Best-of guide
Right, here's the lot. Every bit of tools & sharpeners we've dug into, ranked by our on-paper score — that's our own desk research on specs, build and price across five things: product quality, performance, how much it helps you catch, ease of use and value for money. We haven't bank-tested these, so treat it as a smart shortlist, not gospel.
Top of the pile right now: RidgeMonkey Vault C-Smart Wireless Powerpack (9.1/10), RidgeMonkey Nite Glo Strip 'n' Snip Scissors (9/10) and RidgeMonkey VRH300X Pro USB Rechargeable Headtorch (9/10). Tap into any review for the full lowdown, the comparison and a buying checklist.
Top tip: match the kit to how and where you actually fish before chasing the highest number. A cracking bit of gear for big open waters can be overkill on a snug club pond. How we score.
91%RidgeMonkey
Classic green and camo
A big-capacity powerpack with wireless charging, USB-C PD and a handy 12V socket. Pricey, yep — but this is serious kit for longer sessions and gadget-heavy angling.
90%RidgeMonkey
RMT439
A neat little bit of terminal-tackle kit that cuts, strips and helps with hooklink tying without hogging room in your box.
90%RidgeMonkey
VRH300X Pro USB Rechargeable Headtorch
Five light colours, a wide beam and USB-C charging make this a very handy bit of kit for night fishing, tying rigs and generally finding stuff in the dark.
90%Korda
Korda SLR Balsa Marker Float
A proper long-range marker float with the buoyancy, visibility and stability to help you map a swim without loads of faff.
90%Fox
Impact Spod, Medium (a Large size is also sold)
The Fox Impact Spod is a scoop-bodied bait delivery spod, sold under licence from Spomb, built after a three-year development programme for fast one-handed loading, stable flight and a tapered bait spread.
89%RidgeMonkey
RidgeMonkey MarkaLite RM480
A bright, rechargeable marker light with a clever dusk sensor, remote control and serious range. The RidgeMonkey MarkaLite looks built for anglers who want less faff when fishing a spot after dark.
89%RidgeMonkey
Bivvy Lite Elite IR
A versatile, rechargeable bivvy light with white, red and green output, a wireless remote and loads of mounting options. Handy kit for nights on the bank.
89%RidgeMonkey
RM175
A cracking rechargeable bivvy light that goes from tight spotlight to soft floodlight, with red and green modes thrown in for good measure.
89%RidgeMonkey
Small, medium or large
Want irregular chopped boilies without attacking a handful with a knife? The RidgeMonkey Choppa makes that job quicker, cleaner and a lot less faffy on the bank.
88%Nash
Nash Maggot Needle T8815
A super-fine maggot needle with a comfy handle, made for threading delicate maggots without turning them into mush. Simple, cheap-looking tackle that can save a fair bit of faff on the bank.
88%Gardner Tackle
Hook-point sharpening tool
A compact sharpening tool for keeping nearly sharp hooks properly sticky, without turning a quick bank job into a full-on metalwork faff.
87%RidgeMonkey
RidgeMonkey CrimPanZee
A clever dual-pan toastie maker with interlocking edges, a sliding hinge and a cracking little carry case. Just don’t take it anywhere near an induction hob.
86%Dynamite Baits
Fishing towel
A proper cotton towel for grubby hands, wet fish care and groundbait mixing. Nothing flashy, just a smart little bit of kit that earns its place on the bank.
86%Trakker
Black
A tiny bit of anodised aluminium that takes the faff out of clipping up, changing spots and fishing adjustable zigs. Dead simple, properly handy.
86%Deeper
PRO+ 2
Three sonar beams, built-in GPS and phone-based mapping make this a handy swim-finding tool. Just don’t mistake a clever picture of the lake for a guaranteed screaming take.
86%Spomb
Midi Spomb (Black or White)
The Midi Spomb is the smaller version of the original Large Spomb, a sealed bait dispenser that stays shut on the cast and opens on impact with the water, built to be cast on rods lighter than a full spod rod.
86%One More Cast
Tweakers Touch Me Up hook sharpener (code OMCTMU)
A compact honing tool. You push the point in, give it a twist and pull it out. Brilliant for a touch-up, but it won’t save a hook that’s properly knackered.
85%Nash
Nash Splicing Needle
A low-diameter splicing needle made for Nash Cling-On leaders and leadcore. Small, simple and aimed squarely at tidy end tackle.
84%Dynamite Baits
DY510 · 33cm · Black
A straightforward steel riddle for maggots and groundbait, with a 33cm diameter and a snug fit on the Dynamite match bucket. Not glamorous tackle, mate, but bait prep rarely is.
84%Deeper
Deeper Quest Bait Boat
Built-in CHIRP sonar, GPS autopilot and a proper-sized hopper make the Quest a tempting tool for considered bait placement. Just make sure your fishing needs all that tech.
84%Deeper
CHIRP+ 3
Three CHIRP beams, GPS and a castable body make this a tempting swim-mapping tool. The trick is using what it shows without treating every fish return as a guaranteed bite.
84%RidgeMonkey
VRH300X USB Rechargeable Headtorch (RM513)
RidgeMonkey's VRH300X is a rubberised, USB-rechargeable headtorch with adjustable white and green beams, a dual-orientation design that can't be put on upside down, and a battery life RidgeMonkey say stretches to 360 hours on its lowest night-location setting.
83%Deeper
Flex Arm 2.0
Got a compatible Deeper and a boat or kayak? This clamp-on arm keeps your sonar alongside while you explore. Proper handy for afloat sessions — rather less useful if you never leave the bank.
81%Deeper
START · Black and orange · FNG0026
A castable Wi-Fi fishfinder that puts depth and sonar readings on your phone. Proper useful for getting your bearings, provided you treat it as a clue-finder rather than a shortcut to a PB.
80%Deeper
Full Kit
A tidy way to extend your Deeper connection and organise a bait-boat sonar setup. Just remember: extra Wi-Fi reach isn't extra sonar power, and the advertised 200 m isn't a promise for every swim.
79%Deeper
Standard Desert Sand edition (Deeper also sell a Limited Edition Yellow version and Long Range Kit)
Deeper's Chirp+ 2 pairs a 3-frequency CHIRP sonar with its own Wi-Fi link to the Fish Deeper app, aimed at anglers who want to scan swims, build bathymetric maps and check depth and temperature from the bank without a boat.
76%Daiwa
NZEVABS
A compact mesh-bottomed insert for draining pellets and chopped worms. Proper handy if you already use Daiwa’s matching bait box, but that box costs extra.
75%Daiwa
DSSCIS
Steel serrated blades, red handles and a protective cover. Daiwa’s line scissors keep things simple, with the right ingredients for everyday rig-making.
74%Deeper
FLACC04
A lightweight way to keep your Deeper screen beside your reel hand. The catch? Its stated 3.5–5-inch phone compatibility leaves plenty of modern handsets outside the range.