2013 Holiday Gift Guide Part 2 - Fill those Stockings with Lines, Tools and Enthusiast Tackle

Introduction: In the second part of our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide we explore some of our favorite tackle categories including fishing lines, tools, optics and of course a few picks for Enthusiasts. Let's kick things off with a look at a few options specifically for saltwater anglers.

Saltwater Reel : Shimano Trinidad - $449.99 - $499.99 at Hi's Tackle Box

Saltwater Reel (Shimano Trinidad) : The Trinidad Series of conventional reels are anything but "conventional." These reels have always been known for power and reliability and are now more compact and lightweight than ever before. The use of high efficiency gearing and a new Dartanium II woven carbon fiber drag make for a deadly combination when dealing with tough saltwater species. The reels are also designed to last longer in harsh environments with a special surface treatment that provides extreme corrosion protection. Available in a complete range of sizes the Trinidad is a perfect gift for the hardcore saltwater angler on your list.

Saltwater Rod : Phenix Abyss PSX806 - $189.99 at Hi's TackleBox

Saltwater Rod (Phenix Abyss PSX806) : Saltwater fishing is a lot less specialized than bass fishing. What every saltwater angler wants is a stick that can handle multiple species. Whether that angler on your list is pursuing halibut, striped bass, sturgeon or even rock fish, the Abyss PSX806 by Phenix Rods is versatile enough to wrestle with them all and it does so at a very reasonable price.

Saltwater Lure : Daiwa SP Minnow - $9.95 at Hi's TackleBox

Saltwater Lure (Daiwa SP Minnow) : There's just something about that fleeting minnow that attracts a wide variety of game fish and Daiwa's SP Minnow while designed for inshore saltwater species is versatile enough to tempt them all both freshwater and saltwater. A favorite amongst surf fishermen here in Northern California in their pursuit of striped bass, Daiwa's SP Minnow weighs a hefty one and one quarter ounce (1 1/4oz) so you can really cast this bait far and true covering a lot of water in a hurry.

Arguably the most important component of every angler's fishing arsenal, here's our picks for that angler on your list!

Fishing Lines : Arguably the most important component of every angler's fishing arsenal is the line connecting them to their bait, and ultimately the fish. Yet most every angler if given the choice, will choose to save money and not invest in their choice of fishing line. That is why we've been working hard to develop some standardized lab tests to compliment our experience on the water with new fishing lines so we can bring you real world data together with that of controlled test to help sift through all the choices in line available in the market today. Right now, our current favorites are what's represented in our gift list.

Nylon Monofilament : Sunline SuperNatural- $9.99 at Hi's TackleBox

Nylon Monofilament (Sunline SuperNatural) : For the third year in a row, Sunline's SuperNatural nylon monofilament is our recommended buy for the holidays. Available in 330 yardfiller spools along with bug bulk spools, SuperNatural walks the line between affordable and enthusiast pricing. Our favorite quality of this line is its accurate rating so you're not spooling a true 25 pound test line marked as 18 pound. It also handles great. Buy some for that angler on your list, they're sure to become a convert.

Fluorocarbon Line : Seaguar Tatsu - $36.99 - $55.99 at Hi's TackleBox

Fluorocarbon Line (Seaguar Tatsu) : Tatsu is among the most expensive fluorocarbon lines on the market today. This is the second straight year it's made it into our Gift Guide and despite its cost, we can't stop fishing it. Seaguar is the king of fluorocarbon manufacturing and they bring it all to bear in a fluorocarbon mainline that has stretch, yet maintains its strength, has excellent abrasion resistance and most of all, has the best knot strength of any fluorocarbon line we've tested. Take no chances with fluorocarbon, Seaguar's Tatsu is the best we've fished and it remains our top recommendation in a fluorocarbon main line.

Braided Line : Sunline SX1 & FX2 - $18.99 - $34.99 at Hi's TackleBox

Braided Line (Sunline SX1 & FX2) : We have a hate love relationship with Sunline's suite of braided lines. We hate this line out of the package because it's rough which equates to noisy out on the water. We did not like it very much in the lab - it did not perform well in our tests (full review still in the works), but we love it out on the water. The handling of this braided line is superb. It comes off the reel smoothly, and because it's so hard, has less tendency to dig into your spool. Casting and pitching performance is excellent the only difficulty we have is telling the difference between the SX and FX because once they're spooled, they seem to handle very similarly. Regardless, Sunline recommends the FX2 for frogging and flipping and the SX1 as an all purpose application line.