Fishing Gear reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 136 Reddit reviews across 17 subreddits and 45 posts to rank the best Fishing Gear brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/Fishing_Gear, r/Fishing, r/FishingForBeginners, r/FishingOntario, r/VictoriaBC. Top-rated brands include Shimano (4.4/5), Ugly Stik (4.1/5), Bass Pro Shops (4.1/5).
Stats
Reviews136
Subreddits17
Posts45
Brands74
Products61
136 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Shimano
4.4
(10)
"There are a dozen shimano SLX’s for $75 on marketplace, they just sit there and don’t sell."
"Curado MGL 150 for $100 mint condition"
"The Torium, Grappler, Vadel, Caldia, and Jigmaster are series made specifically for jigging by Shimano"
"You should start with a Stella or Exist with no less than a GLoomis NRX+. You want to spend at least $1200 on the first combo for the fish to respect you enough to bite."
"Calcutta 100 TE DC for $65 used, but great condition"
"Join Facebook buy sell pages. Great pages for jdm, Shimano, and Daiwa specific gear"
"I buy heaps of tackle from AE, but rods and reels I stick to the big brands (Shimano, Daiwa etc)"
"Get a $100 rod and $100 reel. Shimano SLX Shimano Nasci."
"Get a $100 rod and $100 reel. Shimano SLX Shimano Nasci."
"Get a $100 rod and $100 reel. Shimano SLX Shimano Nasci."
#2
Ugly Stik
4.1
(10)
"Ugly stik combo is cheap and durable."
"A run of the mill Ugly Stik setup from the department store is going to let you fish just about type of lure you want to try and can handle 99% of fish you may hook into."
"I bought a 4 piece Ugly Stick at a Walmart for 50 bucks, and I've caught 20lb blue cats, drum, stingray, or even trout."
"You can go $50 rod and reel and get an ugly stick combo."
"Can’t go wrong with a standard Ugly Stick combo from Walmart if you’re just getting started man!"
"You can always try a 5’ uglystik ultralight."
"Ugly stick gx2 comes in a 2 piece 6ft 6,6ft and 7ft just swap the reel both for under 100."
"That Ugly Stix GX2 is a great beginner rod that only costs $39 all in."
"Go to academy and get an ugly stik gx2 combo."
"Aim for an Ugly Stik combo, will probably run you from 30-50$ and will be just fine for starting out."
#3
Bass Pro Shops
4.1
(7)
"Gift card for Bass pro shops oe cabelas."
"The best for in person would be Bass Pro or Cabela’s"
"For advice and someone to talk to, go to bass pro."
"Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shop"
"Rod and reel combo I spent 35$( bass pro club discount) I think original 45$."
"Bass pro shops also has a full kit with carrying bag for like 150$"
"Bass pro shops also has a full kit with carrying bag for like 150$ hard to go wrong and a ton of flys ranging from 3-7$."
#4
Daiwa
4.8
(6)
"Move to metal jigs like daiwa zikana or shimano current snipers for bonitos on cast and retrieve."
"Check out the Bay Jigging reels from Daiwa and Shimano"
"Consider spending a bit more on a completely sealed reel. My advice is a Diawa BG MQ 4000."
"None better than the Daiwa minispin."
"Diawa Mini-spin caught me hundreds of fish on the PCT."
"Daiwa 21 Freams LT 2000. $125 AUD delivered (with insurance) from plat. $175 delivered on eBay locally (40% more), otherwise $229 from BCF, Otto's tackle world (83% more) $149 delivered on Amazon (20% more)."
#5
Penn
3.8
(6)
"Penn pursuit 2500 ($45-50) on a Shakespeare excursion rod 7’ medium"
"Penn is one of my go-to brands; their reels can be found for good prices, and their surf rods are better."
"I bought a 7' penn fierce combo a few years ago. Still haven't broken it out but I'd assume it will be fine for surf beach."
"Penn battle or penn fierce combos."
"Would suggest penn battle combo at that price."
"Even a Penn 114, which is pretty much the cheapest reel I see folks land-based shark fish with, will end up costing you over $200."
#6
Trotac
4.0
(5)
"Trotac Marine"
"Trotac"
"Trotac"
"Trotac for sure!"
"Trotac Marine is the go to around here"
#7
Smith Optics
4.0
(4)
"I love my polorized Smith glasses. They are pricey but worth it."
"Just save up and buy smith or Costa. You won't be disappointed."
"Cheaper than Costas I'd also recommend Smiths."
"I also have a pair of Smith sunglasses. I would also recommend those. They are durable and have been though tough conditions."
#8
Calcutta
4.0
(4)
"Calcutta makes a nicer version for about $70 that is on par with plastic lenses costas."
"Calcutta is the way. About $70, polarization is good, comes with a nice case and cloth."
"Ever since then Calcutta have been my go to. $20 a pair and they work great."
"Calcuttas"
#9
St. Croix
4.7
(3)
"I picked up a basically brand new St. Croix Premier for $10 last year at one."
"I like St Croix rods and Shimano reels."
"Some good polarized sunglasses, then it only gets more expensive. I like St Croix rods and Shimano reels."
#10
Walmart
3.5
(4)
"Walmart has a 7’ combo for 98 right now that’s a really good deal."
"The best polarized fishing glasses I ever bought were the walmart $20 old man eye glasses that cover the entire eye."
"Walmart is a good place to start buying tackle."
"Walmart Bimini Bay line is a Costa knockoff and they’re actually not bad"
#11
Costa
4.3
(3)
"I have bought 3 pairs of costa sunglasses over the past 10 years. The quality and clarity is top notch."
"Clarity, scratch resistance, and general fit and finish the Costa’s were wayyy better."
"I had this problem, just bought costas. I found I was buying cheapos so often, it made better financial sense to buy a good pair."
#12
Shady Rays
4.0
(3)
"Second this, Shady Ray’s for the win."
"SHADYRAYS."
"Shady rays work great for me"
#13
Shakespeare
4.0
(3)
"Penn pursuit 2500 ($45-50) on a Shakespeare excursion rod 7’ medium"
"Shakespeare Ugly stick is a very popular budget rod on this sub."
"The Shakespeare ugly stick is a good inexpensive rod that won’t let you down."
#14
Boomerang
5.0
(2)
"Boomerang line cutters."
"Boomerang. Stop cutting with your teeth and dull pliers."
#15
Whopper Plopper
4.5
(2)
"110 size whopper plopper, caught the first topwater striper on it."
"Depending on what you already have, a whopper plopper 110 and some monofilament."
#16
Oakley
4.5
(2)
"I have since spent the money on Oakley Split Shot Polarized Lenses and it has made a HUUUGGGEEE difference and totally worth the price."
"Oakley double edge and I just buy couple pairs with different lenses for different situations."
#17
Cabela's
4.5
(2)
"My wife gets me a Cabelas card every year for my birthday, fathers day, and Christmas."
"The best for in person would be Bass Pro or Cabela’s"
#18
B.N.U.S
4.0
(2)
"I’ve found a quality Italian brand that I use now of of Amazon B.N.U.S. They are a nice quality pair of polarized glasses for around $50"
"I own a couple pairs of Bnus sunglasses from Amazon. They're well built with glass lenses and come in various styles and colored polarized lenses."
#19
KastKing
4.0
(2)
"I have four pairs of KastKings and no complaints."
"KastKing or flying fishermans"
#20
Pfluger
4.0
(2)
"The best budget spinning reel that is saltwater rated would be the Pfluger President IMO."
"The pfluger president is a decent reel for the money."
#21
JDM
5.0
(1)
"Jdm alderbaran bfs xg i got one and its great paired with a Daiwa 636 BBB i use JDM TACKLE HEAVEN they will be your rep for warranties only valid in jpn and ive had good customer service experience with them"
#22
Senko
5.0
(1)
"For “best lure” you can’t go wrong with the original senko"
#23
Honey Badger Baits
5.0
(1)
"Baits: Lucky craft flash minnow 110, Battlestar 115, honeybadgerbaits grubs"
#24
Sunline
5.0
(1)
"Ive tried lots of cheap and expensive brands and I always come back to Sunline fc rock leader - it's more expensive than JW but it's very tough."
#25
Van Staal
5.0
(1)
"I just bought a van staal 100 on there, in great shape, for 50% of retail."
#26
Great Canadian Fishing Store
5.0
(1)
"Highly recommendthis site. All Canadian made tackle and fast shipping."
#27
Stump Jumper
5.0
(1)
"Move to your lures like stump jumper and surface lures. You’ll have a ball"
#28
Maui Jim
5.0
(1)
"Been using the same pair of Maui Jim for 12 years…. Ditto. You get what you pay for"
#29
Panther Martin
5.0
(1)
"Though for a deep river I'm a HUGE fan of panther martins."
#30
PLine
5.0
(1)
"I use 10lb braid with a 15-20lb fluoro leader for inshore fishing."
#31
Bass Gear
5.0
(1)
"Bass gear is perfect for flounder fishing"
#32
Aluminum Pliers
5.0
(1)
"I bought a good set of aluminum pliers with line cutter on the side a few years back. Probably my favorite tool in my tackle box."
#33
Lucky Craft
5.0
(1)
"Baits: Lucky craft flash minnow 110, Battlestar 115, honeybadgerbaits grubs"
#34
Voodoo
5.0
(1)
"I personally love using the voodoo 5' mullet slow sink lure."
#35
Battlestar
5.0
(1)
"Baits: Lucky craft flash minnow 110, Battlestar 115, honeybadgerbaits grubs"
#36
Rain Suit
5.0
(1)
"The rain suit investment my wife bought is one of my favorite, thoughtful, and useful gifts of all time."
#37
Paddle Tail Swim Baits
5.0
(1)
"I'm using some paddle tail swim baits (varying colors) with a weighted jig head."
#38
Able
5.0
(1)
"My wife bought me a set of Able nippers. They are very tiny, and very expensive."
#39
Crazy Shark
5.0
(1)
"A handy one for saltwater would be a crazy shark 13.6" hook remover from Amazon."
#40
Trout Magnet
5.0
(1)
"I also recommend Trout Magnets they will save your trip."
#41
Blenders Eyewear
4.0
(1)
"I found some Blenders in that price range that are awesome. They don’t fog up either."
#42
MrCrappie
4.0
(1)
"Get rid of the spiderwire and get some MrCrappie 6 or 8 lb line for that little spincast."
#43
Trilene or Stren
4.0
(1)
"8# Trilene or Stren would work far better in that real. Really any 8# Premium mono."
#44
Bomber Eyewear
4.0
(1)
"Bomber Eyewear!!! They float!!!"
#45
Peters Tackle
4.0
(1)
"I like peters tackle in st. Kitts"
#46
Knockaround
4.0
(1)
"Absolutely Knockarounds - get them online for from REI"
#47
Saltist
4.0
(1)
"The saltist rods on digi are around $350. It’s almost half price here"
#48
Goodwill
4.0
(1)
"I have a nice bait caster I got from Goodwill off 41 near Ringley. It’s also the best goodwill in the area."
#49
Mono Line
4.0
(1)
"Braided line does not like spincast reels. Get some cheap mono."
#50
Berkley
4.0
(1)
"I use Berkeley Gulp! Minnows for Walleye and Bass in Quebec rivers, they will work well in a pinch"
#51
Huk
4.0
(1)
"Huk makes inexpensive polarized fishing sun glasses"
#52
H20X
4.0
(1)
"I learned to throw a baitcaster on an H20X combo from Academy, and it served me well for over a year until I upgraded."
#53
American Legacy
4.0
(1)
"American Legacy has quality used gear otherwise I'd just get on Facebook marketplace and start lowballin."
#54
Island Outfitters
4.0
(1)
"Island Outfitters is fabulous."
#55
Crazy Fishing Tackle
4.0
(1)
"The one I go to is Crazy fishing tackle, best prices and really good customer service."
#56
Abu Garcia
4.0
(1)
"This summer I've been using my Abu Garcia Veritas with my 3000 Shimano Sahara... made most of my catches with it ."
#57
Bill's Bait
4.0
(1)
"Bill's bait in Hamilton"
#58
Peterborough Pro Tackle
4.0
(1)
"If you need the Japanese or oddball thing, peterborough pro tackle"
#59
KW Surplus
4.0
(1)
"Kw surplus on Victoria has a lot of really good cheap stuff"
#60
Angling Outfitters
4.0
(1)
"Angling Outfitters, Woodstock, Ontario."
#61
Pliers
4.0
(1)
"A good set of pliers."
#62
Black Max
4.0
(1)
"Go to the jetties pilings cat h some fiddler crabs w a black max spinning rod."
#63
Rapala
4.0
(1)
"I like to toss a 1/8 oz spinner, or 1/16oz with a very small split shot."
#64
Needle Nose Pliers
4.0
(1)
"A decent set of needle nose pliers will last for years and get used more than you'd think."
#65
Fresh Dead Shrimp
4.0
(1)
"Fresh dead shrimp from the baitstand will catch most of the fish you will find on the island."
#66
Bass Fishing Combos
4.0
(1)
"You can get good bass fishing combos depending on your budget."
#67
Thresherfishing
4.0
(1)
"Thresherfishing is a youtuber that fishes in Corpus Christy."
#68
Orvis
4.0
(1)
"Orvis has a decent ladies line"
#69
Market Bought
4.0
(1)
"Easiest way to catch something from shore is with market bought 6meter rod (8euros) and earthworms."
#70
Foster Grant
3.0
(1)
"$15 Foster Grant polarized from most any retail/grocery"
#71
Suncloud
3.0
(1)
"Sun cloud, $50 and can’t tell a difference between my costas"
#72
Canadian Tire
3.0
(1)
"Canadian Tire tends to have a bit of a markup over other retailers."
#73
Dollarama
3.0
(1)
"Dollarama has some decent lures and tackle if you know what to look for."
#74
Karls
3.0
(1)
"I like the 3-way rig seen at https://shopkarls.com/blog/best-catfish-rigs/."
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