Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Field & Stream Announces Their Choices for Best Fishing Gear

New York, New York -- Field & Stream magazine gave top honors to the world's best new fishing products today, announcing fourteen winners in the magazine's annual "Fishing Best of the Best" round-up. Winning products were battle tested by the magazine's expert panel to ensure they're up to snuff. "Fishing Best of the Best" winners are featured in Field & Stream's March issue, on newsstands today.

"Having the right gear can really affect your day," says Jay Cassell, Deputy Editor of Field & Stream. "We want our readers to catch more fish and have more fun, so we do the heavy lifting, testing everything to determine what products will help them achieve that goal."

Field & Stream's list of the best fishing equipment touches on every type of tackle: baitcasting, spinning, and fly fishing. The list also highlights the best fishing accessories, from electronics and lures to tackle boxes and outerwear. While all the winners are standouts, the single winner in this year's Electronic category, Minn Kota's I-Pilot for $400, is "the most important product we've seen for 2010," according to the magazine's review. A GPS unit that can be fitted onto four Minn Kota bow-mount electric trolling motors, the I-Pilot allows anglers to record their movements and easily retrace them later. In the Outerwear category, which received a record number of entries this year Field & Stream's testers awarded Simms a Best of the Best award for their Streamtread Wading Boot Soles ($130-$220) with HardBite Star Cleat Studs ($40), which give better traction and reduce the transmission of waterborne invasive species. Railriders and Cloudveil were also winners in the Outerwear category.

The expert panel testing the gear was comprised of Field & Stream editors and gear fanatics who collectively have more than two centuries of fishing experience. In that time the panelists have managed to master and mangle every type of tackle, having spent time fishing for everything that swims. The panel used that knowledge to rigorously test each product, grading each on performance, ability to deliver in the field, reasonable and fair pricing, design, and usefulness to anglers.

Look for Field & Stream's "Hunting Best of the Best" in the upcoming September 2010 issue.

For more on Field & Stream's "Fishing Best of the Best," please see the March issue of the magazine or visit www.FieldandStream.com

FIELD & STREAM'S 2010 FISHING BEST OF THE BEST WINNERS:


* SPINNING REEL- Shimano Stradic C14, $200
* SPINNING ROD- TFO/Gary Loomis, $100
* FLYFISHING REEL- Waterworks-Lamson Guru Reel, $179-$249
* FLYFISHING ROD- Orvis Hydros Fly Rod, $495-$525
* FLYFISHING BAG- Fishpond Storm Mountain Gear Bag, $195
* FLYFISHING FLYBOX- Umpqua Feather Merchants Professional Guide Flybox, $25-$40
* ELECTRONICS- Minn Kota I-Pilot, $400
* OUTERWEAR- RailRiders Extreme Adventure Pant, $95
* OUTERWEAR- Simms Streamtread Wading Boot Soles, $120-$220, with HardBite Star Cleat Studs, $40
* OUTERWEAR- Cloudveil Hellroaring Jacket, $200
* BAITCASTING ROD- G. Loomis Deep-Flex Crankbait Rods, $245-$275
* BAITCASTING REEL- U.S. Reel Supercaster 1000 Pro, $250
* LURES & ACCESSORIES- Leatherman Freestyle CX, $70
* LURES & ACCESSORIES- Yum Money Hound, $7.35 for 4


Field & StreamÂ, The World's Leading Outdoor Magazine, is the country's largest enthusiast title and most recognized outdoor publication. Devoted to the complete outdoor experience and lifestyle, Field & Stream (www.FieldandStream.com) gives its readers the knowledge and inspiration to pursue the sports they love. It celebrates the outdoor experience with great stories, compelling photography and sound advice, while honoring the traditions hunters and fishermen have passed down for generations. Established in 1895, Field & Stream is published 11 times per year by the Bonnier Corporation.

The Bonnier Corporation (www.bonniercorp.com), one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in America and the leading media company serving passionate, highly engaged audiences through more than 40 special-interest magazines and related multimedia projects and events.