Fishing has new people entering into the sport all the time. Everyone has their own reason to start fishing. Some like the relaxation, some the solitude and some love to eat fish. No matter what the reason, manypeople go out and beg, borrow or steal their first fishing tackle and rod in hopes of landing a boatload of tasty fish.
I have put together an easy Guide on picking your basic fishing tackle. You don’t need expensive or complicated gear to begin. Everyone knows that fishing tackle makers design fishing tackle to catch the Fishermen’s eye instead of fish. The gear I used to catch fish many years ago still catch fish today. Just as good, if not better, than they stuff they hawk today.
Fishing tackle to catch Fish shouldn’t be overly complicated. Simple set-ups work best for any fish. I remember a Bass fishing trip a Buddy and I took to a local lake many years ago. The weather was hot that day, even for June. We gave up fishing at noon and was cleaning up the boat when this Old Man and 2 kids came into the boat launch area.
After they were done loading the boat, I went over to see if they had caught any fish. They had. In fact, each had caught their limit of Bass. The biggest one was 6 and a half pounds and none were under 2 pounds. Seeing how my Buddy and I had been using the latest equipment on the market along with the latest lures and presentation, I just had to know this Old Man’s secret to catching Bass. The Old Man smiled and showed me his Minnow bucket and said “We’re using Bass minnows”! I also couldn’t keep from noticing their very simple graphite fishing rods and reels. Their basic fishing tackle had outfished a couple local Pro’s with the latest in Rods, reels and fishing tackle!
The necessities you’ll have to have in order to start catching Bass or any other fish is a Rod and Reel, line and bait. That’s the basics to put fish in the freezer. As for rods and reels, your local sporting goods store or Wal-Mart has an excellent selection. I’d suggest a Rod and Reel combo like the Zebco 33 and a matching rod. Expect to pay a whopping twenty five bucks or so for such a combo.
Stay away from level wind reels to begin with. They’re hard to master and expensive. Spinning reels are not as difficult to use, but you do need to know how to properly cast one or you’ll end up with a mess on your hands.
Now on your fishing tackle list comes the fishing line. If you bought a rod and reel combo, chances are it came with line already on it. If not, or you want to change the line, then I’d suggest a 10lb line from either Stren or Trilene. There are other manufacturers out there, but these two have been around a long time and manufacture quality fishing line.
Now we’re turn our attention to bait selection for the beginner. Start with live bait and work your way up to artificials. Again, ignore the marketing hype. Live bait catches more and bigger fish day in and day out than artificial lures do. When you’re in the Fishing Dept. of your favorite store, look for Eagle Claw live bait hooks in the 1/0 to 3/0 sizes and get a few packs. Next try and find some weights. You can generally find the ones that come several sizes to a package. Split shot is a great weight for beginners. Next, check out the floats. I like to use the Balsa wood floats. I use the slip floats. These slide up and down the line for easy adjustment. They’re held in place at the top by a knot or bobber stop. Now all that’s left is checking the regulations, buying a tackle box and stringer and you’re set to go!
This is all you’ll need in order to catch fish. This set up should cost you less than a $100 and once you have some experience under your belt, you’ll find it’s pretty easy to outfish the local Pro’s. The fishing companies have made it seem like catching a Bass is nearly impossible unless you’re using the latest and greatest gear on the Market. Ignore the marketing hype. Catching a mess of fish couldn’t be easier, that is, if they cooperate!
