The Sport of Fishing experiences new members enter on a regular basis. Everyone has their own reason to start fishing. Some like the relaxation, some the solitude and some love to eat fish. Regardless the reason, manypeople go out and purchase their first fishing reels and rod in hopes of bringing home a boatload of fish filets.
Below is an easy to follow list of basic fishing gear I recommend to start fishing right away. You don’t need expensive or complicated gear to begin. Everyone knows that fishing tackle manufacturers sell fishing tackle to catch the Fishermen’s eye instead of fish. The Rods and Reels I used to catch fish all those years ago still catch fish today. In fact, it may even work better today seeing how the fish haven’t seen this particular offerings over and over again.
Gear to catch Fish doesn’t have to be complex or overpriced. Simple set-ups work best for any fish. This point was driven home many years ago when a Buddy and I went Bass fishing on a popular lake. The weather was hot that day, even for June. We stopped fishing around noon and was cleaning up the boat when this Old Man and 2 kids came back to the boat ramp.
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. I walked over and asked the Old Man what they had used for bait, seeing how my Buddy and I were skunked that morning and we had been using the latest equipment and lures on the Market. The Old Man smiled and showed me his Minnow bucket and said “Just plain old minnows”! I also couldn’t keep from noticing their very simple graphite fishing rods and reels. Their simple set up had out produced the newest technology and presentations on the market at the time!
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. You also don’t need to run to the overpriced specialty store to find this tackle, your local sporting goods store or Wal-Mart has more than enough tackle to get you on your way to catching fish. I’d suggest a Rod and Reel combo like the Zebco 33 and a matching rod. You may even find this cheaper online.
Don’t make the mistake thinking you need a level wind reel to begin with. They’re hard for beginners to use and they cost way more than a spincast reel. Although easier than a spincast reel to use, Spinning reels can be complex to use and if not used correctly, can leave you with a mess on your hands.
Next on your equipment list comes the 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 at bait selection. 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. You can now get out on your favorite body of water and start fishing!
And that’s all you really need to get started Fishing. All total, this should cost less than a hundred bucks. 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. Nothing could be further from the truth. Catching a mess of fish couldn’t be easier, that is, if they cooperate!
