BaitRodReel

About Jeff

Straight answers on bass and trout gear, matched to the way you actually fish.

Hi, I'm Jeff

I'm Jeff, an angler from New Hampshire, and I've been fishing for more than 40 years. For a long stretch I fished almost exclusively for trout. These days most of my time goes to bass fishing, and I'm comfortable with both.

Experience at a glance

  • Fishing for: more than 40 years, with all kinds of equipment
  • Home waters: Lake Winnisquam (in the Lakes Region) and Lake Massabesic, New Hampshire
  • Main target now: bass. Trout was my focus for years before that.
  • How I fish: mostly from my boat, sometimes from the bank
  • Favorite technique: finesse fishing, and I'm getting better with jigging
  • Current setup: a Shimano SLX DC reel on an Abu Garcia Vendetta rod, with Sufix 832 braided line and a Berkley fluorocarbon leader
  • Brands I lean toward: Shimano reels, Abu Garcia rods, and a wide mix of fishing lines. I like these brands, and I'll say so when it matters to a recommendation.

Why I started BaitRodReel

The hardest part of buying fishing gear is wading through all the options to find what works and what doesn't. Plenty of sites hand out recommendations, but many are aimed at either total beginners or very experienced anglers, and it's hard to tell which is which.

I wanted to know which rod, reel and bait is actually best for the kind of fishing I do. I also wanted to learn how different baits get fished, so I could get better through practice. This site is the one I wanted to find.

What makes this site different

Every product here comes with its use case, so you can see at a glance what it was designed for. The gear ratio is a good example: one ratio suits crankbaits, another suits finesse presentations. A reel that is best for crankbaits gets a plain label saying so, such as “Best for crankbaits,” instead of leaving you to work it out from a spec sheet. You see what each rod, reel, line and bait is built for before you buy.

How I choose gear

  • If I've used a product myself, I say so on the page.
  • If I haven't, I rely on brand reputation, owner reviews, independent testing from other sites and videos, and I say that too. I won't imply hands-on experience I don't have.
  • I match every recommendation to a specific type of fishing, not to a brand or a price tag.

The full process is in the editorial policy.

Find me elsewhere

I also run The Lousy Fisherman, where I share fishing content and photos of my catches: YouTube (@lousyfisherman) and TikTok (@thelousyfisherman).

What you'll find here

Browse by bass or trout, by gear type, or jump to reviews, best-of roundups, head-to-head comparisons and guides.

How the site makes money

The site is supported by affiliate commissions, including through the Amazon Associates Program. I may earn a small fee when you buy through my links, at no extra cost to you. Read the full affiliate disclosure.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections or gear you'd like covered? Contact me.