In celebration of its 100th year, famed fishing equipment maker Abu Garcia announces the Top 10 in a list of the country’s best fisheries.
The universal desire to catch more and bigger fish fueled the innovations that took Abu Garcia fishing equipment from the industrial age to the space age in the company’s first 100 years. And while no one can say for sure what fishing will look like 100 years from now, the next century of Abu Garcia’s history will be written wherever anglers fish to win, whether winning means a tournament victory or a day on the water they will never forget.
In celebration of its 100th anniversary, famed fishing equipment maker Abu Garcia announces the Top 10 in its list of the country’s Top-100 Fisheries. A list designed to inspire curiosity and exploration as well as debate, the Abu Garcia Top-100 Fisheries list includes natural and man-made lakes, as well as rivers and sections of rivers, across 38 different states—all of them known for delivering the quality, quantity and species of fish most sought after by Abu Garcia loyalists.
Selected in collaboration with a panel of fishing-industry experts, these fisheries were chosen because they stand out in a host of areas. The Abu Garcia Top-100 Fisheries list places a premium on those fisheries that offer the best overall multispecies angling opportunities. The list also preserves space for those fisheries offering unparalleled species-specific fishing opportunities and experiences, whether it’s chasing world-record-class redear sunfish on Lake Havasu, fighting a flathead on Santee Cooper or looking for the best five largemouth bass in Lake Guntersville. True trophy-quality angling opportunities for a wealth of different species, from bass to white sturgeon, are included in the list.
“The truth is, whatever fishery makes an angler excited to be fishing, that’s the top fishery in the country. But the fisheries on the list, especially those in the Top 10, really separate themselves from the rest of the group for different reasons,” said Abu Garcia Senior Vice President of Marketing Jon Schlosser. “In a country full of amazing angling opportunities from coast to coast, these are the places that really shine. It’s on these fisheries and others like them where new anglers will experience the kind of success that propels them to a lifetime of fishing, and where necessity will drive innovation so that the next 100 years of Abu Garcia history is as celebrated as the first 100 years.”
Abu Garcia Top-100 Fisheries: The Top 10
1. St. Lawrence River (NY)
2. Lake St. Clair (MI)
3. Lake Erie (OH/PA/NY/MI)
4. Red River (ND/MN)
5. Santee Cooper (SC)
6. Lake Guntersville (AL)
7. Sam Rayburn Reservoir (TX)
8. Clear Lake (CA)
9. Lake Fork (TX)
10. Lake Chickamauga (TN)
Judges Panel
Ken Duke — Managing Editor of Fishing Tackle Retailer
Mike Iaconelli — Abu Garcia pro staff member and former Bassmaster Classic champion
Dr. Keith Jones — Former VP of Product Development for Berkley and fish-behavior researcher
Ashley Nichole Lewis — Pacific NW-based fishing guide and host of “Breakout with Bad Ash”
Liz Ogilvie — Vice President and CMO of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)
Jason Schratwieser — International Game Fish Association (IGFA) president
Malcolm Stewart — Supercross racing superstar and ultra-avid angler
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