Welcome to All Fishing Gear!
Most fishing gear sites are run by people who write about fishing. This one is run by someone who actually fishes — obsessively, year-round, out of South Houston, Texas.
My name is Russ Egan. I’ve been bass fishing since I was a kid, and somewhere along the way it stopped being a hobby and became something closer to a calling. I fish Houston-area lakes multiple times a week when the season allows. I own more reels than my wife thinks is reasonable. And I’ve learned more about fishing gear from actually using it than I ever could from reading a spec sheet.
I started All Fishing Gear because I kept running into the same problem: gear reviews written by people who’d clearly never put a reel in the water. Vague write-ups, recycled manufacturer specs, and “top 10” lists that were really just affiliate link collections dressed up as advice. I wanted a site I’d actually trust myself — so I built one.
Contact Us
Phone:
(832) 564-0440
Email:
I read every email. Response times vary depending on how good the fishing is.
Address:
513 S Allen-Genoa Rd
South Houston
TX 77587
United States
Social Media:
Staff
Russ Egan
I’m a lifelong recreational angler based in South Houston, Texas. Bass fishing is my primary obsession — largemouth in particular, across the lakes and waterways around the Houston area — but I also fish the Texas Gulf Coast for surf species, and I’ve spent enough time chasing redfish, flounder, and sharks to have a strong feel for saltwater gear as well.
Over the years I’ve owned and fished dozens of spinning reels, baitcasting reels, conventional reels, and surf rods. My Shimano Tyrnos has been with me for over a decade and is still my go-to for offshore conventional fishing. I’ve tested ultralight setups for finesse bass techniques and heavy surf rigs for big game on the coast. I know what gear feels like after 500 casts in a session, not just out of the box.
I’m not a professional angler and I’ve never claimed to be. What I am is someone who takes gear seriously, spends a lot of time on the water, and has strong opinions about what works and what doesn’t — backed by real use, not marketing copy.
Read All Articles By Russ Egan Here.
Contact Russ at russ@allfishinggear.com.
Donny Karr
Donny is an avid outdoorsman and writer whose work has been featured in magazines and websites for nearly a decade. He enjoys bass and crappie fishing in the lakes around the southeastern United States and trout fishing in the streams and rivers of the Appalachian mountains.
He enjoys keeping up with the latest news and gear items in the fishing industry and is always looking forward to his next outdoor adventure.
Donny is an Outdoor Writers Association of America member and has written for Georgia Outdoor News, The Outdoor Trip, Man Can Outdoors, Global Fishing Reports, and Bassmaster.
Read All Articles By Donny Karr Here.
How We Test Gear
Every reel and rod reviewed on this site has been fished by me personally before I write about it. Here’s what that actually means in practice.
For spinning and baitcasting reels, I spool them with appropriate line and fish them across multiple sessions — not just one afternoon. I assess drag smoothness under real load (fighting fish, not just pulling line by hand), retrieve consistency over hundreds of casts, casting distance and accuracy, and how the reel holds up after saltwater exposure where relevant. For baitcasters I pay particular attention to brake system tuning and backlash tendency across a range of lure weights. For spinning reels, line lay and bail reliability are the things I find separate the good from the mediocre after extended use.
For rods, I fish them with the lures and rigs they’re designed for. Sensitivity, tip action, and blank quality under load are things you can only feel through a season of actual fishing — not from flexing a rod in a tackle shop.
I buy most of the gear I review. Some is sent by manufacturers for review. Either way, my assessment doesn’t change based on how I got it. If something underperforms, I say so.
If a product is included in a roundup that I haven’t personally tested, I label it clearly. You’ll always know which recommendations come from my own hands-on experience and which come from research and community feedback.
You can read the full breakdown of my testing criteria on the testing methodology page.
What You Won’t Find Here
I don’t accept payment to change rankings or recommendations. If a reel earns a top spot, it’s because it outperformed the competition on the water — not because the manufacturer has a good PR team.
I use affiliate links — primarily Amazon Associates. This means I earn a small commission if you buy through my links, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t influence what I recommend. A reel I wouldn’t buy myself doesn’t make the list regardless of commission rate.
The All Fishing Gear shop sells branded merchandise — lures, shirts, and gear with the AFG name on it. These are our own products and have no connection to the brands I review. There’s no conflict between what I sell and what I recommend.
I won’t pad a buyer’s guide with products I haven’t researched thoroughly just to hit a round number. If the honest answer is “there are three good options at this price point,” I’ll tell you there are three, not ten.