A Day On the Water Is Better With the Right Fishing Gear
Fishing is one of America’s great pastimes. Whether you’re catching for dinner, or just for the relaxation of it, there’s never a bad day out fishing. That being said, your day can be a bit worse if you don’t have the right gear. No one wants to see their perfect fish get away. While the relaxation is nice, you don’t want to sit there with zero bites all day either.
Prep work makes for the perfect day out fishing. So, you need to gather all the tools necessary to practice your hobby. The following list is a basic checklist you can follow to make sure that you have everything you’re going to want to ensure that your day fishing is a productive one.
1 - Rod and Reel
Let's start at the beginning. Obviously if you want to enjoy yourself fishing, then you’re going to need a solid rod and reel. The rod itself is usually made of graphite or fiberglass now for the best mix of strength to flexibility. If you’re just beginning, look for a medium strength rod that will allow you to change angles. Keep in mind the type of fishing you are planning to get involved in. Deep sea fishing or fly fishing are going to need very different rods as the fishing method is so different. As you continue to expand your fishing adventure, you’ll likely end up with several different rods and reels for different types of fish.
2 - Fishing Line
The fishing line is your direct link between your lure and your rod. Fishing line is incredibly strong and incredibly thin. Most reels come with a couple of rolls of line, but it’s always a smart idea to have extra. Tangles happen and lines can snap. Different lines have different weights and elasticity. They also differ in how visible they are to the fish. A good rule of thumb is that the rougher the area and obstructions, the stronger the fishing line you’re going to need. When attaching the line to the reel, always make sure to have a bare minimum of 100 yards on there.
3 - Full Tackle Box
You want to pick up a nicely sized tackle box. Different fish respond differently to different temptations. Your collection of hooks, lures, sinkers, bobbers, swivels and other small fishing gear needs to fit into the tackle box. In many causes you’ll keep other small tools that could be needed including some more items coming up on this list. If you’re just fishing close to home, a small tackle box with the basics is often enough. If you’re heading out and will be away from your storage for a while, then you should go big and make sure you have everything you need!
4 - Line Cutters and Pliers
If there’s one item on this list that is often overlooked, it’s this pair of items. Line cutter are really useful when a line gets snagged or if something goes wrong and a line needs to be cut. Line cutters don’t need to be big. A small pocket knife is common, but there are also small tools with sheathed blades that work perfectly. Pliers are especially useful for getting hooks out of fish. In addition to the sharpness of the hook, many fins can be quite sharp and it’s easy to cut yourself if you don’t have a good pair of pliers to allow you to get those hooks out.
5 - First Aid Kits
In most cases fishing is a pretty safe activity. However, there’s still sharp objects and live animals around. Fish fins can be mighty sharp and cut into your skin very easily if moved at the right angle. A good first aid kit will be prepared to help with those kinds of basic cutting injuries and handle the blood loss. First aid kits might also have some items to help with dehydration, sunburns or other basic injuries that can occur out on the water.
6 - Protective Clothing and Accessories
People often overlook how they dress to go fishing and quickly regret it. Weather can change quite a bit when fishing. Many people love to go in the morning or evening and that can be much colder than expected. A good hat helps keep the sun off, and sunglasses are a great choice as well. They protect the eyes and cut down the glare and reflection coming from the water. A good sunscreen that is powerful and long lasting can let you stay out fishing a lot longer without risking that painful sunburn.
