How we review fishing gear
The steps behind every guide, and the things we will not do.
Our process
- Choose the topic. We cover what readers ask about and what fishing seasons call for.
- Research the products. We read maker specifications and manuals, and we read what owners say on retailer pages and fishing forums.
- Compare for real use. We match each product to a job, such as bank fishing, surf, ice or a small boat.
- Rank and explain. Each pick lists strengths, weaknesses and who it suits.
- Keep it current. Guides show an updated date, and we recheck products when they change.
Research and hands-on testing
Unless a guide says that we used a product ourselves, our picks come from research. We never describe a product as tested when it was not.
What we do not do
- We do not accept payment for rankings or reviews.
- We do not copy another site's reviews or Amazon listing text.
- We do not hide a product's weaknesses.
- We do not show prices we cannot keep current. We link to the live price on Amazon instead.
How affiliate links fit in
We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon links. That is how the site pays for itself. See the affiliate disclosure for details.
Found a mistake?
Contact us with the page and what looks wrong. We correct errors and note the change.