I need some expert advice. This afternoon I went to try out my new BLat Series 6.8 rod. My Baitcaster with 30# braid on it, and it casts really well with that rod. So this little lake, called Lake Reba is only about 75 acres and NO ONE is on it, except some guys on this long pier type thing (catfish I think). While casting, I kept pulling thru a bunch of green stuff... See pic. There is also an island and a section covered in lily pads. So I'm excited to try my hand at this. The only bait I had with me was a chatterbait. I could pull through it but constantly having to clear my hook. How would you fish this stuff? I was trying the BLat advice "throw what no o ne else is throwing". 😆

I want to fish it because I did get a bite, and saw the fish. It's also stocked with large mouth

Week Long Tournament -- Testing a new tournament app — could use a few willing to test out new tournament app with me and donate $2

I'm moving Cast for a Cause to a platform called WeighBook for the 2027 season, and I'd rather find out what's broken now than in the middle of a real event next April.

2026 WARMUP TOURNAMENT - SIgn up any time.

Friday Sept 25 (Tomorrow) → Sunday Oct 4

$1 membership + $1 entry. Every dollar goes to The Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber — Kindlewood Cares keeps none of it. The dollar exists so I can test whether the payment side actually works, which a free event wouldn't.

Fish anywhere you want, any day in that window. Boat, kayak, dock, bank — all the same. Five bass, 12" minimum or your state's minimum, artificial only, public water. Photo on a bump board with the tournament code visible, submit from your phone. No ramp, no weigh-in, no driving anywhere.

Two divisions, North and South. Rod sleeves from BardeRodz to the winner of each.

SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR: Sign up an spend $2 to test membership and tournament payments. That's the part I can't test by myself.

Fair warning — it's a test. If things go sideways, I'll draw winners at random from everyone who submitted a fish.

What I actually need is for you to fish it normally and tell me what annoyed you. Was paying awkward? Is logging a catch easy? Does the leaderboard make sense?

https://www.weighbook.com/tournaments/6ab3bf1b7878c1338e7e6864/registration

Exciting! Just received my new crankbait rod!!