New York, New York -- Outdoor Life, The Source for Hunting and Fishing Adventure, announces the best in fishing tackle innovation in its March 2010 issue. A skilled team of editors and experts put the newest rods and reels through several days of torturous on-the-water evaluation to definitively determine the year's best new equipment. The March issue of Outdoor Life hits newsstands today.

"Our ratings give you the unbiased truth based on the aggregated scores of the entire panel - not just the opinion of a single reviewer," said Todd Smith, Editor-in-Chief ofOutdoor Life. "So when we say a particular rod or reel is the best, you can take that to the bank."

Outdoor Life tackle test rankings are based on a range of possible earned points in three categories; performance, design and price/value. The test team made hundreds of casts with dozens of rods and reels, awarding the best new tackle the "Outdoor Life Editor's Choice" award and the items with the most bang for the buck the "Outdoor LifeGreat Buy" award.

For extended reviews of every product in Outdoor Life's 2010 Fishing tackle Test, go to www.outdoorlife.com/2010tackletest

OUTDOOR LIFE TACKLE TEST 2010 WINNERS INCLUDE:

REELS:

* Outdoor Life Editor's Choice / Spinning Reel

SHIMANO STRADIC CI4 25000F
Price: $200
"The CI4 cast farther and with less effort that other spinners."

* Outdoor Life Great Buy / Spinning Reel:

ABU GARCIA SORON SX40
Price: $100
"This reel is a no-nonsense workhorse with a wallet-friendly pricetag."

• Outdoor Life Editor's Choice / Bait-Casting Reel:
SHIMANO CORE 50MG7
Price: $370
"Blends durability, function and comfort at a great price."

• Outdoor Life Great Buy/ Bait-Casting Reel:
QUANTUM ENERGY PT SS
Price: $230
"The best value among the bait-casters."

RODS:

* Outdoor Life Editor's Choice / Spinning Rod:

ST. CROIX AVID PEARL
Price: $180
"Rod flexure is uniform, and sensitivity increases as vibration is transferred from tip to handle more efficiently."

* Outdoor Life Great Buy / Spinning Rod:

LAMIGLAS XL702S
Price: $100
"It flicked nearly microscopic jigs with nimble accuracy."

* Outdoor Life Editor's Choice / Bait-Casting Rod:

QUANTUM TOUR KVD
Price: $200
"Super-strong, yet light and sensitive."

* Outdoor Life Great Buy/ Bait-Casting Rod:

OKUMA C3-C-661M
Price: $150
"Capable of transmitting the slightest ticks at bait."

Also in the March 2010 issue of Outdoor Life:

CACHING THE BREAK, PG. 21
Spring Break is primetime for an angling vacation. Outdoor Life offers their top picks for seasonal action, including where to stay, where to eat and of course what's biting.

LOST AT SEA, PG. 44
Three friends venture into the Gulf of Mexico for an overnight fishing trip. The hell they experienced over the next eight days changed their lives forever.

THE ELEMENTS OF SURVIVAL, PG. 49
Essential skills, gear, tips and facts to keep you alive when the wilderness turns hostile.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH, PG 60
A Southern boy from Georgia experiences the thrill of chasing elk in the mountains of Colorado.

Please see www.OutdoorLife.com or the March 2010 issue of Outdoor Life for more.