HookWake ("we", "us", "our") operates www.hookwake.com. This policy explains what information we collect when you visit the site, why we collect it, and the choices you have. We do not sell your personal information.
Who We Are
HookWake is an independent fishing-advice publication. You can reach us at contact@hookwake.com with any question about this policy or about data we hold.
Information We Collect
You do not need an account to read HookWake, and we do not ask you to submit personal details in order to browse. The information we receive falls into two groups:
- Information you give us voluntarily. If you email us, we receive your address and whatever you write. We use it only to reply.
- Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we and our service providers receive technical data when you load a page: your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, the pages you view, and the time of your visit.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. HookWake itself does not set cookies to track you across the web, but the third-party services below do set cookies, and advertising cookies are the main category in use on this site.
Google AdSense and Advertising Cookies
We display advertising through Google AdSense. In connection with this:
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- Google may use the DoubleClick DART cookie and similar identifiers to deliver and measure ads.
- Advertising vendors other than Google may also place cookies on this site. We do not control those cookies.
You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info or, in Europe, at youronlinechoices.com. Opting out does not remove ads; it makes them less relevant to you.
Google's own handling of data is described in the Google Privacy & Terms page for partner sites.
Analytics
We use Vercel Analytics to understand which articles are read and how the site performs. It reports aggregate traffic patterns and does not build advertising profiles about you.
We also use Google Search Console, which reports the anonymised, aggregated search queries that lead people to HookWake. It does not identify individual visitors.
Managing Cookies in Your Browser
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time. Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge all provide controls for this. Blocking cookies will not prevent you from reading HookWake, though some third-party features may behave differently.
Affiliate Links
HookWake participates in the Amazon Associates Program and other affiliate programmes. When you click an affiliate link, the retailer may set a cookie that records that the visit came from us, so that any qualifying purchase is credited to HookWake. We earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We receive commission data in aggregate; we do not receive your name, address, or payment details from these retailers. Affiliate relationships never influence our editorial rankings.
Consent in the EEA, UK and Switzerland
If you visit from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you will be asked for consent before non-essential cookies, including advertising cookies, are set. You can change or withdraw that consent at any time through the cookie controls presented on the site. Our legal bases for processing are your consent for advertising and non-essential cookies, and our legitimate interest in operating and securing the website for essential technical data.
Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you, to ask us to correct or delete it, to object to or restrict its processing, and to request a copy in portable form. Residents of California may additionally request disclosure of the categories of personal information collected and may opt out of its "sale" or "sharing" — note that we do not sell personal information.
To exercise any of these rights, email contact@hookwake.com. We will respond within the period required by applicable law. Because we do not operate user accounts, we may need additional information to locate records relating to you, and in many cases we hold no data that identifies you personally.
Data Retention
Email correspondence is kept only as long as needed to handle your enquiry. Aggregate analytics data is retained according to the retention periods of the providers named above. We do not maintain a separate database of visitor profiles.
Children's Privacy
HookWake is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, email us and we will delete it.
Third-Party Links
Our articles link to outside sites such as state wildlife agencies, map providers and retailers. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing them with information.
Data Security
HookWake is served over HTTPS. While no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, we take reasonable measures to protect the limited information we handle.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy as the site or the law changes. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be made clear on this page rather than applied silently.
Contact
Questions about this privacy policy can be sent to contact@hookwake.com.