After years of fishing from everything from a 14-foot jon boat to a kayak, I can tell you this: a good bait cutting board is the single most underrated piece of gear on most anglers' boats. I have cut bait on cooler lids, on tackle box tops, and once (regrettably) on a piece of cardboard […]

I've spent the last three months chasing stripers and largemouth with eight different barometric fishing gauges clipped to my tackle bag, mounted on the dash of my skiff, and even strapped to my wrist on kayak trips. After hundreds of hours of testing and side-by-side comparisons against trusted weather apps, I can confidently tell you […]

Conventional fishing reels are the workhorses that serious saltwater anglers trust when the stakes get high and the fish get big. I have spent the last three seasons testing overhead reels on everything from bluewater tuna runs to bottom-bouncing for grouper off the Florida coast. Our team compared 10 models across drag performance, gear ratios, […]

After spending 90 days on the water testing 12 different scent sprays against a control group, our team landed on the best fish attractant sprays that genuinely move the needle for bass, trout, and panfish anglers. We sprayed identical soft plastics into the same coves, switched only the scent, and logged hookup ratios on a […]

If you have ever tried filleting a snapper on a wobbly cooler lid or scrubbed fish guts off your kitchen counter for the third time in a week, you already know why fish cleaning tables exist. I have spent the last several seasons testing portable fillet tables, dock-mounted cleaning stations, and everything in between to […]

I've spent more weekends than I can count testing fish finder mounts on kayaks, bass boats, and aluminum rigs across three states. The best fish finder mounts do one job exceptionally well: they keep your screen locked in place when the water gets angry. I tested 10 different models across six months, bouncing through 3-foot […]

I learned this the hard way on a Texas Gulf beach trip three years ago. I had my three favorite rods just tossed in the truck bed, padding them with a beach towel. By the time I reached the launch, one rod tip had snapped against the tailgate, and another had wrapped itself around a […]

If you have ever tried to unhook a thrashing pike, pulled a treble-hook-laden striper over the gunwale, or fumbled a slimy catfish on a rocking kayak, you already know why the best fish grippers are not a luxury but a genuine safety tool. I have spent the last several seasons testing lip grippers on bass […]

Nothing ruins a good day on the water faster than reaching for your stringer and finding it empty. I learned that lesson the hard way when a cheap plastic snap gave way and my prized 4-pound walleye disappeared into the depths. After that frustration, our team spent three months testing 8 of the best fish […]

I have lost count of how many times I have come back from a full day on the water looking like a boiled crawfish. As someone who has logged more than 800 hours fishing from kayaks, piers, and small skiffs, I can tell you straight: fishing arm sleeves are the single best upgrade I have […]