NYT Strands is live for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, and Puzzle #787 is steering solvers into fishing gear and tackle. The theme prompt is Fish or cut bait, and the board hides equipment, tools and accessories an angler would pack for the water.
The puzzle plays on a 6x8 grid, with letters linking in any direction, including horizontal, vertical and diagonal moves. Words can twist and turn, every letter is used exactly once, and the spangram — the theme word or phrase that stretches across the full board and touches opposite edges — is the key to the layout. In this puzzle, the orientation runs diagonal and across in a snake pattern, starting from the first letter of the fourth row.
The hint trail narrows the hunt quickly. Hint 1 points to the full collection of gear an angler brings to the water. Hint 2 says it is the name for all the rods, reels, lures and accessories combined. Hint 3 gives the first and last letters, T and E, which leads to tackle, the word that fits the collection of fishing equipment.
The side clue for one of the shorter finds is even more pointed. It describes a sideways glance or look, often with ill intent, and the closer clue says the four-letter word can mean to stare suggestively or with malice. The letter clue gives away the shape of the answer too: it starts with L and has 4 letters total. That makes leer the clean fit, a small but useful piece of the board before the bigger fishing terms fall into place.
Technobezz published the hints and answers for NYT Strands Puzzle #787 on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, giving solvers a fast route through a theme built around angling kit rather than a broader news event. The answer path is straightforward once the fishing language clicks: the board is about the gear, and tackle is the word that holds it together.
For anyone still working the grid, the practical takeaway is simple. Start with the fishing equipment clue, follow the snake-like diagonal path, and let the spangram do the heavy lifting. Once tackle lands, the rest of the wet blankets strands puzzle falls into place around it.
