Best Trout Lures and Baits
Seven trout lures and baits compared from their makers' pages (spinner, spoon, minnow, jig, dough, floating eggs and a scented worm), how to fish each in lakes and in rivers, trout jigs, and the rules to check first.
Best Times of Day to Fish
When fish bite through the day and the year: low light at morning and evening, cloud and wind, night fishing, the seasons and the weather, following the Missouri Department of Conservation's guide to fish habits.
Rod and Reel Maintenance Basics
Rinse reels gently after every trip, store them with the drag backed off, lubricate lightly, check rod guides for grooves, fill spools to the right level, and replace line when it frays or fades, following Game & Fish, South Carolina DNR and Wikipedia.
How to Choose a Baitcasting Reel
What a baitcasting reel does well, the features that matter (brakes, gear ratio, drag, level-wind), how to set the brake and spool tension, how full to fill it, rod pairing, and saltwater care, following Wikipedia, Game & Fish and anglers' technique guides.
How to Choose a Fishing Cooler
A cooler's main job for an angler is keeping the catch cold. Hard, soft and fish-bag options, why chipped ice and an ice slurry beat block ice for fish, bleeding and gutting, keeping catch separate from food, and the rules to check, following Wyoming Game & Fish, the FAO and state agencies.
Choosing a Fish Finder Under $500
How a fish finder works, what fish arches, bait balls and bottom look like on screen, frequency and detail, the features to compare in a budget unit, transducer and installation questions to settle first, and how anglers use one, following Wikipedia, NOAA and angling guides.
Best Fishing Apps & Tech 2026
Twenty years ago, a smart angler carried a paper lake map, a thermometer, and a notebook. Today, all of that fits in your pocket-and it works harder than ever.
How to Choose a Fishing Kayak
What fishing kayaks offer, sit-on-top vs. sit-inside, paddle, pedal and motor drives, wide stable hulls, the fishing features to look for, transport, and the life jacket, cold-water and communication rules from the US Coast Guard and Connecticut DEEP.
Best Polarized Sunglasses for Fishing
Four polarized fishing sunglasses compared from their makers' specs - lens material, lens colours and what they are for, fit and frame - plus how to choose lens colour, glass or polycarbonate and coverage.
Best Spinning Reels for Trout
Five trout-size spinning reels compared from their makers' specs (gear ratio, drag, weight, line capacity, bearings), plus how to size a spinning reel for any fishing and what separates a good one.
Best Tackle Boxes and Bags
Hard boxes, soft bags with trays, and backpacks: how to pick storage for the way you reach the water, what to keep inside according to state agency beginner guides, organising rigs in advance, and keeping hooks and gear dry.
Choosing Waders for Cold-Water Fishing
Hip, chest and full-body waders, bootfoot vs. stockingfoot, materials, layering, felt-sole bans and cleaning gear between waters, and the cold-water and boat safety rules that matter more than the waders themselves, following Wikipedia, South Carolina DNR, the US Coast Guard and state agencies.
How to Set Up a Rod
Putting your gear together at the water: assembling the rod, fitting the reel, filling it with line, threading the guides, tying on a hook, rigging a bobber and setting the drag, following the Missouri Department of Conservation's beginner guides.