inquiry
Alert subscriptions: Kept only while your subscription is active. Unsubscribing from email alerts deletes your address from the alert list. Turning off push alerts stops all notifications to your device
Personal-best submissions and photos: Kept while displayed on the Site. Contact us to request removal of anything you submitted
Analytics data: Retained indefinitely to understand long-term trends. Analytics contains no IP addresses, names, or other personal identifiers. Automated visits can appear in analytics; we review only aggregate patterns for abuse prevention. Contact us if you would like your analytics data deleted
Public fishing records: Maintained indefinitely as they are public information

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date. For material changes, we may provide additional notice through our website.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

State-Specific Privacy Rights

California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights:

Right to know what personal information we collect
Right to delete personal information
Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (we don’t sell data)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights

Other US States

Residents of other states with privacy laws (Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, etc.) may have similar rights. Contact us for specific information about your state’s requirements.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information:

Email: [email protected]
Website: https://record.fish
Subject Line: “Privacy Policy Inquiry”

We will respond to privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.

Summary

The Bottom Line: Record.Fish is designed to be privacy-friendly by default. We collect minimal information, use privacy-focused analytics, send alerts only to people who ask for them, don’t track you across the web, and don’t sell your data. Our goal is to provide a useful fishing records database while respecting your privacy.

This Privacy Policy is designed to be clear and understandable. If you have questions about any section, please don’t hesitate to contact us.