Seasons and Shop by
Tackle lets shoppers find gear by the season and the fish or trip they plan. Seasons come from collection metafields. Shop by menus group collections by species, technique, water type and season.
Create the season metafields on each collection first. See Metafields.
Season data
Each collection that has a season uses two integers and one optional note:
custom.season_start: first month, 1 to 12.custom.season_end: last month, 1 to 12. A season can wrap the year end. For example, start 10 and end 3 means October to March.custom.season_note: a short note, for example "Pike from the reed beds".
A collection without a start or end month shows no season.
The season strip
The season strip is a row of twelve months. Months in the season are marked, and the current month is marked too. Each strip has a text alternative, for example "In season October to March", for screen readers.
The season strip appears in these places:
- Shop by tiles and tabs.
- Header menus and the header drawer, for linked collections.
- The season banner on collection pages.
- The product card use line, through the in-season marker.
- The Fishes for block on product pages.
A strip shows nothing when the collection has no start or end month.
Shop by menus in the header
The header has up to four Shop by columns. Each column has a heading and a menu of collection links.
| Header setting | Default heading |
|---|---|
| Shop by column 1 heading | Species (column 1 is wider) |
| Shop by column 2 heading | Technique |
| Shop by column 3 heading | Water |
| Shop by column 4 heading | Season |
Set the trigger text with Shop by trigger text. The default is "Shop by". Set the links with Shop by column 1 links to Shop by column 4 links.
Each collection link can show its count, its season note and its season strip in the menu. Turn on Mega menu layout to show third-level links in columns under each heading.
On a phone, the menu opens as a drawer. The drawer shows the small season strip for each linked collection in the Shop by groups. A collection with no season start and end shows no strip.
Shop by section
The Shop by section shows the same menus as tabs on a page.
- Add the Shop by section to the home page, or to any page template that supports sections.
- Set Heading (default "Shop by").
- Optional: set Featured image, Featured link and Featured label to add a featured tile with an image and a link.
- Add up to four Tab blocks. Each block has a Tab label, for example "Rods", and a Menu.
- Each collection in the menu shows its title, product count, season note and season strip.
Without JavaScript, all tabs show one after another. With JavaScript, the tabs work with the keyboard. Tab moves into the tab list and onto the selected tab. The Left and Right arrow keys (also Up and Down) move to the previous or next tab and show its panel, wrapping at the ends. Home and End go to the first and last tab. Enter and Space also select the focused tab.
In season section
The In season section lists collections in season for one month. It skips collections that are out of season.
Settings:
- Heading, default "In season now" in the first placement on the home page.
- Date text: an optional line for the date, for example "November 2026".
- Menu: the collections to check. Leave it blank on a collection page to list that collection only.
- Month: This month or Next month.
- Layout: Table or Compact bar. Use the compact bar under a hero image.
Tip blocks add a row of notes for a collection:
- Collection
- Where to find it
- What is working
- Link label
The home page uses two In season sections: a compact bar titled "In season now" and a table titled "What is working this month".
When no collection is in season, the section shows nothing to shoppers. In the theme editor, a helper line tells you to set the season metafields.
Season banner on collection pages
The season banner shows on a collection page when the collection has season data. It shows "In season" with the start and end months, the season strip and the season note.
The season collection template, collection.season.json, uses:
- The season banner.
- The In season section, with the collection itself as the list.
- The main collection section with the product grid.
Assign this template to a collection in the collection settings.
Season line in the header
The season line is a section in the header group. It shows up to six collections in season this month, from the menu you choose in Collections for in season. It also shows the Service line text on one line at the inline end, for example "Free delivery over a set amount".
To hide the season line, open the header group in the theme editor. Click the eye icon on the Season line section to hide it, or remove the section.
Fishes for on product pages
The Fishes for block on a product page lists up to three species from custom.species. Each one shows:
- The collection title as a link.
- The season strip, when the collection has season data.
- The months in words. When the season includes the current month, the text adds "in season now".
Change the heading in the block setting Heading (default "Fishes for"). The block shows nothing when the product has no species, or when none of the species collections has season data.
In-season marker on product cards
Product cards show a use line with up to three species or uses from custom.species. When at least one of the shown names is in season this month, the card shows an accent marker and a hidden "In season now" label for screen readers.
The use line has no on or off setting. It shows on a product card when the product has species in custom.species. A product with no species shows no use line.