Fishing – The Equipment, Tools, and Advice That You Need

Fishing can be an extremely enjoyable and relaxing adventure. As long as you have the right tools and knowledge you can be a successful fisherman or fisherwoman.

The most overlooked factor in buying equipment is choosing the right fishing tackle. You should follow these simple guidelines in the selection of tackle.

1. You must first determine where you will be fishing.  Different bodies of water, as well as different types of fish, require appropriate fishing tackle and bait.
2. You need to decide what type of bait that you will be fishing with, will it be artificial or live bait? Artificial bait includes flies, spinners, lures, plugs, and other plastic/wood/metal forms that imitate the characteristics of a live bait subject.  The basic rule in choosing the kind of bait is to know which is abundant in that actual environment.  Bait such as night crawlers, red worms, wax worms, leeches, helgamites, minnows, or other pin-fish type bait are considered live bait.  There are also other types of bait that work well for some types of fishing such as: salmon eggs, power-bait, and other home-made dough type bait-balls.
3. Once you have determined where you will be fishing, what you will be fishing for, and what kind of bait you will be using, you should be able to choose the appropriate line to use. The five types of tackle are fly-fishing, deep sea, plug or lure- casting, spinning, and bait-casting.  Fly fishing will require you to use a fly rod/reel and line specific for fly rods.  Deep sea fishing will require a heavy rod and reel combo as well as stronger line.  The other types of fishing can all be done on a spinning reel/rod combination; however, you may also desire to use a bait-casting reel/rod when using live bait.  This tackle combination does not work well however with plugs, lures, and spinners.  
4. Additional tackle that you should purchase are sinkers, hooks and bobbers. Sinkers and hooks could be bought in different packs with different styles and sizes. When selecting bobbers, always keep in mind that the smaller the bobber, the better the performance.  If you plan on releasing the fish that you catch please consider using circle hooks.  They are made so that they hook the fish in the lip and so ensure a quick return to the water once landed.  The type of sinker that you should use will vary with the type of water that you will be fishing.  Split shot sinkers work well in lakes and streams and slip sinkers work well in deep sea and rivers.
5. If fishing for large “toothed” fish, be sure to purchase leaders.  They are available in various strengths and lengths, depending on the type of fish that you are fishing for.  Most test (line) will not stand up to a large “toothed” game-fish.  Whereas leaders which are made of either heavy duty line or steel, can help you bring in that “monster” Muskie or other large game-fish.
6. Additionally, you should purchase a good pair of hemostats.  Because they are thinner than pliers, they work much better at removing a hook from the mouth of a fish.  They also can be carefully inserted a little farther down into the mouth to retrieve a hook when it’s been swallowed.
7. One last piece of advice…before going fishing please check the weather.  Weather plays a BIG role in whether the fish will be biting or not.  Also, if you plan on going out on a boat you need to be aware of any approaching storms.  Always leave information with someone about where you plan to fish and when, especially if you are fishing from a boat, inland or ocean.

Good luck and happy fishing! JD