by John Merwin

Among many thousands of fishing-related web sites, I’m always surprised at how few there are that have really solid, useful information. So I was happy to fall upon one such over the weekend from Anglers Resource, which is the sole North American distributor of Fuji rod components. If you’re about to buy a spinning or baitcasting rod, Anglers Resource is a must-read.

The section on five rod-buying tips is really excellent. They demonstrate how to match a spinning reel to a spinning rod, for example. Take the reel you plan on using with you when you go to a tackle shop. Then check to be sure the reel’s centerline axis matches the guide set-up on the rod you might buy. In the accompanying Anglers Resource photo, the match is marginal at best.

Importantly, the company is not touting any particular rods or brands. It’s just that the physical configurations of spinning reels and rods are widely varied. Some match well together. Some don’t. And the only way to get peak performance is to check that match before you buy. This is just as true if you’re planning on spending $50 as it is if the price tag were $500.

There’s lots of detail, also, about guide size and spacing on both spinning rods and baitcasters. Maybe more than you want to know. There are plenty of people who don’t care about this sort of thing. As in “Here’s my money. Just gimme a rod.” But there are plenty of others (like me) who obsess over the smallest details. For those, the Anglers Resource sections on static loading and guide spacing are truly enlightening.

by Joe Cermele

As evidenced by many of your responses to my review of the Jesse James fly reel, it seems you guys just think celebrity-endorsed fishing products are the coolest and you can't wait for more (wink). One of you even wrote, "What's next on the 'celebrity with ZERO outdoor experience peddling crap' review? Kim Kardashian waders?" Sadly, no. I refuse to post my review of those waders because I think they make my butt look big. However, if you thought $300 was too much for a well-built reel with Jesse James's name on it, check out the new fly combo and case below from Chanel. One of these jokes will set you back a cool...wait for it...$18,000. 

by Joe Cermele

Unless you've been living under an overturned driftboat for the last decade, you've heard the name Jesse James and seen the iron cross logo of his world-famous company, West Coast Choppers, plastered on everything from belt buckles to bikinis. Jesse's wizardry with designing and building custom motorcycles sparked the ever-growing chopper boom that has infected the country and reality TV. So what happens when you take the precision engineering ability of a guy like Jesse and combine it with the flyfishing know-how of a seasoned Alaskan guide? You get the Jesse James .44 Mag reel.

by Joe Cermele

Your worms are in the fridge, your reels are freshly spooled, and there are ten shiny, new spinners tucked into your vest box. So what happens when you show up at the stream with the rest of masses on opening morning and find the flow looks like the chocolate river in Willy Wonka’s factory? In early spring, rain and runoff make this scenario a reality far too often. You could struggle in the mud with traditional methods, or you could steal a page from the walleye and smallmouth angler’s playbook and walk back to the car with a stringer of trout.