The Top 8 Fishing Must-Haves for Any Angler

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Fishing, like golf, is a great way to get outside with friends, family, or even on your own to enjoy some peace and quiet in nature. But it’s not much fun if you’re not catching any fish. While technique and knowledge come with time, these matter at least as much as your gear, as nothing can ruin a day of fishing faster than substandard equipment.

Also note: Each state requires a license for recreational fishing but rules and regulations will vary. The good news is that a license is easy to obtain (most can be purchased online) and inexpensive. Your license will come in handy by providing information about what kinds of fishing are permitted, size limits, and any restrictions in terms of species.

Best Fishing Gear

The Expert: As a Colorado-based angler in the Rocky Mountains, I’ve tested lots of fishing gear on the area’s alpine lakes while trout fishing. I also grew up catching bass, perch, and walleye in upstate New York’s Finger Lakes and spend a few days each summer there, so I understand the challenges of several different regions, seasons, and types of fishing.

As a high schooler, I worked in a fishing equipment factory, repairing warrantied fishing gear, which gave me a solid understanding of their mechanics and an appreciation for build quality.

What to Consider with Fishing Gear

At the most basic, you’ll need a rod, reel, and some tackle, but a handful of other items like a tackle box, good sunglasses, a rod holder for your vehicle, a fish finder, and a few others, can make your day that much more enjoyable.

You don’t need the most expensive fishing gear money can buy to land fish, but my recommendations here are solid options that will offer dependable performance and will last you for some time. Depending on when and where you fish, you might also want a few additional things beyond what's in this roundup, such as waders, a boat or kayak, live well, net, and, as you may have guessed already, the list could go on and on until your wallet is empty. That’s fishing.

With the essentials I’ve outlined here, you at least have what you need to get out on the water and give yourself a decent chance at landing the big one. Or at least a good story about the one that got away.

Reel These In, Too: Best Fishing Gifts • Best Wading Boots for Fishing • Best Dry Bags

How We Selected Fishing Gear

I’ve tested and reviewed models of everything from waders to reels to filet knives from the top fishing manufacturers over the years. These recommendations are a summary of my overall picks from those years of testing as well as talking with other avid anglers and brand representatives about the latest offerings.

Elite Spinning Fishing Rod

Sure, you can buy a rod and reel combo at a big box store for less than the cost of this rod on its own, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be any good. The Ugly Stik 7-foot length in medium power is about right for most anglers, but you can get it in a range of lengths from 5-feet to 7-feet 6-inches and in powers that range from ultra light to medium heavy depending on the species of fish you commonly chase.

The Elite incorporates graphite for a lighter overall weight which allows you to fish longer with less fatigue but also makes the rod more sensitive to strikes. The tip is fiberglass-finished for durability where rods are most likely to break under duress.

Regal LT Spinning Reel

I flagged this as my “Best for Beginners” pick in my article on Fishing Reels, but that’s not because it isn’t capable; it’s simply because it’s a lower initial investment. This is a well-machined reel with a carbon frame that’s stiff and lightweight. It also has a fairly fast, smooth retrieval that should suit most anglers unless they’re regularly engaging in slow, delicate retrieval presentations.

You can easily spend much more on a reel, but there aren’t a lot of good reasons to do so unless you have specific needs in a reel and are willing to pay for them. The Regal LT (stands for “light and tough”) delivers performance on a budget.

Kastmaster Spoon

With the caveat that there is no “best” lure, the Acme Kastmaster Spoon is a classic that comes close. The design is incredibly simple but it does a great job of mimicking baitfish, and thus works for a wide variety of game fish in various types of water—even saltwater.

You can pick up a range of different sizes and color patterns to see what works in your favorite fishing spots, but the formula is the same: connect it to a swivel and cast about. You can use a steady retrieval and experiment with speeds or try jigging or twitching it for more interest.

All levels of anglers can catch fish with the Kastmaster, but it’s helpful for beginners because it’s machined from solid brass, which gives it some weight, even in smaller sizes, so new anglers can cast it fairly far even without great technique.

The solid metal construction also helps with durability so you can fish it hard without bending or breaking it. If you aren’t sure the Kastmaster is right for your style of fishing, check out our Best Fishing Lures for other options.

TopWater Fishing Rod Box

I’ve broken more fishing rods in transit than I ever have while actually fishing. That’s why if you’re driving to your fishing spots, a vehicle rod holder is a worthy investment. There are lots of fly-fishing specific mounts out there, but if you want the ability to safely transport either or both spinning and fly rods, I like the TopWater Fishing Rod Box from Yakima.

It holds up to eight rods inside a generic box that locks and, best of all, doesn’t advertise you’re carrying expensive fishing rods on top of your car.

The box comes with hardware that will mount it to most vehicle roof racks, so you don’t have to agonize over compatibility. The only downside is that the length limit is 8 feet, so if you have a 9-foot fly rod, you’ll need to break the rod down at least a little bit to get it inside. But for most people, 8 feet will be plenty.

Waterproof Satchel

If you don’t think you need a tackle box, just wait. The more you fish, the more you’ll convince yourself another new lure is going to be just the one that’s a sure thing. A step above the most basic lunchbox-style tackle boxes, the Flambeau Waterproof Satchel has a few features that make it easier to use on the water.

The clear lid helps you to review your selection without having to dig through and make a mess of whatever organization you had in place.

The top trays also swing out, making the lower bulk storage less of a black hole than in other tackle box arrangements. The key feature, however, is that it’s waterproof, which can help prevent your tackle from rusting. Cheaper boxes usually aren’t waterproof and just become a $30 coffin for all your lures and other tackle to rust in.

STRIKER Vivid 5cv Fish Finder

If you’re not catching fish, you might convince yourself that there just aren’t any fish where you’re fishing (even if your technique is actually to blame). A fish finder can help answer the question of whether or not there are fish in the area and ultimately who or what’s to blame for lack of strikes.

Novices often mistakenly think fish finders are magic bullets, but I’ve sat many times staring at a fish finder showing plenty of fish and still not landing anything. Fish finders can also be difficult to set up and use for first-timers. This Garmin Striker unit has a reasonably affordable starting place with an easy setup and clear multicolor readout.

There are cheaper fish finders out there, but many have tiny screens that make them difficult to use for beginners. You may eventually want to upgrade to a larger, easier-to-read screen if you find value in this Garmin, but it’s a great starting point for any angler.

Stiltsville Sunglasses

For regular folk, sunglasses are a fashion accessory, but for anglers, they’re essential equipment. Bajío is an independent sunglasses brand started during the pandemic by a former Costa VP that basically makes nothing but fishing frames.

The Stiltsville has an oversized, biodegradable frame with built-in side shields to keep sun and its reflections out, while the polarized lenses have proprietary tech that blocks glare as well as blue light for an incredibly clear picture of the water. The company also has bifocal and prescription options for most of their frames.

The Stiltsville are a larger frame, so if you’re looking for something smaller, all of Bajío’s frames are fishing-focused with the same blue-blocking polarized lenses and bio-based frames.

SolAir Hooded Long Sleeve Shirt

Whether fishing saltwater flats in Belize or high alpine streams in Montana, the sun can brutalize anglers, especially in the height of summer. Your best protection is blocking the sun rather than using sunscreen alone, so long sleeves are a must no matter the ambient temperatures.

Forloh specializes in American-made technical outdoor apparel, and I’ve used the SolAir as a baselayer for several years for everything from fishing to backcountry skiing. The brrrr Pro technology (enhanced cooling, wicking, and drying fibers) shines most in summer, however, promising to drop skin temperature several degrees thanks to minerals baked into the fabric.

Spend a Day Fishing, But Don’t Come Home Empty-Handed. Expert Justin Park Gets You Geared Up and Shares Helpful Tips.

PM: If I splurge on one item what should it be?

JP: In my experience, nothing causes more frustration in fishing, especially for beginners, than the reel. Improper technique and inexperience can always cause problems with your line, but you never want a substandard reel to add to your misery.

You don’t need to buy top-of-the-line reels that cost $100 or more, but spending at least $40 to $50 from a respected brand such as Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, or Penn is a great place to start.

I worked in a fishing reel factory as a teen fixing warrantied reels, and the vast majority of reels sent back failed on cheaper units that used cheaper parts. Spend a bit extra and get a reel you won’t have to replace every year.

PM: What is the something that folks buy that they don’t need?

JP: Even though I included a fish finder in the essentials above, many people spend hundreds on a fish finder thinking it’s a replacement for learning how to fish. A fish finder can be an extremely useful tool in the right hands, but you should never buy one thinking it’ll put the fish on your hook.

If you’re a beginner, buy everything else recommended above before you buy a fish finder. Not only are they expensive, but they can be frustrating for first-timers to learn how to read properly. All that said, a fish finder can be incredibly useful and save you from wasting your time in dead spots. Just don’t expect it to do all the hard work for you.

PM: How many rods do I realistically need?

JP: One. Okay, maybe two. For casual anglers, one solid all-around rod and reel combo tailored to your local waters is plenty. When your casual fishing pastime spirals into a pathological obsession, then you’ll know you’re ready for multiple rods.

The reasonable exceptions to the one-rod rule are if you live some place you can fish both saltwater and freshwater, or if you want to have both a fly rod and a spinning setup.

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