Question 1

What is a Spool?

Accepted Answer

A Spool is a group for a trip, event or club: group chat, shared bookings, a shared catch log and bill splitting. A Spool is created for group bookings, and you can invite friends with a link.

Question 2

Which documents do vendors need for verification?

Accepted Answer

Every vendor uploads an ID proof and a shop/business photo. Extra documents depend on the business type: Fish shop: FSSAI certificate Boat: vessel registration and life-jackets photo (insurance optional; FSSAI if you sell fish) Pond: licence/permit and FSSAI certificate Guide: licence/permit Tackle shop: GST certificate (optional) Bait shop: FSSAI and GST (optional) Submit for verification from Vendor → Settings → Verification. Our team reviews documents and approves or asks for changes. Only verified vendors appear publicly and can receive payouts.

Question 3

What safety rules should I follow on a boat trip?

Accepted Answer

Always wear a life jacket on boats and kayaks, follow the skipper's instructions, tell someone where you are going, carry water, sun protection and a charged phone, and do not go out when the forecast shows strong wind, high waves or storms. Verified boat operators must upload a life-jacket photo during verification.

Question 4

How do I report or block someone?

Accepted Answer

Use the Report button on any listing, lot, product, event, review or profile, or the ⋯ menu on a chat message or Spool member. Our moderation team reviews every report. You can also block a user from the same menu: they will not be able to message you. Manage blocked users under Me → Settings.

Question 5

How does the "Ask Fishing Journey" assistant work?

Accepted Answer

The assistant searches our FAQs and fishing Guides and writes a short answer based only on that material and general fishing knowledge. It learns from questions people ask: our team reviews questions that were not answered well and turns the best ones into new FAQs. It cannot see your bookings or payments — for anything about your account, open a support ticket.

Question 6

What is the Fishing Journey wallet?

Accepted Answer

Your wallet is a prepaid ₹ balance you can use to pay for bookings, Fish Market lots, shop orders and event tickets in one tap. All refunds (cancellations, operator cancellations, refunded orders) land back in your wallet instantly. Find it under Me → Wallet.

Question 7

What is the Trip Pass and how does check-in work?

Accepted Answer

Every confirmed booking gets a Trip Pass with a QR code (open the booking under Me → Bookings). The operator scans it at the start of the trip. The pass can be scanned from 3 hours before the slot starts until 6 hours after it ends. Outside that window the scan is refused, so arrive on time. Only confirmed bookings can be checked in.

Question 8

Can I pay the vendor directly in cash or by UPI?

Accepted Answer

Please pay only inside Fishing Journey. Payments made offline (cash, UPI to a personal number, bank transfer outside the app) are not protected: we cannot refund them, help with disputes or verify the booking. Asking for or accepting offline payment may lead to account suspension. If a vendor asks you to pay outside the app, report it.

Question 9

How does bidding work in the Fish Market?

Accepted Answer

Fish Market lots are sold by auction. When you bid you enter the maximum you are willing to pay — this is a proxy bid. The system bids for you only as much as needed to keep you in the lead, one minimum step (increment) above the next bidder, up to your maximum. If someone else's maximum is higher, they lead and you get an outbid notification. Each bid must be at least the reserve price, or the current price plus the minimum step. You cannot bid on your own lot.

Question 10

What is the cancellation and refund policy for trip bookings?

Accepted Answer

When you cancel a confirmed booking, the refund depends on how long before the trip starts you cancel: 24 hours or more before the start time: 100% of what you paid. 12 to 24 hours before: 50%. Less than 12 hours before: no refund. Once the trip has started it can no longer be cancelled from the app. Refunds go to your Fishing Journey wallet instantly. Open the booking under Me → Bookings and tap Cancel booking.

Question 11

What is the best time of day to go fishing?

Accepted Answer

Usually early morning (dawn) and late evening (dusk), when light is low, water is cooler and fish feed actively. Overcast days can be good all day. In the sea, tide matters more than the clock: the hours around a moving tide are often best. The Trip Planner and Fish Pulse score the best windows for your spot.

Question 12

Can I cancel a tackle shop order?

Accepted Answer

Yes, until it is shipped. Unpaid orders can be cancelled at any time. Paid or packed orders that are cancelled are refunded in full to your wallet and the items go back into the shop's stock. Once an order has shipped it cannot be cancelled — use a return instead.

Question 13

Which species must not be kept?

Accepted Answer

Never keep or sell protected species such as whale shark, sawfish, guitarfish, dugong and sea turtles (including olive ridley). Release them immediately and carefully if hooked by accident. Fish Market and shop listings of protected species are removed. Local rules may add more species or size limits — check with the local fisheries department.

Question 14

My payment failed but money was deducted. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

Most failed payments are reversed automatically by the bank or payment partner within a few working days. If your wallet or order does not update within an hour, open a support ticket with the payment time and amount (category: Payment) and we will check it with the payment partner.

Question 15

How do vendor payouts work?

Accepted Answer

Your earnings (after platform fee and gateway charges) collect in your vendor wallet. Add a UPI ID or bank account under payout details, then request a payout from Vendor → Payouts. The minimum payout is ₹500, and payouts are settled weekly. When paid, the request shows the bank UTR / reference so you can match it in your bank statement. Only verified vendors can request payouts.

Question 16

What happens if the operator or guide cancels my trip?

Accepted Answer

If the guide, boat or pond operator (or our admin team) cancels your booking, you get a full refund of everything you paid, credited to your wallet immediately. You will get a notification with the amount, and if the booking was shared in a Spool the group is told too.

Question 17

Why can I only see an approximate location before booking?

Accepted Answer

For safety and privacy, public pages show a venue only to within about 5 km. The exact meeting point and the operator's phone or WhatsApp are shown on your booking after it is confirmed.

Question 18

How does split pay work in a Spool?

Accepted Answer

The person who made a booking (or won a Fish Market lot) can split the bill into 2 to 50 equal shares. Everyone sees a Pay my share button in the Spool and pays their part in the app (wallet, UPI or card). When all shares are paid the booking is fully paid. If only a deposit is due, the deposit is what gets split.

Question 19

How do I delete my account and data?

Accepted Answer

Go to Me → Settings → Delete account. We cancel any unpaid bookings and orders, stop any subscription, remove your profile details and photos, and delete your login. Payment and ledger records are kept without your personal details as required by law. If you own an active vendor business, contact support to close it first. You can also exercise your data rights through the Grievance page.

Question 20

Why did the auction end time get extended?

Accepted Answer

To stop last-second sniping, any bid placed in the last 2 minutes pushes the end time to 2 minutes from that bid. The auction ends only when 2 minutes pass with no new bids.

Question 21

My shop order has shipped. Can I return it?

Accepted Answer

Shipped orders cannot be cancelled. If something is wrong, contact the shop from the order page or open a support ticket linked to the order and we will help arrange a return according to the shop's policy.

Question 22

How do I add money to my wallet?

Accepted Answer

Go to Me → Wallet and choose a top-up pack. Payment is handled securely by our payment partner Paddle, with UPI and cards supported. The balance is added as soon as the payment is confirmed (usually within seconds).

Question 23

How do notifications work?

Accepted Answer

You get in-app notifications for bookings, bids and outbids, orders, refunds, Spool messages and support replies (the bell icon). Some important updates are also sent by email. Choose what you receive under Me → Settings → Notifications.

Question 24

How do tides affect sea fishing?

Accepted Answer

Moving water stirs up food and gets fish feeding. The rising tide and the first part of the falling tide are often the most productive; slack water at high or low tide is usually slower. Spring tides (around new and full moon) bring stronger currents than neap tides. Always know when the tide turns if you fish from rocks or sandbars.

Question 25

How do I start selling on Fishing Journey?

Accepted Answer

Tap Sell on Fishing Journey, choose your business type (guide, boat, pond, fish shop, tackle shop, bait shop, club or organizer), fill in your business details and upload the verification documents. Once approved you can list trips, lots, products or events.

Question 26

I started a booking but did not pay. Is the slot held for me?

Accepted Answer

An unpaid booking holds the slot for about 30 minutes. If payment is not completed in that time (or the slot start time passes) the booking is cancelled automatically and the seats are released. Just book again if that happens.

Question 27

How does the Trip Planner work?

Accepted Answer

Open Plan a trip, pick a spot on the map, a date in the next 7 days, the water type (sea, river, pond, backwater) and how you fish. The planner fetches the weather and marine forecast for that place, scores the best fishing windows hour by hour, and rates the day Go / Caution / No-go using safety rules (wind, waves, rain). An AI then writes tips, a bait list and a gear checklist. The plan is guidance only — always check the conditions on the day, local rules and seasonal bans, and never go out if it looks unsafe. You can save plans, share them to a Spool and log the catch in your Catch Vault afterwards.

Question 28

Can I withdraw my wallet balance to my bank account?

Accepted Answer

No. For customers the wallet balance can be spent inside the app and refunds come back to it, but it cannot be withdrawn to a bank or UPI. (Verified vendors have a separate earnings wallet that is paid out to their bank/UPI.)

Question 29

Are there any extra fees on top of the price?

Accepted Answer

The price you see at checkout is what you pay. Platform fees are charged to vendors and deducted from their earnings. Angler Pro members also skip the booking fee where one applies.

Question 30

What does Buy now mean on a lot?

Accepted Answer

Some lots have a Buy now price. You can buy instantly at that price as long as the lot is live and the bidding has not yet reached the Buy-now price. The lot then closes immediately and the order is yours.

Question 31

Do you sell bait?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Verified bait shops list live and preserved bait in the Shop alongside tackle. Check the listing for pickup or delivery options and freshness details.

Question 32

Which languages is the app available in?

Accepted Answer

Fishing Journey is available in 9 languages: English, தமிழ் (Tamil), हिन्दी (Hindi), తెలుగు (Telugu), മലയാളം (Malayalam), ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada), বাংলা (Bengali), मराठी (Marathi) and ગુજરાતી (Gujarati). Change it from the language picker in the menu or in Settings.

Question 33

Is there a fishing ban during the monsoon?

Accepted Answer

Yes. India has an annual monsoon fishing ban for mechanised fishing boats on both the east and west coasts, during the fish breeding season. The dates differ by coast and state and are announced by the government each year, so check the current notification from your state fisheries department before planning a sea trip. Some freshwater areas also have seasonal closures.

Question 34

What bait should a beginner use?

Accepted Answer

Natural bait is the easiest start: prawns/shrimp, worms, squid strips and small fish work for most sea and backwater fish; dough balls, worms and corn work for pond fish like rohu, catla and tilapia. Match the bait to the fish you target and keep it fresh. For predators (barramundi/seabass, trevally) small lures and live bait work well.

Question 35

As an operator, what happens when I cancel a customer booking?

Accepted Answer

When an operator cancels, the customer always gets a full refund to their wallet, and the earnings for that booking are reversed in your ledger. Frequent cancellations hurt your ratings, so pause slots you cannot run instead.

Question 36

Some trips ask for a deposit. How does that work?

Accepted Answer

Operators can ask for a deposit (a percentage of the price) to confirm your seat. You pay the deposit in the app and the rest as shown on the booking. Refund rules apply to the amount you actually paid. You can also split the payable amount with friends in a Spool.

Question 37

Which fishing knots should I learn first?

Accepted Answer

Start with two: the improved clinch knot to tie line to a hook or swivel, and the palomar knot, which is very strong and good for braided line. Wet the line before pulling the knot tight and trim the tag end. Our Guides have step-by-step knot tutorials.

Question 38

I won a lot. How long do I have to pay?

Accepted Answer

You must pay within 2 hours of winning (the deadline is shown on the order). If the order is not paid in time it is cancelled automatically and the lot goes back to the seller as unsold.

Question 39

What do I get with Angler Pro?

Accepted Answer

Angler Pro removes the booking fee, adds offline tide and weather windows, unlimited Catch Vault entries, early access to Fish Market lots, a Pro badge on your Angler ID, and hides ads. It is available monthly or yearly (the yearly plan includes 2 months free) — see current prices under Me → Angler Pro. You can cancel any time; it stays active until the end of the paid period.

Question 40

What is the Catch Vault?

Accepted Answer

The Catch Vault is your private fishing log: species, weight, photos, place and notes for every catch. It builds your season stats and badges. Photo location data (EXIF) is stripped when you upload, and you decide what to share.

Question 41

Where do my refunds go?

Accepted Answer

All refunds — booking cancellations, operator cancellations, refunded Fish Market orders and cancelled shop orders — are credited to your Fishing Journey wallet straight away. You will see a notification and an entry in your wallet history.

Question 42

How do I release a fish safely?

Accepted Answer

Use barbless or circle hooks, keep the fish in or close to the water, wet your hands before touching it, avoid squeezing the belly or touching the gills, and remove the hook quickly with pliers. Support the fish upright in the water until it swims away on its own.

Question 43

How do I collect my fish? What is the pickup code?

Accepted Answer

After payment your order shows a pickup code (as a QR). Show it to the seller when you collect — they scan or enter it to mark the order picked up. If the seller offers delivery, they will update the order when it is delivered.

Question 44

How do I contact support?

Accepted Answer

Open Help & support → New ticket, pick a category, describe the issue and attach up to 3 screenshots. You can link the ticket to a booking or order so we can see the details. You will get a notification when we reply.

Question 45

There is a problem with my fish order. How do I raise a dispute?

Accepted Answer

Open the order and choose Raise a dispute, describing the problem (quality, weight, not received). Disputes can be raised once the order is paid. Our admin team reviews the evidence from both sides and either refunds you to your wallet or closes the dispute. Paid orders can be cancelled only by the seller or admin, so a dispute is the way to ask for a refund.

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