What’s new in tackle this year? Plenty...and we fished with it all. Field & Stream testers hit the water with more than 100 pieces of the latest gear, from humble hooks to top-of-the-line high-definition sonar units. We winnowed the list down to 16 standout products that clearly are the Best of the Best.

Rods and Reels:
Baitcasting
More tackle innovation came at midrange price points for 2012 than in recent years, when lower-end items predominated. If that’s an indicator of an uptick in our general economy, I’m all for it. Tackle technology that was frightfully expensive a year or two ago is now trickling down into lower-priced versions, of which Cabela’s winning entry this year is an excellent example. --John Merwin

Flyfishing
Tackle makers, like anglers, are endlessly optimistic, and this past season brought an unusually large number of nominations in the flyfishing category, including a bumper crop of new rods. Although economy and mid-priced gear dominated the product introductions, manufacturers weren’t shy about plunging in with high-end stuff. As always, only the Best of the Best made the cut. --Ted Leeson

Spinning
Even when it seems there’s not much that could be done to improve basic spinning tackle, one or more companies manage to come up with something fresh. Quantum and Fenwick are this year’s spinning-gear winners for doing just that. --JM