27 Legitimate Ways to Get Free Fishing Gear in 2023

Fishing is one of America’s favorite pastimes.

But with all the gear necessary to do it, it can get expensive.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to find ways to save on your favorite activity.

After all, the more you save, the more you can fish!

That’s why I did some digging to find out where you can go to get samples and full fishing products, like lure, hooks, and rods, completely for free.

How to Get Free Fishing Tackle and Other Gear

As a hobbyist or professional angler, you undoubtedly want to save some money on the fishing gear you need to buy to keep up with the sport.

Here are several ways to do it:

Ask Companies for Free Samples

You might not be comfortable with this first tip, but it can work if you don’t mind reaching out to companies and asking them for samples.

People do it all the time.

And, believe it or not, plenty of companies deliver.

They want their potential customers to turn into actual customers, so a lot of companies are willing to give out free samples for people to test out before deciding whether they want to buy.

Of course, the companies hope they’ll buy!

Reach out to fishing gear companies by phone, email, or social media if there’s a product you have your eye on.

They might offer you a trial or a free sample, depending on the product.

Other times, you might be able to score a discount to at least get the product for cheaper.

Start a Fishing Blog

With your own fishing blog, you might be able to get free fishing equipment to review.

Companies may start reaching out to you to offer you free products in exchange for you mentioning or reviewing them on your blog.

This usually tends to happen when you have a good following, so it’s important to build up your audience to start getting offers.

Once you’ve established yourself at a fishing expert with your blog and have an engaged audience, you can even start reaching out to companies you love for review and sponsored opportunities.

Become a Fishing Influencer

You don’t need a blog to become an influencer in the fishing world, so if writing isn’t really your thing, don’t worry.

You can also become an influencer through video content or social media content.

Instagram is a good way to show off your fishing expertise through photographs.

Or, upload tutorials, reviews, and other informative content on a YouTube channel.

After building an audience through your chosen channel, you might also become eligible for sponsored opportunities with top fishing brands that are willing to send you cash or free gear in exchange for driving traffic and sales their way.

Review Fishing Gear for Other Websites

Maybe you don’t want to have a blog or content outlet of your own but still want to be able to review fishing equipment for free.

If so, you can write for other outlets that use contracted writers on occasion for their reviews.

Browse authority fishing websites and look for a page that outlines the writing guidelines for contributing writers.

Some publications will keep your information on file and contact you when they want you to write a piece.

Others will ask for pitches from you to submit your review or article ideas.

You can also search job sites like Indeed or Upwork to find regular contributor positions where you can get paid to review fishing gear and receive free items to facilitate your reviews.

Browse Craigslist for Free Stuff

Craigslist has a full section for free stuff, and there’s a good chance that you can find some fishing gear that someone is giving away for free.

If you don’t find anything for free, you can post your own ad detailing what you’re looking for.

In many areas, it’s free to post your ad, although some bigger cities have fees.

You can also browse other ads to find low-priced fishing equipment to at least save some money.

Alternatively, look in your local newspaper or post an ad for people to contact you if they have any fishing gear they’re willing to part with for free.

Ask People on Facebook

Use your Facebook profile to ask friends and family if anyone has free fishing equipment you can have.

Even if the people you know don’t have anything, they might be able to share your post with someone they know who might have something.

You can also join fishing Facebook groups to keep an eye on posts about free equipment or ask if anyone has anything you can pick up.

Become a Field Tester for Field Test Fishing

Field Test Fishing is a website you can sign up with to become one of its testers.

People are chosen at random to test out lures, gear, and other fishing equipment.

You don’t have to pay for anything to sign up or to receive free stuff, but there’s also no guarantee that you’ll get anything, since they choose people randomly.

However, if you do receive something for free, all you need to do is fill out a quick survey about the items with your feedback.

Fill out the online form to sign up.

Trade with a Friend

Does your friend have something you want?

Go through your collection and see if you have any fishing equipment they’d be willing to trade you for.

You never know what trades you might be willing to make unless you ask!

Sign Up for the Review Your Gear Newsletter

Review Your Gear is an online publication that reviews all kinds of fishing equipment from big and small companies in the business.

Sign up for its free newsletter to be the first to know about the site’s contests that it hosts twice every month.

You can enter both contests for a chance to win free gear.

The giveaways are exclusively for newsletter subscribers, so you won’t have the chance to win unless you sign up.

Check Local Thrift Stores

Some thrift stores have donated items they haven’t yet sifted through and put on shelves.

You can ask if they’ve gotten any fishing gear in lately if you don’t find anything out on display.

They might be willing to part with stuff for free if they don’t think they’ll get much money from them anyway.

And if you do find gear to buy, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to buy it for much cheaper than you would from a specialty store.

Look for Contests in Fishing Magazines

Look through the fishing magazines you subscribe to or buy from the store.

There’s a good chance there are some giveaways or contests in them!

If you don’t see any on the regular pages, look in the back where advertisers usually appear.

You might find some information for contests or giveaways there in small blurbs.

Also, check out the magazines’ websites if they have one.

Sometimes you can find exclusive giveaways on websites that aren’t in the magazines.

Become an Ambassador for Discount Tackle

Discount Tackle sells tons of fishing supplies and equipment, like bait, line, reels, and accessories.

You can even find fishing clothing here.

The company has an ambassador program where it allows some of its biggest fans to become ambassadors who share about the company.

You can sign up if you think you have what it takes to be an ambassador, which usually involved having a large audience or network of other fishing enthusiasts.

As an ambassador, there’s a good chance that you can get some free stuff to check out and offer feedback on from the company.

Leave Reviews for Products You Purchase

Some companies reward customers who leave reviews of products they’ve purchased.

A lot of sellers do this on Amazon, and they might even let you know in the product’s description that they will give you an exclusive discount or product in exchange for a review.

Or, they’ll send you a note with your order letting you know what to do to receive a free gift or discount.

Companies that have a similar process might email you after your order reminding you to leave a review, after which they’ll send you a code or an offer for a free product or discount.

Sometimes, it pays just to leave feedback!

Sign Up to Test Products from BioSpawn

Visit BioSpawn, a company that makes brass fishing lures, and click the Learn More button to find the form to sign up for product testing.

The company keeps a list of testers and randomly selects at least 50 each month to test out their lures.

Although BioSpawn welcomes your feedback after you get the chance to use your lures, there are no requirements to do so.

However, it’s encouraged to help them out by doing so and sharing about their products if you loved them.

Follow RustyAngler.com for Giveaways

This website offers tons of tips and news for fishing enthusiasts.

It also has some of the best giveaways in the industry!

If you want a chance to win some free fishing stuff, just enter the giveaways on the site.

They’re always free to enter, and you can win stuff like gift cards, outdoor adventure gear, filet knives, and more.

You can also subscribe to the free newsletter to get notified when there are new giveaways happening.

Check Out Giveaways on Wired2Fish

Wired2Fish also has plenty of giveaways to enter if you want to try your hand at winning stuff.

There’s also a free newsletter to sign up for to get alerts when new giveaways are happening so that you can be one of the first to enter.

Enter Fishing Gear Blog Giveaways

If you follow fishing blogs, see if they have any giveaways you can enter.

You might find them in a separate section of the site. Look in the menu or in the footer for “Giveaways”, “Win”, or similar wording.

You can also bookmark sites that list new giveaways, like Giveaway Promote or Giveaway Monkey.

Many of these types of sites will let you search giveaways by keywords or categories to help you find fishing giveaways more easily.

Use Reward Sites When You Shop Online

Reward sites that pay you to shop online can be helpful in getting you some cash for your fishing gear.

Although they may not directly give you free fishing stuff, you can still earn rewards to shop for fishing equipment.

Qmee, for example, gives you cash for shopping online, and will pay you your rewards to your PayPal account.

You can also use Swagbucks to earn points for shopping online, playing games, and doing other online tasks.

Then, turn your points in for gift cards to Bass Pro Shops!

Sign Up for Rewards Programs

Some fishing gear companies have rewards programs for people who sign up and purchase from them.

You can earn points that give you rewards like discounts, exclusive sales, and other goodies – you might even get something for free!

Save your points until you can get a big discount or prize that could even get you something for free on an order.

Buy Stuff from Fishing Companies

Have you ever bought a product online and receive a coupon or free samples with your order?

Your favorite fishing companies might do the same.

Be sure to look in your box and under all the packaging materials to make sure you don’t miss any coupons and offers before you throw away or recycle the box.

Sign Up for Company Newsletters

Most companies nowadays have email newsletters that they use to market to you by letting you know about new products, offers, and more.

More importantly, a lot of companies give you a special reward just to sign up!

You might get a discount code or dollars off your next order, for example.

It’s possible that you get enough to get something for free (or close to it).

Email newsletters contain awesome deals all throughout the year, too, many of which are only available to subscribers!

Order in Bulk from Alibaba

Save enough money on your fishing gear to basically get equipment for free when you buy in bulk.

That’s exactly what Alibaba offers with its wholesale prices.

This can be an excellent place to buy lures, hooks, and other equipment in bulk for super low prices.

Get Free Fishing Equipment from State Parks

Call the park offices of your nearby state parks to see if they have free fishing equipment kits for patrons.

Some do!

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, for example, has a list of parks within the state that offer fishing kits for free.

You’ll get a rod, reel, and a full tackle box to help you fish without having to buy anything.

Wisconsin has a similar program, as do many other states.

Search for your state’s Department of Natural Resources website to find out more information about participating parks.

Participate in Fishing Events and Competitions

Numerous fishing tournaments, expos, and conventions offer promotional items, freebies, or prizes as part of their event.

Participants can get a chance to receive high-quality fishing gear, and winners often receive top-notch equipment.

Furthermore, some events have raffles or lotteries where you can win fishing gear. Companies sponsoring these events also tend to give out free samples or discounted products.

Scout Online Giveaway Websites

Websites such as Freebies.com, Hunt4Freebies, and Freestuff.com regularly host giveaways, including fishing gear.

You can find everything from lures to fishing hats or even fishing poles. Signing up for their newsletters will keep you updated about any new giveaways.

Another excellent resource is forums or fishing message boards like BassResource or WorldSeaFishing, where members often post about gear giveaways.

Start a Local Fishing Club

Companies often support local community groups to promote their brand and products.

By starting a fishing club, you can reach out to fishing gear companies to sponsor your club’s events or donate equipment.

They might provide the club with free gear for activities, such as teaching kids to fish or hosting community fishing tournaments. This can also work if you are part of a scouting group or youth organization that features outdoor activities.

Scout for Local Garage Sales

Garage sales can be a gold mine for free or extremely cheap fishing gear.

Some people may be getting rid of old or unused equipment that still has a lot of life left in it. While not technically free, you can find excellent deals on gently used equipment.

Sometimes, if the seller is eager to get rid of stuff or the sale is nearing its end, you might be able to snag items for free.

Get Free Fishing Gear!

We hope the tips above help you find plenty of free fishing gear to keep up with your love of fishing without spending a bunch of money.

You can also search for new fishing blogs and brands to follow by email, website, and social media channels.

You never know when they might post new offers for free samples, exclusive deals on equipment, and giveaways for a chance to win free fishing gear.

Also, ask your friends and family who are also fishing enthusiasts!

They might know of more insider tips that can help you save money on your fishing gear or even get some for free.

Good luck!

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