Every spring brings a flood, not just of water but also of new fishing gear. Rods, reels, lures, electronics, and gadgets of every description are hitting the retail shelves and catalog pages. Each and every item promises better fishing and bigger fish. Some of these things work; some don't.

I've spent hundreds of hours at trade shows and tackle shops and on the water over the past few months, sorting wheat from chaff so I can tell you what's really worthwhile. We've purposely omitted some items already covered in recent issues, things such as Berkley's new FireLine Crystal superline. And even with all the exciting gear covered in these pages, there's still more that we'll be describing over the coming months. But right now, whether you flyfish for trout, toss plugs for bass, or soak bait for panfish, here's some great stuff in every price range that will put more fun in your fishing.

-- John Merwin

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