⭐PaidGo deeper • Plan smarter • Fish better Explore Paid →
📚Angler BooksProven knowledge • Always current Explore Books →
Fishing Talk — Group Sessions
Share, learn, and help each other. Live sessions on seasons, species, and waters — including Ladies Fishing Night and Kids & Family Night.
Meet Jim Hanner — Creator of AnglerReady
I've fished the lakes of southern Illinois my whole life — Rend Lake, Carlyle, Crab Orchard, and the pond out back. I spent 19 years as a high school counselor and I've run a driving school since 1997, so teaching is in my blood.
AnglerReady is my labor of love: plain-English help so beginners, families, and old hands all catch more fish and have more fun doing it. I'm creating a full series of freshwater species guides the same way — one for every major fish, in the U.S. and around the world.
The Freshwater Series
Jim is creating a full series of freshwater species guides — one for every major fish, in the U.S. and around the world. PDF yours to keep, plus the current flipbook edition.
Where most anglers start — and the first thing to get right.
📚 Angler Books
Jim's freshwater guides — PDF yours to keep, plus the current flipbook edition. $14.95 each.
🪝 Baits, Lures & Terminal Tackle
The small stuff that catches the fish.
🧰 Tackle Storage & Snap Clips
Jim's quick-change system and a tidy box.
🛶 Boats, Kayaks & Safety
Life jackets first — always.
📡 Electronics & Fish Finders
Nice to have — not needed to start.
🧥 Apparel & Footwear
Comfort keeps you on the water longer.
🧊 Coolers & Catch Care
Lake to table, done right.
🧭 Guides, Charters & Trips
Learn from a guide, or travel to fish.
Gear for the Water
Rods, reels, tackle, boats, apparel, and electronics from Bass Pro Shops.
As a Bass Pro Shops affiliate, AnglerReady may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Our promise
Shop Smart is research, done for you. Use what you own first. Bass Pro Shops is our gear partner; other partners are listed only after research. License, rules, weather, and safety help are never sponsored.
THIS PAGESet up once; AnglerReady plans your trips and remembers your season.
Deeper, dated guidance for your chosen lake, river, reservoir, or stream. Three parts.
PAID
Set up once. AnglerReady does the rest.
Tell us your state, your waters, and your fish one time. One tap builds a trip plan — the brief, what to throw and why, the pack list, and the return plan — saves the trip, and sets reminders. Your dashboard shows your next trip, what is biting this season, and your records.
In-depth, dated information for the exact water you choose.
Guided trips — IN PRODUCTIONTackle shops — IN PRODUCTION
Fishing Talk — Group Sessions
Share, learn, and help each other. Live sessions on seasons, species, and waters — including Ladies Fishing Night and Kids & Family Night.
② Maps, Tools & Planning
Plan smarter
Maps, trip planning, the printable packet, wind Plan B, and real-time conditions.
Trip packets & comparisons
Compare guide offers honestly, and make a tackle plan that fits the budget.
③ Species Planning & Member Tools
Your fish, your gear, your records
What to throw today, what you own, and every catch you log.
Where to fish next
Find the best water near you, decide if a lake is worth the drive, and walk onto new water with a plan.
Your season, planned for you
A plan every month, a heads-up the night before, and a debrief that learns what works for you.
$39.95 / month
No setup fee · Add any other Hub for $19.95 a month, no setup fee
Every Paid tool on all three boards
Talk with Ask Jim by voice
Your work stays with you — print it or save it on your device. We keep nothing.
Everything on the Free boards, too
One membership covers your whole household — everyone gets their own setup, log, and goals
Early access to each new Freshwater Series guide before the public, and first vote on the next title
A members-only live Ask Jim session every month
Paid sign-up: Coming soon. Add more Hubs for $19.95 a month each.
The Freshwater Series, created by James S. Hanner
THIS PAGEA growing library of species guides, one fish at a time, from a lifelong angler. Each guide is researched with AI, then directed and checked by Jim.
Each guide covers one fish in depth: where it lives, how it moves through the seasons, the rigs and presentations that work, and what to throw. Buy the PDF to keep, and read the current flipbook edition as each guide is updated. $14.95 each.
1Choose the freshwater guide you want.
2Download the PDF edition. It's yours to keep.
3Read the private flipbook for the current edition.
4See Last Updated and What's New when a guide changes.
The Series — U.S. Freshwater
Every guide in the series, and where each one stands.
Tell us what to write next
Which species guide do you want? Your vote goes straight to Jim.
