Scott started working with a TRS-80 Model I in 1977. In 1983 he got more heavily involved in computers, buying a TRS-80 Model 100 and a TRS-80 Model 4 computer.
He had been logging fishing notes for years, and used those to help figure out the best place to fish every day, based on what he caught where on previous trips with similar weather and sea conditions.
He purchased almost $6000 worth of computer-related gear from Radio Shack between 6/22/83 and 11/4/83. He wrote programs to integrate information from sensors on his boat, so much of the information he had been logging was enter automatically.
Here is a list of the hardware and software he purchased.
| Radio Shack Hardware | Price |
| TRS-80 Model IV | $ 2,000 |
| TRS-80 Model 100 | $ 1,000 |
| Model IV Extra 64K Nem | $ 150 |
| Model 100 Extra 8K Mem | $ 120 |
| Model IV Modem D.C. | $ 200 |
| Printer Color CGP-115 | $ 200 |
| High-Resolution Board | $ 250 |
| Model 100 Bar Code Reader | $ 100 |
| Spike Supressor | $ 20 |
| Model 100 AC Adapter | $ 6 |
| Model IV Cables | $ 100 |
| Model 100 Modem Cable & Cup | $ 75 |
| Extra Manuals | $ 25 |
| Subtotal | $ 4,246 |
| Radio Shack Software | |
| Alcor Pascal | $ 250 |
| CP/M Plus | $ 150 |
| CBasic | $ 100 |
| Multiplan | $ 200 |
| Profiles III+ DBMS | $ 200 |
| Project Manager | $ 100 |
| LDOS Operating System | $ 130 |
| Statistical Analysis | $ 30 |
| Videotex Plus | $ 50 |
| Subtotal | $ 1,210 |
| Other Software | |
| ENBase | $ 145 |
| Full Screen Editor | $ 30 |
| Home Accountant | $ 75 |
| Omniterm | $ 70 |
| Other | $ 100 |
| Subtotal | $ 420 |
| Total | $ 5,876 |