How to use the Sport Fishing Gear Guide

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By Perry Mack

When I travel I fish - and enjoy it with whatever gear is available. I was in the Adriatic Sea this summer with a hook, five metres of line and some bread catching panfish in the dark (didn’t even have a stick like when I was a kid). Shortly after I was drift fishing the reefs off the coast of Florida with crappy rental gear. Yesterday (October 14th, 2017) was our Winter Fishing Derby, where we trolled for rainbow on Okanagan Lake with our own top-of-the-line gear and boat. I had a smile on every time.

I’m a gear head, I always have been. I want to enjoy my hobbies and sports to the max with whatever little time I have left stumbling around this planet, and that means finding the equipment to take my game to the next level. This guide is designed to help you choose the next step up for you, whether you’re ready to trade up from hook and string, or upgrade from hand-me-down rental gear.

This years bumper crop of innovations, from clothing to coolers, tech to tackle, will make your fishing trips more successful and more enjoyable than ever before. And when it comes right down to it, more enjoyable is more successful.

No single publication could cover every angling product currently for sale, and if it did, the great, new, innovative products would be hidden amongst the poor quality, doesn’t last, doesn’t-work-and-never-will equipment. Our goal in producing the guide was to show you the best of what’s coming for 2018, as well as some of the best sellers of 2017.

iCast and IFTD

You’ll occasionally see ‘Best of iCast’ in a description. iCast is the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (by the American Sportfishing Association). You’ll also see Best of IFTD – International Fly Tackle Dealer Show (by the American FlyFishing Trade Association). The combined annual trade-only conventions of these two organizations represent the premier showcase for the latest innovations in fishing gear, accessories and apparel in North America. It is a trade only show, which means that you, as a consumer, can’t attend. So we go for you.

Each year, buyers and media representatives like us, compare thousands of products from hundreds of companies in 26 categories, which have been entered into the New Product Showcase based on their level of usefulness, innovation, execution, and workmanship.

Units of Measurement

While Canada long ago adopted the metric system, the US has not, and as a result much of our own use of the imperial system remains entrenched in our fishing culture. Rather than provide metric equivalents that none of us use, we have kept the old imperial units where they are in normal use and metric where they are not.

Currency

Many products have not been released as we wrote this gear guide, so often all the suppliers had to give were manufacturers suggested list prices (MSRP) in USD, as they were waiting to see where the dollar was when Canadian retailers had to pay for their orders. Wherever possible, the MSRP is listed in Canadian dollars (CAD).

Choice of Gear

We haven’t listed every piece of fishing related equipment for sale in 2017. Some of it is too poorly built to be worth mentioning. Much of it you are already familiar with. If you are new to fishing, you should be looking at the new for 2018 gear anyway, as it incorporates the latest technologies.

We’ve also kept it to gear that you can use to fish Canadian waters and species. So you won’t find your favourite tarpon or marlin bait here.

Warranties

We were tempted to list the warranty for each model which typically range from one year to lifetime transferrable, but no warranty covers the physical damage you do to the equipment – just the rather ambiguous ‘manufacturers defects’. The true test of a warranty is not in the fine print, but in the application of it – you say it broke, and they replace it.

From personal experience I can tell you it doesn’t matter if you buy new gear, clothing, or tech this year. It’s not important if you fish with a stick and some string, or top-of-the-line equipment. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. The only thing that counts is that you enjoy it, and take yourself fishing as often as you can. We hope this guide helps you do that – on the water, or from your couch.

The Sport Fishing Gear Guide is available on newsstands from coast to coast, including Walmart, Chapters and Shopper's Drug Mart, or get a digital copy by clicking right here.

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