Introducing Verified Fishing Sessions & BAIT
Fishing Tournaments Have an Integrity Problem
Anyone can claim they caught a fish. A photo on a phone. A number on a scale. A handshake and a story. For decades, competitive fishing has run on the honor system, and every season brings fresh headlines about lead weights in bass, recycled photos, and ghost anglers who never touched water.
DerbyFish changes that. Today we are launching two features that rewrite the rules: Verified Fishing Sessions and the BAIT economy.
What Is a Verified Fishing Session?
When you start a VFS, your phone becomes a scientific instrument.
GPS tracking locks your position. Sensor data records your environment. Cryptographic hashing seals your session the moment it begins -- no one can alter it after the fact. And when you submit a catch, AI species identification analyzes your photos in seconds: species match, measurement clarity, photo authenticity.
No special equipment. No expensive hardware. Just your phone, the water, and a system that turns every cast into verifiable proof.
Your phone is the witness. The blockchain is the notary. The AI is the judge. Together, they create an unbreakable chain of evidence for every catch you make.
How BAIT Works
BAIT is the currency that powers verification. The math is simple:
1 BAIT = $1 = 1 hour of Verified Fishing
Per-second billing means you only pay for what you use. Start fishing, stop fishing, done. A 47-minute session costs $0.78. A 3-hour session costs $3.00. No subscriptions. No commitments. No tricks.
Every new DerbyFish account gets 3 free BAIT on signup. That is three hours of verified fishing -- enough to enter a derby, test the system, and see why verified catches hit different.
Verification Scores and Tiers
Every catch submitted during a VFS receives a verification score from 0 to 100, based on five factors:
- AI Confidence (35%) -- How certain the model is about species, size, and photo authenticity
- Submission Method (25%) -- Live camera capture scores higher than gallery uploads
- Session Link (20%) -- Was the catch submitted during an active VFS with GPS and sensor data?
- Evidence Integrity (10%) -- Cryptographic hash verification of photos and metadata
- Data Freshness (10%) -- How quickly the catch was submitted after the photo was taken
Those scores map to four tiers:
| Tier | Score | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 85+ | Rock-solid evidence. Near-impossible to dispute. |
| Gold | 70-84 | Strong verification. Trusted in competition. |
| Silver | 50-69 | Moderate confidence. May trigger captain review. |
| Bronze | 30-49 | Minimal verification. Limited competitive weight. |
Higher scores mean more trust in derbies, seasons, and leagues. The score engine gets smarter over time -- same catches, richer proof.
Free Sessions Still Work
Not ready to spend BAIT? No problem. Toggle to a Free Session and you can still log catches, use AI species identification, and track your outings.
But Free Session catches cannot enter derbies, seasons, or leagues. FS is for fun. VFS is for competition.
Think of it like pickup basketball versus a sanctioned game. Both are real. Only one counts on the scoreboard.
What Is Included With Your Badge
Your DerbyFish badge comes with monthly BAIT built in:
Compete Badge -- $20/year Enter derbies and compete in seasons. Includes 5 BAIT per month (5 hours of verified fishing). Enough for most casual competitors.
Captain Badge -- $60/year Everything in Compete, plus the ability to create and manage your own derbies. Includes 10 BAIT per month. Built for tournament organizers.
Both Badges -- $80/year Full access. 10 BAIT monthly. Compete and captain.
Youth anglers fish free. Always.
Need more BAIT? Buy it anytime at derby.fish/bait. One dollar, one hour. No minimum commitment.
The Future of Verified Fishing
VFS is version one. Here is what is coming:
Multi-device verification. Pair your GoPro or action camera for secondary evidence streams. More angles, higher scores.
Weather correlation. Cross-reference your session with real-time weather data. Conditions that match your catch location and time add verification weight.
GPS consistency scoring. Movement patterns that match natural fishing behavior strengthen your session integrity.
Derby sponsorship. Captains will be able to sponsor VFS for all derby participants, covering BAIT costs so every angler competes on equal footing.
The verification engine is a living system. It learns. It improves. Every session makes the next one more trustworthy.
Your First 3 Hours Are Free
Download DerbyFish. Create your account. Your 3 free BAIT are waiting.
Start a Verified Fishing Session. Submit a catch. Watch your verification score land. See the proof chain your phone just built.
Every catch tells a story. Make yours verified.
Download on the App Store | Get it on Google Play
Tight lines.