The belts, hanging from our test boat’s T-top, came in all shapes and sizes. The better ones can be put on quickly, hold their position on your body, and deflect the pressure over the entire surface of the belt’s pad.

Editor Chris Landry was straining to pull up a monster amberjack from the deep. As line crackled off the reel, the rod butt dug deep into his lower abdomen, causing a good deal of pain—pain he was struggling to hide from his fishing companion, contributing editor Al Herum.

“Do you want the [fishing] belt,” Herum asked.

“No” said Landry.

“You sure?” Herum asked again.

“Never!”

Alas, Landry succumbed. “OK put on the bleepin’ belt.”

A day later two nice donut-sized bruises appeared on his torso. Whether us tough guys want to believe it or not, fishing belts are a good thing. We tested 13, all under $115. …