Reel Talk Fishing Update Release Notes

August 2026 - v.2.08.26

• Map tiles now powered by MapTiler for a sharper base map and satellite view
• Redesigned About, Contact, Privacy, and Terms pages to match the new landing page look
• Fixed an issue where signing in with Google could hang or fail on some browsers
• Reorganized fishing regions into 15 geographic areas and added 33 new Texas Gulf Coast locations
• Fishing Bite Index now factors in UV/light levels throughout the day for sharper bite predictions
• More accurate sunrise/sunset times used across the app
• Bait and rig recommendation cards are now available to everyone, not just Pro/Elite members
• Bite likelihood descriptions now better reflect each species' ranking relative to the others
• Added upload size limits for catch photos to prevent errors from oversized images

July 2026 - v.2.07.26

• New trout logo — refreshed branding across the app
• Redesigned map pin icons with clearer legend labels for locations, bait shops, and your spots
• Fixed a duplicate Sylvan Beach Pier listing and corrected the Matagorda Jetty Park map pin location
• Premium Live Data — Pro/Elite members can now force-refresh weather, tide, and Fishing Bite Index data on demand for up-to-the-minute conditions on public locations and My Spots
• Trip cards in the Journal now show a Personal Best marker when a trip includes your top catch for a species
• Conditions are now locked in at the start and end of every trip — your journal shows exactly what the weather, tide, and bite index looked like that day, instead of today's live numbers
• Delete button added directly to trip cards — deleting a trip also removes the catches logged on it, with a confirmation prompt first
• Catch photos are now edge-to-edge and open in a full-screen lightbox when tapped; you can also snap a photo directly in the app with a framing guide

June 2026 - v.2.06.26

• Log Book trip detail redesigned as a connected timeline — start/end conditions and catches now flow together with photos and species artwork instead of flat gray boxes
• Simplified ending a trip — removed the bite quality, effort, water clarity, bait activity, and current rating fields for a faster, less fiddly log entry
• Weather forecasts now powered by Open-Meteo for more accurate 7-day, all-hourly conditions
• Fixed Fishing Bite Index history showing the wrong day's data for anglers outside the server's timezone
• Fixed badges and catch streaks using the wrong timezone when checking date boundaries
• Fixed a blank sign-in popup that could appear on your first Google sign-in attempt
• Faster badge image loads across the app

May 2026 - v.2.05.26

• Pro plan now available at $2.99/month or $29.99/year — unlock hi-res depth contours, catch photos, and more
• Hi-res 1ft depth contour layer added to the map — a Pro feature that shows detailed bottom structure for finding the drop-offs and channels fish hold on
• Personal Best tracking fixed — length now takes priority over weight when determining your top catch per species, so a 22" trout correctly beats a 1 lb fish
• Logbook header stays pinned while scrolling through your catch entries so the trip controls are always within reach
• Filter button now highlights blue when an active filter is applied, making it obvious when your view is filtered
• Faster load times — badge images compressed by ~40% with no visible quality loss

April 2026 - v.2.04.26

• My Stats dashboard — new tab for logged-in users showing your complete catch analytics at a glance
• Trophy Case — personal best hero cards for each species with species photography
• Achievement badges — earn badges including First Catch, Grand Slam, Life Lister, Dawn Patrol, Full Moon Fisher, and more
• Catch Trends — monthly catch bars and species breakdown charts showing your patterns over time
• Top Spots — leaderboard of your most productive locations with top species and average bite index
• What's Working — top bait and method combos per species based on your personal catch history
• Catch photos — Pro members can now attach a photo to each catch entry with automatic compression
• Watercolor species art — all 12 species updated with original watercolor illustrations throughout the app, including Personal Best hero cards
• Badges system expanded — more achievements to earn and a redesigned Angler List tab to track your fishing milestones
• Mini tide chart on location cards — see the full tide curve at a glance directly on each location card without expanding
• Quick-start trip — one-tap shortcut to instantly begin logging a new fishing session
• 11 new Texas Gulf Coast fishing locations added
• Typography and spacing polish across the app for improved readability
• Mobile fixes — Fishing Bite Index tooltip no longer clips off-screen; active trip banner buttons stack properly on small screens

March 2026 - v.2.03.26

• Catch Log redesigned — entries are now grouped by date in a clean table layout with expandable rows
• Personal Best tracking — trophy cards display your biggest catch per species with weight, length, location, and conditions at time of catch
• PB auto-detection — log a new personal best and get an instant celebration toast
• Species Life List — track your progress across all 12 species at a glance
• Two-column Catch Log layout on desktop — Personal Bests on the left, catch entries on the right
• Fixed weather and conditions not pre-filling when selecting a location in the catch form
• Fixed locations disappearing on page refresh for accounts with saved filters
• Saved filters now apply immediately — no page refresh needed after saving your default area or location count
• Smarter Fishing Bite Index — dead and slack tide periods now properly lower the FBI score instead of showing misleadingly high ratings

February 2026 - v.2.02.26

• Fishing Bite Index v2 — completely rebuilt scoring engine with research-tuned factors for more accurate bite predictions
• Wind direction is now analyzed relative to your local shoreline for smarter onshore/offshore scoring
• Water temperature trend detection — tracks warming, cooling, and cold front patterns over 48 hours
• Species bite predictions for 12 species including Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Black Drum, Sheepshead, and more
• Factor chips show what's helping or hurting each species right now (Fall Run, Trophy Season, etc.)
• Personalized bait and rig recommendations matched to current conditions with Quick Pick highlights
• Rig setup diagrams so you know exactly how to tie each rig
• Redesigned species, bait, and rig cards with score bars and expandable details
• Brag board implemented — because your friends need to know what they missed out on
• Location images added
• Faster load times and smaller app size
• Improved sidebar narrative and forecast tooltips
• Optimized mobile view
• Removed Rollover Pass (construction in progress) and Bolivar Beach

January 2026 - v.1.01.26

• 68 public locations added along the Texas Gulf Coast
• Interactive map now displays all public fishing spots, and bait shops with markers
• Details table for current weather and fishing conditions added below the map
• Advance 5 days forecast for weather and fishing conditions added
• Improved mobile responsiveness and layout for better usability on smartphones and tablets
• Fixed minor bugs and performance optimizations
• Google navigation link for each location added
• Fishing tips section added for each location