In the smaller point and shoots, as a very general rule of thumb, look at the actual, physical, lens size. Bigger lens = more light. More light = lower ISO and faster shutter speed. Lower ISO and faster shutter speed = better pictures when handheld in darker environments, including with a forest canopy, early morning, dusk, etc. Times when it matters most for fishermen. While I'm not up to date on the latest models and their specs, I'd tell you that given good lighting, they all take fine pics. They separate themselves in the lesser than ideal lighting.
Another rule of thumb is to ignore megapixel specs. Unless you want to make wall sized printouts, in today's day and age the number of pixels is FAR from the limiting factor in quality of your photos.
FWIW, my waterproof is of the Canon line, and I've been very happy. Best Buy and others won't sell the Canon waterproofs thanks to a contract with Olympus, they may even tell you Canon doesn't make them. But they're wrong.
The advantage way back then was that the Canon's were much faster than the Olympus's on the market. Started up quick, focused quick, saved pictures quick, turned off quick. I can go from off, on, focus, snap, off in a matter of about 3 seconds, whereas the Olympus Tough's didn't even turn on in that time. That's important to me in a fishing camera, especially when taking pictures of a live fish you want to release ASAP. The disadvantage of the Canon when compared to the Olympus was size, the Canon was a weird egg shape and doesn't fit in a pocket easily.
But, that was a long time ago and both brands have multiple new waterproof models out, and I don't got a clue about their specs, and assume both lines have improved upon their weaknesses. Nikon and others are involved as well. So take my advice more on what to look for in a fishing camera rather than a recommendation of a certain one. And don't assume the options available at Best Buy is all there is. You can always order from Amazon or vendors specific to the photo industry.
