I know we aren’t the only ones that get extremely excited to see what new types of fishing gear are going to be released every year! And the good news for us anglers – there are some really cool pieces of fishing equipment being released in 2020!
So, what is the best new fishing gear of 2020? For starters, you must be excited about the Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rod, the Frabill Trophy Haul Fishing Net Line, and the St. Croix Mojo Musky Rods!
But honestly, that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exciting new 2020 fishing gear! So, here is a list of the best new fishing gear of 2020 – and we will be updating this list regularly as more and more gear becomes available!
Table of Contents
Quick List of the Best New 2020 Fishing Gear!
Here is a quick table/list of the Best New Fishing Gear for 2020! There is a much more detailed review of each piece of equipment underneath the table – and please check back regularly since this table will be updated every time we learn about something new we think you should know about!
List of the Best New Fishing Gear for 2020!
The Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rod
The Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing rod is something that I was really excited to see get released in 2020! To keep it simple, this fishing rod connects to the ANGLR App that you can download to your smartphone by Bluetooth technology. There is a button on the rod butt of this fishing rod that you can push to log all sorts of good information including: the fish you caught, location of catch, water conditions, weather conditions, and you can even take a picture of your catch that gets logged into the ANGLR app!
This log is a private log that you can review at any time. You can even mark waypoints with this rod, and if you hold the button down for two seconds, it indicates that you have changed tackle in that logbook! Talk about giving yourself the opportunity to review you fishing success stories and plan your future fishing trips to be even more successful!
I should also note that you do not have to have cellphone reception or an internet connection for this fishing rod to work. So, if you are an angler that likes to get off the beaten path – you are still going to be able to use this fishing rod during your adventures!
I should also mention that the fishing rod itself is pretty awesome too. It is designed to catch big fish, it is made from high-quality materials, and it looks awesome too. You also have a great selection of about 12 different rod options in both spinning and casting varieties to pick from.
We were so impressed with this fishing rod that we actually did a full review and frequently asked question section about it that you can read here: The Abu Garcia Virtual Fishing Rod Review.
Here is a list of those different options we were talking about, and we know that you would really enjoy playing around with this fishing rod/app!
| Rod Type | Length | # of Pieces | Action | Power | Line Rating (LBs) | Link to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casting | 6'9" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'0" | 1 | Fast | Medium | 8 - 17 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'0" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'0" | 2 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'3" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 12 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'3" | 1 | Fast | Heavy | 14 - 30 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'4" | 1 | Fast | Medium Heavy | 10 - 20 | Buy Here |
| Casting | 7'6" | 1 | Fast | Heavy | 14 - 30 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'6" | 1 | Fast | Medium | 6 - 12 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'6" | 2 | Fast | Medium | 6 - 12 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'9" | 1 | Fast | Medium Light | 6 - 10 | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 1 | Fast | Medium | 6 - 12 | Buy Here |
St. Croix Mojo Musky Casting Rods
If you love Musky fishing and you love high-quality fishing rods, you are going to be excited to hear St. Croix announce the release of the St. Croix Mojo Musky Casting Rod line for 2020!
These should be considered the best of the best when it comes to Musky fishing rods. And it all starts with the high-quality craftsman ship and high-quality materials that we expect St. Croix fishing rods to be made from.
Just check out some of the materials these rods are made from: SCIII carbon blanks, Kigan Master 3D Guides, Fuji TCS or PSSLD deluxe reel seats, two coats of finish to protect the rod, a custom split-grip handle, and it even comes with a 5-year warranty from St. Croix.
The selection you get in this rod line is fantastic as well, with 14 different rod options to pick from. They are all heavy-duty and designed to land big musky. Here is a nice little chart showing off the different specs of these fishing rods and giving you a great idea on which St. Croix Mojo Musky Casting Rod you are going to want to add to your collection.
| Model | Rod Length | Rod Power | Rod Action | # of Pieces | Line Weight (LB) | Rod Weight (oz.) | Link to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MJM610MF | 6'10" | Medium | Fast | 1 | 20 - 40 | 6.9 | Buy Here |
| MJM72MHF | 7'2" | Medium Heavy | Fast | 1 | 30 - 65 | 7.2 | Buy Here |
| MJM72XHF | 7'2" | Extra Heavy | Fast | 1 | 50 - 100 | 8.7 | Buy Here |
| MJM76MHF | 7'6" | Medium Heavy | Fast | 1 | 30 - 65 | 8.7 | Buy Here |
| MJM76HF | 7'6" | Heavy | Fast | 1 | 40 - 80 | 9.0 | Buy Here |
| MJM76XHF | 7'6" | Extra Heavy | Fast | 1 | 50 - 100 | 9.1 | Buy Here |
| MJM80MHF | 8' | Medium Heavy | Fast | 1 | 30 - 65 | 10.0 | Buy Here |
| MJM80HF | 8' | Heavy | Fast | 1 | 40 - 80 | 10.6 | Buy Here |
| MJM86MHF | 8'6" | Medium Heavy | Fast | 1 | 30 - 65 | 10.1 | Buy Here |
| MJM86HF | 8'6" | Heavy | Fast | 1 | 40 - 80 | 11.2 | Buy Here |
| MJM86HFT | 8'6" | Heavy | Fast | Telescopic | 40 - 80 | 12.2 | Buy Here |
| MJM86XHF | 8'6" | Extra Heavy | Fast | 1 | 50 - 100 | 11.6 | Buy Here |
| MJM90MHFT | 9' | Medium Heavy | Fast | Telescopic | 30-65 | 12.0 | Buy Here |
| MJM90HFT | 9' | Heavy | Fast | Telescopic | 40 - 80 | 12.2 | Buy Here |
Frabill Trophy Haul Fishing Nets
Frabill actually has a lot of different options that make up this line of nets, but there are a few characteristics these nets share that really separate them from the competition.
For starters, certain nets in this line have a built-in light where the handle meets the hoops. This is an awesome feature for people that like to do a little nighttime fishing! These nets also have reflective material in the hoop itself- so when the light hits these nets it really does brighten everything up!
There are also a couple of nets in this line that have a unique design that I think anglers are going to love: in particular – the Frabill Bearclaw net which is pictured to the right.
These nets have a unique grip/handle design that goes around your forearm and gives you remarkable control of the net for those times we only have one arm free to scoop up fish. It is perfect for trout fishing.
There are some other fantastic fishing nets in this line of nets, with a great selection of sizes and options. I would encourage to check out these links if you want to learn a little more about these fishing nets:
The Ugly Stik Carbon Fishing Rod Line
I think all of us are familiar with the world famous Ugly Stik fishing rods. But even great fishing rods need to do somethings from time to time to improve their product, and that is what Ugly Stik has done with the Ugly Stik Carbon Fishing Rod line.
The quick answer to why these fishing rods are new and improved is the rod blanks are the lightest ever produced by Ugly Stik. To be honest, they are so light it can be hard to believe the entire rod is there!
The light weight didn’t sacrifice the legendary toughness we all expect from this line of fishing rods. They are still made with the best quality materials and there is a great selection of different rods you can pick from based on the type of fishing you like to do.
If you are in the market for a new, lightweight fishing rod – this is a great option! Here is a list of those different rods you can pick from:
| Rod Type | Rod Length | Number of Pieces | Rod Power | Rod Action | Link to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinning | 5'6" | 2 | Light | Moderate Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'6" | 1 | Medium | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'6" | 2 | Medium | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'8" | 1 | Medium | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 6'10" | 1 | Medium Light | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 2 | Ultra Light | Moderate | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 1 | Medium Light | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 1 | Medium | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 2 | Medium | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'0" | 1 | Medium Heavy | Fast | Buy Here |
| Spinning | 7'3" | 1 | Medium | Fast | Buy Here |
The Shimano SpeedMaster II Conventional Fishing Reel
This Shimano SpeedMaster II Fishing Reel isn’t going to be for most anglers – being a conventional reel – this is made for offshore drifting fishing and trolling – usually for bigger saltwater species!
However, this is a really cool fishing reel, so we wanted our angler friends that are looking for a new conventional fishing reel to know this is out on the market!
Knowing conventional fishing reels have to stand up to the strain of big fish in open water, Shimano built the SpeedMaster II with durability and smoothness in mind. It has a 5.7:1 Gear Ratio, a 40 LB Max Drag, a 42″ retrieve per crank retrieval rate, 4 bearings, and is built with all the good materials you would expect from Shimano. Here is a quick look at the two most popular options in this reel line:
| Reel Name | Mono Line Capacity (LBS/YDS) | Braided Line Capacity (LBS/YDS) | Reel Weight (OZ) | Bearings | Gear Ratio | Max Drag (LB) | Link to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPM12II | 20/350 25/280 30/230 | 50/580 65/400 80/355 | 25.7 | 4 | 5.7:1 | 40 | Buy Here |
| SPM16II | 20/440 25/350 30/300 | 50/750 65/550 80/450 | 26.5 | 4 | 5.7:1 | 40 | Buy Here |
Final Notes & Other Links of Interest
Like we said above, this list is going to be continuing to grow when more new fishing gear options become available! And I know for a fact there are some really great fishing reels being released by Abu Garcia in Mid-April & Mid-May that you are going to want to know about (we call that a tease).
Here are some other fishing gear links that we feel you may be interested in as well:
- The Ultimate Northern Pike Fishing Gear Guide
- The Best St. Croix Fishing Rods
- The Best KastKing Fishing Rods
- The Best KastKing Spinning Reels
- The Best Abu Garcia Spinning Reels
Between the new fishing gear being released in 2020 and the classic fishing gear that we have reviewed in the past – you should be able to find what you need to make 2020 a great fishing year!
As always – enjoy your 2020 amazing outdoor fishing adventures!