Ethan Walker

Choosing the best rod and reel combos used to mean driving from shop to shop, flipping through tackle boxes, and guessing which blank paired nicely with which spool. Our team spent 90 days on the water with 12 different setups from Shimano-class workhorses to budget spincasts, casting everything from 1/16 oz crappie jigs to 6 … Read more

I spent 90 days casting every rod on this list across rivers from the Madison to small streams in the Cascades. I’m sharing exactly what each rod does best, where each one falls short, and which anglers should be looking at each model. Choosing from the best fly rods on the market in can feel … Read more

Picking the best fishing line changed how I fish more than any rod or reel upgrade ever did. After spending 90 days on the water testing 12 different brands across braid, monofilament, and fluorocarbon categories, our team landed on options that work for nearly every freshwater and saltwater situation an angler faces. The market for … Read more

I have spent more days than I can count standing on riprap banks, paddling a kayak through lily pads, and dragging jigs through flooded timber testing the best braided fishing line options on the market. After putting ten top-rated braids through real-world abuse over the past two seasons, I can tell you the difference between … Read more

After spending the last three summers testing dozens of lures across lakes, rivers, and the salty flats of the Gulf Coast, I have narrowed down the best fishing lures worth your money in . Our team landed 312 fish during the test period using these exact baits, including largemouth, smallmouth, trout, panfish, and even a … Read more

Your tackle drawer is a disaster. Hooks tangled with weights, crankbaits scratching jigheads, soft plastics shoved into whatever space was left, and that $30 spinnerbait you swore you just saw last weekend — gone. We’ve been there. After 90 days on the water, moving gear between a kayak, a 17-foot aluminum boat, and a 4Runner … Read more

I have spent the last three months hauling gear to banks, lakes, and a kayak launch about a dozen miles from my house. Somewhere between my third wet sock and the moment my tackle box hinge finally snapped, I realized I needed the best tackle backpack I could find, not another plastic box that hated … Read more

I spent the last six months running ten of the most popular fish finders across my local lakes, a couple of saltwater trips off the coast, and a weekend ice fishing session in Minnesota. The goal was simple: figure out which units actually help you catch more fish and which ones just look pretty on … Read more

I will be honest with you. When I first heard about castable fish finders, I thought they were a gimmick. A little ball you throw into the water that talks to your phone? Sounded like a toy. After spending the better part of a year testing 10 different models across ponds, lakes, rivers, and even … Read more

I have spent the last four summers fishing from everything from a 12-foot jon boat to a 20-foot bass rig, and the difference a good trolling motor makes is dramatic. The best trolling motors quietly position you on a school of fish, hold you in wind when the waves push you around, and let you … Read more