Freshwater Baitcaster (Quantum Smoke): Arriving in retail stores just in time for the holiday season is probably the Quantum Smoke, the most anticipated reel we have seen from the brand in the last few years. This reel ups the ante for Quantum and does so with a understated and stealthy style all it's own. This solid aluminum reel weighs only 6.2lbs thanks to aggressive porting of the spool, handle and dragstar. This is a great series for just about every bass application and is available in both standard 6.3:1 and blazing fast 7.0:1 retrieve for $199 dollars each. Doing there very best to "smoke" the competition this season Quantum has a winner on their hands. The Quantum Smoke casting reels are available now at Tackle Warehouse.  

Freshwater Spinning Reel (Pflueger Patriarch): Pflueger's new Patriarch spinning reel is the company's new premium lightweight reel and features aggressive porting and use of carbon throughout. The body, rotor and sideplate of this reel are magnesium while the spool is aluminum with a carbon arbor. With 10 bearing system and a sealed carbon drag this reel is both smooth and provides serious stopping power. So just how light is the new reel? The 9525 model which holds 110 yards of 4lb. line weighs in at only 5.6oz. The clincher might just be the great price of only $199 dollars which is less than half of many competing magnesium based reels!   

Freshwater Casting Rod (Kistler Z-Bone): Our focus this year on TackleTour has been about all purpose rods. Naturally, everyone’s definition of “all purpose” is different and so is everyone’s preference in rod specifications. Everything from handle length to number of guides to type of guides to the color of the wraps are variables influencing your buying decision. Like the sound of a certain stick we’ve reviewed but wish you could tweak a variable? Kistler Custom Rods has a solution for you. Thanks to a partnership with North Fork Composites, Kistler is back on the rise with their “build-your-own” ZBone line of rods and in the coming months they’ll have stock, built rod options as well. For now, customers choose their blank, rod length, handle length, handle material and configuration, reel seat, guides, thread wrap, etc. and have it delivered to their door in approximately 4 weeks. The most basic configuration runs about $250 and prices go up from there. Looking for the perfect gift for that fisherman on your list? How about a ZBone customized with a personal message on the blank so they can remember your thoughtfulness on every cast?

Freshwater Spinning Rod (Shimano Cumulus): Gone are the days when anglers would pass over Shimano when it came time to pair their top end spinning reels like the Sustain and Stella, the company made the leap from the high-end to premium category with the introduction of the ultra-lightweight Cumulus rods. These rods were designed by the team at Shimano with a key goal in mind, to improve sensitivity and reduce weight, and their razor focus on these aspirations resulted in a rod that while not very flashy delivered on their goals. You won't find a shiny butt cap on this rod, nor will you find colors painted on the top section of the blank, even the Cumulus name was etched out of the EVA grip to reduce weight. This rod is pure stealth and the spinning versions are ideal for finesse fishing, and if your tossing a worm or fishing a drop shot rods the Cumulus rods are the perfect complement to your lightweight premium spinning reels albeit not an inexpensive one retailing for $399. The Shimano Cumulus spinning rods are available at Tackle Warehouse.

Swimbait Rod (Daiwa Steez XBD): Designed for the truly obsessed frog fisherman the Daiwa XBD frog rod blends power and refinement into one very lethal rod. Zander has described the Daiwa XBD rod as the "Samurai Sword" of frog rods and this powerful rod feels more like a precision rod than a stout stick and yet it is able to make pinpoint casts and walk frogs without putting pressure on your wrists. Designed specifically for fishing braided lines the Steez XBD make use of premium components throughout including Fuji titanium framed SIC guides, a machined aluminum fore-nut, air foam grips and Daiwa's proprietary Air-Beam reel seat. The girls had a lot of fun stressing the XBD from every angle, this rod can take anything you throw at it. Retailing for $444.95 this rod isn't economical but it is the ideal gift for those frog anglers that have been exceptionally good this year. The Daiwa Steez XBD rod is available at Tackle Warehouse.

Next Section: Saltwater and Enthusiast picks