Saltwater Rod : Megabass Surf Rod - As gas prices increase, and our favorite bodies of water grow more and more crowded, anglers are looking for easier ways to get out and enjoy their favorite past time. The result? More and more anglers are heading to the surf. No, they’re not changing hobbies, but rather they’re seeking a more serene, laid back fishing experience.

And now, thanks to Megabass, you can have your laid back fishing experience, and fish it with exotic equipment too! The SXX 96M XOR Shadow is a good general purpose rod built for surf anglers who are casting for distance with plugs up to an ounce in weight. Hi's Tackle Box has a great assortment of saltwater rods including this impressive stick.

Enthusiast Casting Reel : Shimano Aldebaran BFS - Perhaps the most hotly contested year to date, we had long, drawn out debates as to which reel we were going include in our Enthusiast category this year. It was a classic Daiwa versus Shimano knock ’em down and drag ‘em out battle until we let Keiko in on the discussion. Her choice? Shimano’s Aldebaran BFS. Afterall, if Daiwa can offer iteration after iteration not only of their Zillion platform, but the PX68 as well, then why not Shimano? All they did was fuse the stealthy cosmetics of the USDM Core 50 with the increasingly popular “What the Finesse” JDM tuning to create an inspiring little reel built for light bait applications. Trouble is, acquiring reels intended for the Japanese domestic market at a palatable price is an ever increasing battle no thanks to the exchange rate. The best, listed price we could find on the Aldebaran BFS XG? How about 33,125 JPY? That equates to roughly $410 before shipping and given the exchange rate at the time of this writing. Our source? Fishing Marunouchi in Japan.

Enthusiast Casting Rod : Megabass Black Jungle Super Red Demon - There are rods we categorize as “Enthusiast” and then there are rods that draw raw enthusiasm out of you. Most tread this category very carefully waiting to pull the trigger only until after there are published reports on the utility of these high priced pieces of hardware. Even though this stick has made our recommended buys for the holidays, there are many who will still wait, unsure as to the reasoning behind our recommendation. Don’t let this be you. Megabass’s series of Black Jungle rods not only live up to the hype, but in the case of the F10-76XBJ Super Red Demon in particular, enough cannot be said about the rod’s versatility. Are you looking for that “one” special gift for you or your loved one? Have they always wanted to try a Megabass fishing rod? Did you miss out on the 2007-2008 F8-78DG Super Destruction? The F10-76XBJ Super Red Demon is a BETTER stick – it’s lighter, better balanced, more sensitive, more versatile, and more powerful. Lastly? it’s available – for now.

Enthusiast Spinning Reel : Megabass Luvito 103 - For the Ultra Light Enthusiast on your list, Megabass’s Luvito 103 might be a tad large physically, but it is designed around the use of two to four pound test line. Megabass shrunk the features found on their larger sized Luvito 256 to make the 103. The only difficulty at this point is actually finding one available for sale. In true Megabass fashion, these reels were released in limited quantities and are difficult to source. If you do find one, expect to pay around $700.

Enthusiast Spinning Rod : Megabass F4-69RSDti  Hedgehog Evoluzion - Megabass turns their rod lineup over frequently with most models lasting only two years before a revision is made or the rod discontinued all together. Such is the attention span of individuals whose background is driven by design. So for those rods in their lineup that have stood the test of time and have gone relatively unchanged for more than a few years, one is to assume something really special is afoot. We’ve had a love hate relationship with the F4-69RSDti, okay, mostly hate for the fragile nature of this rod’s tip, but in sharing the water with Aaron Martens two years ago out on Lake Lanier, we discovered the Hedgehog Evoluzion is one of his most relied upon tools – especially when drop shotting. We’ve since acquired another specimen of this stick and this time around, so far so good. In fact, it’s been so good so far, that it’s made our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide of recommended buys. Retail price for Megabass’s flag ship spinning stick? $799.

Next Section: Some hot line choices for the season