It’s just about that time of year, as the weather turns from cold and rainy to sunny and starting to warm up nicely, to start thinking about our next family fishing adventure trips. I have a large family of eight, so I always like to find new products that will add a little more fun and something new to excite the family about.
A New Fishing Chair
My second oldest son’s favorite new addition is his awesome new fishing chair.The Bass Pro Shops® Lunker Lounger Fishing Chair is durable, comfortable, and perfect for a day out on the water fishing, or a night sitting by the campfire. It came with two rod holders that you can adjust to change the angle and the position of your fishing rods. This is perfect for our second pole license ability to use two fishing poles. This fishing chair is ready for a great day of fishing or a relaxing night by the campfire. It also comes with two cup holders, a side organizer pocket, and a mesh pocket under the seat to store a small tackle box or some fishing gear. The wide duck feet prevent the fishing chair from sinking in the sand or the mud. The fishing chair holds up to 400 lbs. and comes with a carrying bag with a shoulder strap.
A New Fishing Backpack
To take a load off of what Dad, me, has to carry on our hiking fishing trips into a good beach spot, or around a lake, on our family fishing trips, one of my best pieces if new gear is that I bought each of the family members a new fishing backpack. That way they can pack their own snacks and drinks, and their own favorite fishing gear. The Wild River Tackle Tek Nomad XP Lighted Backpack with USB Charging System has the right aount of storage, a neat way to charge their electronics, and a built in light for those early morning or late evening excursions. This fishing backpack holds up to six 3600 and four 3500 tackle trays, which are not included. Also includes 4 power adapter tips and a USB cable, a rain cover, a molded sunglasses holder, and a removable fishing pliers holder.
A New Battery Powered Fish Fillet Knife
If you are looking for a battery powered fish fillet knife with a 40 percent longer run time than other battery powered fillet knives, the Bass Pro Shops® XPS® Lithium Ion Battery Powered Fillet Knife is the right choice for you. This knife is a game changer for me, with a family of 8 that brings home a pretty big day’s catch, this knife gets me through the fish cleaning time much quicker, and with much less effort. It fits perfectly in your hand, has triple cell lithium ion battery technology that delivers over two hours of continuous use to let you clean the whole group’s fish in one session without having to recharge the knife or switch to a back up regular fillet knife to complete the job.
A New Fishing Tackle Box
If you are looking for a new fishing tackle box to store enough gear for the entire family, the Plano 7771 Guide Series Tackle Box will definitely fit the bill. This fishing tackle box includes four 2- 3701 utility boxes, three top access removable spinnerbait racks, spacious bulk storage, top access, see through Duraview cover, and over molded handle. Plenty of room for all your fishing gear. My family switches from different types of fishing from trip to trip, so I also like to buy extra utility boxes, so if I’m going trout fishing I just swap out the utility boxes in the tackle box with the trout fishing gear boxes and I’m always ready to go. Then if my next trip is for panfish or bass, I just grab my panfish or bass utility boxes that are already loaded up with the right fishing gear, so my gear is always organized and ready to go.
A New Fishing Net
Reeling a fish in all the way to shore could be damaging to the fish depending on the terrain. A nice soft fishing net swooping in below the fish will prevent you from losing the fish, or hurting the fish, so you can release them if it is too small, or if you are practicing catch and release. Land that big fish anytime of day or night, with the Frabill® Trophy Haul™ Power Extend Landing Net. This fishing net features a push button release that instantly adjusts the handle length between 38" and 72", and includes a light attached to the net to light up the landing zone.
A New Fishing Rod and Reel Combo
Getting a new rod and reel for your next fishing trip will add some excitement to the kids day, and the Ugly Stik® GX2™ Fishing Combo is the perfect choice. This is the next generation of Ugly Stik® that combines the heritage and tradition of the original Ugly Stick combos while maintaining the strength and durability Ugly Stiks® are well known for. Ugly Stik® GX2™ rods offer great balance for a lighter feel, improved components, and eye catching looks for a more modern look versus the previous generation. These combos feature Ugly Tech™ construction, Ugly Tuff™ guides and the Ugly Stik® Clear Tip® design that make these fishing rods truly amazing. The rod and reel in this combo is durable, and bendable under pressure of a fighting fish without breaking. They also have a great warranty for the rough and tough fishing that come with the territory of fishing with the kiddos. Just add some new fishing line and you are good to go!
A New Fish Ruler to Measure Your Catch
Another new piece of equipment that you just can’t leave home without is a fish ruler. The best one on the market today is the Rapala 60" Retractable Fish Ruler. It is a spring loaded retractable ruler for easy storage. It has oversized, easy to read numbers, in 1/2” increments up to 60”. The non-reflective surface ensures length shows up great in pics and video. It is made from a long-lasting, UV protected, waterproof material. It also has a flip up nose board for accurate measuring. It’s important to read the fishing regulations to know how many and of what species of fish you can catch, and what the size limit is.
A New Fish Scale to Weigh Your Fish
An exciting time for kids to see is the weight of their fish, giving them a weight to target to beat on their next fish. The Rapala 50 lb. High Contrast Digital Fish Scale is the perfect scale for easy measurement and easy to read. It is a highly versatile, easy to use digital fish scale for all fishermen. It is also great for small tournament anglers. It has a large, reverse image LCD digital display that provides for easy viewing in any light conditions. It has a directional control pad operation for easy control, and a fish gripper to safely hold fish.
Some New Casting Spoon Lures
One of the most widely used types of lures for rainbow trout, lake trout mackinaw, steelhead, landlocked king salmon, salmon, brown trout, landlocked coho salmon, pike, walleye, and striped bass, are fishing spoons. Their vibrant colors and unique action have proven themselves again and again to entice strike after strike. As you are picking out the perfect fishing spoons, you will want to pick out the colors, shapes, and sizes, that will mimic the natural prey, or colors known to attract that the fish that you are targeting. More great lures to load up your tackle box are soft bait lures, hard bait lures, spinnerbaits, panfish lures, bass jigs, lure kits, powerbait, and trout mini jigs.
A New Ice Chest Cooler to Keep Your Fish Cold
When it comes to storing your food, you definitely want to have a nice quality, large sized ice chest cooler to keep your food and drinks cold and fresh. The Igloo BMX 52- Quart Cooler has a heavy duty, blow molded construction, so it is ready for your rowdiest family adventures! It has super thick foam walls with an insulated lid to to keep your ice for up to 5 days in 90°F weather.
A New Portable Power Bank for Your Fishing Trip
The Rugged Geek Rover 300 Portable Power Station is a power horse to power your electronic devices, or charge them up, while on your family fishing trip. Whether it’s for when the power goes out at home, or when you are out on a road trip, camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, or boating, this power station will keep your electronics and other devices charged and running. It has nine total outputs including two 300W AC outlets, three Type A USB ports, one Type C USB port, and three 12V ports. The Rover 300 can be charged by using the included wall charger, the included car charger, an optional USB Type C charger, or with a compatible solar panel so that you can be completely off the grid. With the included car charger, you can charge the portable power bank while you are driving during the day, so it’s ready for your use back at camp, or out on the water, or at the beach (our happy place). If you are in need of more power, the solar power generators may be a better fit. Find more fishing, camping, hunting, and other outdoor gear in our outdoor store. Now that you have all of your new cool fishing gear, it’s time to get out and enjoy your next family adventure fishing trip! About The Author Mike Mendenhall is the the founder of Mendenhall Outdoors. This website is an extension of the Mendenhall family’s lifestyle and passion for the great outdoors. Everything that they learn, and experience, along the way that they find may be valuable to our website visitors is on the site for you to enjoy. We highlight products and services that you might find interesting. We frequently receive free products from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. If you click a link on this page, then go on to make a purchase, we might receive a commission – at no extra cost to you, and does not impact the purchase price of any products that you may purchase. The Best Family Fishing Adventure Awaits!