Fishing Gear Guide

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By Jake Greer

St.Croix rods are my rods of choice. No matter what type of fishing you are doing, they have something that will fit your needs. St. Croix rods are lightweight, very sensitive, and feel great in the hands when fishing. And if you accidentally break one of their rods, no need to worry because their customer service program is top notch and they will have you a brand-new rod in no time.

If you want a reel that is high quality and reliable and that also looks great, look no further than Daiwa fishing reels. I’ve used many different brands of reels and very few brands compare to the quality and consistent performance that I see in my Daiwa reels. They’re a little bit more on the spendy side compared to other reels, but the cost is totally worth it.

Plano tackle bags are awesome and I own several of them. They have a lot of different storage options and areas where you can put different pieces of equipment and tackle. This one is a great for people getting into fishing and has plenty of room for all your tackle that you’ll need for a fun day on the water.

One thing you don’t want to go fishing without is a scale. Coming from firsthand experience, it’s not fun not having a scale when you catch a personal best sized fish! The ConnectScale is a sweet digital scale that not only measures the weight of your fish, but it also connects to an app that allows you to compete in online tournaments and will track the location of your catch if you enable the feature.

It took me a couple of years to learn about this tool but thank goodness I finally did. The Boomerang Tool fishing line cutter easily attaches to your clothing or tackle bag and cuts any type of line with ease and is smaller than most other pliers and multitools. I’ve used several other multi tools and scissors for fishing and this one is by far my favorite tool for cutting fishing line.

This one is specific for bass fishing enthusiasts like myself. Tackle Warehouse is the mecca of online bass fishing shopping and has just about everything that you could ever need for bass fishing. I consider it to be like the Amazon for bass fishing. Be prepared to spend many hours browsing all of the cool products on their website.

Whether you’re just getting into fishing or a seasoned angler, I always tell people that one of the best investments you can make is in a good pair of polarized sunglasses. I’ve played around with several different brands, and Costa Sunglasses take the top spot for me. Their ability to cut through the water is unmatched, which is key when fishing!

Long sleeve performance sun shirts should be high on anyone’s list that is looking to seriously get into fishing. The Columbia PFG sun shirts are light weight, and they protect against the sun on those long hot days on the water, and also dry quickly if you get wet. They’re also super comfortable which is a major plus.

Neck gaiters and neck wraps are very nice to have while fishing. Providing your neck with protection from the sun and from bug bites, they’re definitely worth the money (especially if you burn easily and if you easily attract mosquito bites like me). They come in tons of different colors and designs so you can pretty much find any color and design that appeals to you.

These shoes are awesome for fishing in the warm weather. When you fish, you never know when you’ll have to stand in the water, so it’s important to have comfortable shoes that can get wet. The Columbia PFG Fishing shoes are super grippy on wet surfaces, they protect your feet from sunburns, and they dry fairly quickly. I used to wear mostly flipflops when fishing on those warm days, but these are a great alternative and I wear mine all the time.