User Guide
v1.2.3 · June 2026
Getting Started

Everything You Need to Know
as an Angler

ReelTrack is your personal fishing journal, AI advisor, and tournament companion — all in one app. This guide walks you through every feature, step by step.

📱
Getting Started
Download, create account, set up your profile
▼
Download the App
🍎 iPhone — App Store 🤖 Android — Google Play
iPhone: Download ReelTrack free from the App Store. Search for ReelTrack or use the link above.
Android: Use the Google Play link provided by your tournament director or the ReelTrack website.
Create Your Account

  1. Open ReelTrack and tap Sign Up

  2. Enter your email address and choose a password (8+ characters)

  3. Tap Create Account

  4. Check your email for a confirmation link and tap it

Set Up Your Profile

  1. Tap your name or avatar at the top of the Home screen

  2. Add your name, home lake, and state

  3. Optional: add school, grade, coach name (for high school anglers)

  4. Add your phone number so a tournament director can text you your boat draw

  5. Tap Save

💡 Tip: The more you fill out your profile, the better your AI fishing recommendations will be over time.
🐟
Logging a Catch
Photo, length, weight, conditions — all in one tap
▼

  1. Tap Log in the bottom menu

  2. Make sure Tournament Mode is OFF (unless you're in a tournament)

  3. Tap Take Photo or Choose Photo to add a fish photo

  4. Select the species from the dropdown

  5. Enter the weight (lbs / oz) and length (inches)

  6. Select your lure, structure, and depth — the more you fill in, the smarter your AI gets!

  7. Tap Save Catch

📍 GPS: ReelTrack automatically records where you caught the fish. Your spots are private — nobody else can see your exact locations.
🏆 Personal Best: If it's your biggest fish of that species, ReelTrack will celebrate it automatically!
Share Your Catch on Social Media

  1. After saving a catch, tap the Share button on the catch card

  2. ReelTrack generates a shareable catch card with your photo, species, weight, and lake

  3. Choose where to share — Facebook, Instagram, text, or save to your camera roll

📸 Personal Best shares: When you break a personal best, ReelTrack highlights it on the share card automatically — perfect for bragging rights on Facebook!
What's Required vs. Optional
✅
Required
Species · Photo (recommended) · Weight or Length
⭐
Makes AI Smarter
Lure · Structure · Depth · Water temp · Wind · Conditions
🤖
AI Tacklebox
Your personal fishing advisor powered by your catch history
▼
The AI Tacklebox learns from your own catches and gives you advice based on your history plus today's weather conditions.
How to Use It

  1. Tap AI Tackl... in the bottom menu

  2. Type your question in plain English — examples below

  3. Tap the send button and wait a few seconds for your answer

Example Questions to Ask
Lure advice
"What should I throw on Chickamauga today?"
Pattern help
"What depth have I been catching bass in the summer?"
Weather
"Will the fish bite better in the morning or afternoon?"
Structure
"What structure has been most productive for me?"
My History vs. Community
👤
My History
AI uses only YOUR catches to give personalized advice based on your patterns.
🌊
Community
AI uses anonymous data from all anglers on your lakes — what's biting this week.
💡 Tip: The more catches you log, the better your AI advice gets. Even a few weeks of logging makes a big difference.
🌙
Solunar & Fishing Light Windows
Know the best times to be on the water
▼
ReelTrack shows you the best feeding windows every day, calculated from moon position and solar activity.
What the Times Mean
Major windows
2-hour peak feeding times — the best times to be fishing. Plan your day around these.
Minor windows
Shorter feeding bursts — still good, just not as strong as majors.
⚡ Lightning bolt
A solunar peak that overlaps with first/last light — double fish bonus!
Fishing Light Windows
First Light
When you can first see to fish — prime time begins
Full Daylight
Sun fully above the horizon
Last Light
Last fishable light before sunset — second prime time
Dark
Legal fishing may end here (check your state regulations)
💡 Tip: The star rating (1-5 stars) shows how strong the overall solunar activity is for the day. 4-5 stars = exceptional day to be on the water.
📅
Today Tab — Trip Summary
See everything about your fishing day at a glance
▼
The Today tab shows a complete summary of your current fishing trip — catches, weights, and top fish.

  1. Tap Today in the bottom menu

  2. Your catches for today are automatically organized by species and weight

  3. Tap the calendar at the top to view any past day — days with catches show a 🐟 icon

  4. Use the ◀ ▶ arrows to navigate months

  5. Tap Map to see where all your catches are on the map

📊 Best 5 Fish: In tournament mode, the Today tab automatically calculates your best 5 fish by weight or length — perfect for tracking where you stand.
📖
History & Records
Search and filter all your past catches
▼

  1. Tap History in the bottom menu

  2. Use the filter chips at the top to narrow by species, structure, lure, or lake

  3. Tap any catch to see the full details

  4. Tap Records to see your personal bests for every species

💡 Tip: Tap the map icon in History to see all your catches plotted on a map — great for spotting your most productive areas.
🎣
My Gear — Rig Builder
Save your setups and reference knots on the water
▼
Build and save your fishing rigs so you can log exactly what you were throwing when you caught a fish.

  1. Tap My Gear in the bottom menu

  2. Tap + New Rig to build a setup (rod, reel, line, lure, hook)

  3. Name your rig and tap Save

  4. When logging a catch, tap Select Rig to auto-fill your gear info

Knot Library
Tap the Knots tab in My Gear to access step-by-step guides for 10 essential fishing knots — perfect for tying on a new lure on the water.
📋
My Documents
Store your fishing license, boat registration, and more
▼
Keep your important documents on your phone so you always have them on the water.
Fishing License Boat Registration Boater ID State ID Boat Insurance Custom Slots
🔒 Privacy: Documents are stored only on your device — they are never uploaded to any server. If you delete the app, your documents are deleted too.

  1. Go to your Profile and scroll down to My Documents

  2. Tap any slot to add a photo of your document

  3. Tap it again anytime to view it

🏅
Joining a Tournament
How to get in and get fishing
▼

  1. Tap Tournament in the bottom menu

  2. Tap Join Tournament

  3. Enter your Team Number provided by the tournament director

  4. Read and sign the digital waiver — check the box and tap Sign

  5. You're in! You'll see the tournament on your Home screen as Active Tournament

💡 Tip: Once you join, Tournament Mode turns on automatically when you tap Log. Your catches go straight to the live leaderboard.
📱 QR Check-In: Your tournament QR code is in the Tournament tab. Show it to the check-in volunteer at the ramp — they'll scan it to record your launch time.
👁️
Watching the Leaderboard
Follow any tournament live — no account needed
▼
Family, friends, and fans can watch any ReelTrack tournament live from any device — phone, tablet, or computer.

  1. Go to reeltrack.app on any browser

  2. Tap View Live Leaderboard — no account or login required

  3. Watch catches come in and standings update in real time

📺 Live Stream: If the director set up a live stream, it will play directly on the leaderboard page. Perfect for watching the weigh-in from anywhere.
Share the Leaderboard

  1. In the Tournament tab, tap Share Leaderboard

  2. Choose how to share — text, Facebook, email, or copy the link

  3. Anyone who gets the link can watch live instantly — no account needed

📲 Share at the ramp: Post the leaderboard link in your club Facebook group before take-off so family and fans can follow along all day.
Casual Competition

Run a Friend Tournament
Anywhere, Anytime

Fish any lake, any time — create a casual tournament with your buddies in under 2 minutes. No club required.

❓
What Is a Friend Tournament?
Casual competition with anyone, anywhere
▼
A Friend Tournament is a casual, informal competition you create for any group of anglers — no club, no official director required. You pick the lake, the rules, and invite your friends by sharing a team number.
✅
Perfect For
Weekend trips · Office fishing pools · Family outings · Buddy bets
🚫
Not Designed For
Large club tournaments · Multi-flight events · Official BASS Nation events
💡 Angler Pro Feature: Creating a Friend Tournament requires an Angler Pro subscription. Joining one is always free.
➕
Creating a Friend Tournament
Set it up in under 2 minutes
▼

  1. Tap Tournament in the bottom menu

  2. Tap Create Tournament

  3. Choose Friend Tournament (open join — team number only)

  4. Fill in the basics: Name, Lake, Date, Fish Limit, Min Length

  5. Choose Scoring Type — Weight (lbs) or Length (inches, for CPR/kayak events)

  6. Tap Create Tournament

  7. You'll see your tournament with boat slots — share the team numbers with your friends

📋 Add Anglers: You can pre-add anglers with names for each boat number so the leaderboard shows real names instead of "Boat #1."
📲
Inviting Your Friends
Share a team number — that's all they need
▼
Each boat/angler gets a team number. Share it by text or just tell them verbally.
What They Need to Do

  1. Download ReelTrack (iPhone: App Store · Android: Google Play)

  2. Create a free account

  3. Tap Tournament → Join Tournament

  4. Enter their Team Number

  5. Sign the digital waiver and tap Join

💡 Tip: Your friends can join from anywhere — at home the night before or right at the ramp. As long as they have cell signal they can join.
🐠
During the Tournament
How to log fish and see the leaderboard
▼

  1. Tap Log in the bottom menu — Tournament Mode should be ON

  2. Take a photo of your fish

  3. Enter the weight (or length for CPR events)

  4. Tap Save — it goes to the leaderboard immediately!

Smart Cull (Weight Tournaments)
When your livewell is full (up to your tournament's fish limit), ReelTrack automatically tracks your best bag. If you catch a bigger fish, it tells you which one to cull. The leaderboard always shows your current best bag.
Checking the Leaderboard

  1. Tap Tournament in the bottom menu

  2. Tap Board — see all anglers, weights, and standings in real time

👥 Share the leaderboard: Tap Share Leaderboard in the Tournament tab and send the link to anyone — family, friends, or spectators. They can watch live at reeltrack.app with no app or account needed!
📏
CPR / Length Tournaments
Catch, photo, release — perfect for kayak events
▼
CPR (Catch Photo Release) tournaments score by total inches instead of weight — great for kayak events and conservation-focused tournaments.

  1. When creating the tournament, set Scoring Type: Length

  2. Anglers photograph each fish next to a ruler or bump board

  3. Enter the length in inches when logging the catch

  4. ReelTrack calculates the best fish up to your tournament limit by length for each angler automatically

  5. Release the fish — no livewell required!

🐠 Best for: Kayak tournaments · Conservation events · Events where scales aren't available · Night tournaments
Tournament Director Guide

Run a Paperless Tournament
From Your Phone

From setup to weigh-in, ReelTrack handles the whole tournament — boat draw, check-in, live leaderboard, and results.

⚙️
Setting Up a Tournament
Everything a director needs to configure before the big day
▼
🏆 Director Feature

  1. Tap Tournament → Create Tournament

  2. Choose Club Tournament for a formal event with roster verification

  3. Fill in: Tournament Name, Lake, Date, Check-in Time, Take-off Time

  4. Set Fish Limit (e.g., 5 fish) and Minimum Length per species

  5. Choose Scoring Type — Weight or Length (CPR)

  6. Set your Director PIN — you'll use this to access director features

  7. Optional: set Dead Fish Penalty and Short Fish Penalty

  8. Tap Create Tournament

💡 Tip: Create the tournament at least a day before so anglers can join and you can run the boat draw ahead of time.
📋
Club Roster Management
Build your team list once, use it all season
▼
The Club Roster stores your permanent team list year-round. Add teams once and they're available for every tournament.
Adding Teams

  1. Go to Tournament → Club Roster

  2. Tap + Add Team

  3. Enter the Captain Name, Angler Name, phone numbers, and email

  4. Tap Save Team

  5. Repeat for all teams in your club

Importing from CSV
If you have a spreadsheet of anglers, you can import them all at once. Tap Import CSV and paste your data. ReelTrack will recognize the columns and add all teams automatically.
Invite Emails
Once your roster is set, tap Send Invites — ReelTrack automatically emails every club member with their team number, tournament details, and a link to join.
🎲
Boat Draw & SMS Notifications
Random draw + instant text notifications to every angler
▼
Running the Boat Draw

  1. Go to Tournament → Director → Boat Draw

  2. Enter your Director PIN

  3. Choose Single Flight or Flight A / Flight B

  4. Tap Run Draw — ReelTrack randomly assigns boat numbers

  5. Review the draw, then tap Confirm & Send SMS

What Anglers Receive
📱 Each angler gets a text with: Their boat number · Flight assignment · Check-in time · Tournament name and lake
💡 Tip: Make sure all anglers have added their phone number to their profile before you run the draw so they receive the SMS.
✅
Tournament Day — Check-In
QR scanning at the ramp, mandatory meeting, late return alerts
▼
Volunteer Roles
ReelTrack supports 5 volunteer roles, each with their own PIN for security:
🏆 Director 📱 Scanner 🐟 Fish Checker ⚖️ Weigh Master 📋 Registration
Launch Check-In

  1. Open the app on the check-in device and tap Tournament → Director → Check-In Station

  2. Enter the Scanner PIN

  3. As each boat idles by, scan their QR code from the app or printed boat tag

  4. The check-in dashboard records the exact timestamp automatically

Printed Boat Tags
Tap Print Boat Tags to generate QR tags for every boat. Print and laminate them the night before — attach to the bow of each boat. Easier to scan than a phone screen in bright sunlight.
Late Return Alerts
The director dashboard shows which boats have not returned past the deadline — alerts turn red automatically so you know who to call.
⚖️
Director Weigh-In
On Stage Now, Up Next, live leaderboard updates
▼
Blackout Mode
Before weigh-in, the leaderboard automatically goes into Blackout Mode — fish counts and weights are hidden from spectators to build suspense. The director controls when to reveal results.
Running the Weigh-In

  1. Tap Tournament → Director → Weigh-In

  2. Enter your Director PIN

  3. Tap a boat to set them as On Stage Now

  4. Enter each fish weight as it's weighed — tap Add Fish

  5. The leaderboard updates live as you enter weights

  6. When done, tap Submit Bag and move to the next boat

Weight Entry Options
⚖️
Lbs / Oz
Enter pounds and ounces separately — e.g., 3 lbs 5 oz
📊
Decimal Lbs
Enter as a decimal — e.g., 3.31 lbs (great for digital tournament scales)
Penalties
If configured, ReelTrack automatically applies dead fish and short fish penalties to the final bag weight. The leaderboard shows the penalized score.
📺
Live Leaderboard & Stream
Big screen display + embedded YouTube live stream
▼
TV / Big Screen Display

  1. Open a browser on your laptop or display device

  2. Go to reeltrack.app and tap View Live Leaderboard

  3. The leaderboard auto-scrolls through all entries and updates in real time

  4. Connect to a TV via HDMI for a professional weigh-in display

Embedding a Live Stream

  1. Start your YouTube Live stream from YouTube Studio

  2. Copy the YouTube stream URL

  3. In your tournament settings, paste it in the Live Stream URL field

  4. The stream appears automatically on the public leaderboard page

💡 Tip: Use a laptop connected to a hotspot for the most reliable stream. Test the connection before the event starts.
🚫
No Shows & DNS Handling
Mark anglers who didn't fish or didn't weigh in
▼
No Show
Angler registered but never launched. They do not appear in the final results.
DNS
Did Not Scale — angler fished but brought no fish to the scales. They appear in results with 0 lbs and are ranked last.

  1. In the Director Weigh-In screen, find the boat

  2. Tap No Show or DNS as appropriate

  3. The leaderboard updates automatically

🏁
Wrapping Up the Tournament
Final results, archive, and what happens after
▼

  1. Once all boats have weighed in, the leaderboard shows the final standings

  2. Share the leaderboard link with the club so everyone can see the results

  3. In Director settings, tap Close Tournament to mark it complete

  4. The tournament is saved in your Tournament History permanently

📊 Results are permanent: Every tournament result is saved in ReelTrack. Directors can view past tournaments anytime under Tournament History.