Fishing Gear for Beginners

Starting a new hobby or a new sport means you have to ensure you have the right supplies and gears.

If you have decided to start fishing, you need to invest in the essential tools to get you started. Once you have mastered the basics, you can move on to advance gear and supplies. Here is the recommended fishing gear for beginners to get you started on your new hobby:

Reel & Rod

There are many ways of catching fish like using a cage or a net. However, we are assuming you want to go for the classic method – using a reel and rod. There is a wide range of high quality reels and rods available in the market. To ease your confusion, you should begin with a sturdy basic rod with a reel attached. This is a no-frills and simple option that you would be able to use for years.

Line & Hooks

Fishing rods typically comes with a line and hooks. Whether it does or doesn’t come with line and hooks, you would still need back up. The basic and simple fishing line most commonly used is a monofilament which is an effective all-purpose line. It is best to avoid using embellished and fancy hooks in the start. Invest in basic and simple products for both line and hooks.

Bait

It is highly unlikely that you would be able to capture a fish without using bait! The most common is live baits. You can opt for mealworms, grasshoppers, maggots, grubs, or earthworms. You don’t even have to buy bait; just dig in your yard to collect worms. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty or don’t have a yard, you can easily get live baits from any bait shop.

Bobbers

Also known as floaters, bobbers assist you in determining when you get bites from a fish. A bobber will sink when a fish takes a bite. The minute this happens, you have to reel in the catch. The most commonly used bobbers are round white and red plastic ones. A slip bobber is another type of bobbers which is typically used by advanced users.

Sinkers

A worm and a hook are too light to sink much deeper. It is essential to add in a weight to your fishing rig so that you can go compensate for this restriction. A sinker helps in adding that extra weight as they are made from lead. However, lead sinkers are being outlawed for environmental reasons. Other sinker options include bismuth, steel, tungsten and brass. Make sure you have a few extra ones as you are bound to lose some while fishing.

Plastic Worms

Although live baits are most effective, it’s always recommended to have a pack of plastic worms with you, especially in case of bass fishing. Plastic worms come in a wide range of sizes and colors. The easiest to use are the plastic worms with long tails.

Lures

Usually, a worm and hook can be enough for your fishing needs. However, in some cases you might want to utilize some advanced lures to pump up your fishing game. There are countless kinds of fishing lures to select from – spoons and spinners, top water lures, and minnow imitations are a few examples. Each lure type is created to behave in a specific manner to attract the attention of the fish. For instance, large and medium sized fishes prefer munching on minnows, and many fishes get attracted to the spinners which create a spinning action when tossed into water. There is no right type of lure; it is more of a personal preference. Try out a few to determine which one works well for you.

Needle Nose Pliers

You would need this to take out the hooks from the fishes you catch.

First Aid Kit

You, hopefully, won’t experience any major injuries or medical emergencies while fishing but small cuts and bruises are possible. For instance, a hook getting caught in the thumb, or scraping your knee if you fall down or other such small injuries. For such incidents, it is always recommended to have a first aid kit with you. Add in a waterproof medical tape, small bandages, Neosporin, and some band aids. This should be enough to tackle any fishing related injuries.

There is no need for a huge or multi layered tackle box if you are a beginner. Get a small container and add in all this basic fishing gear. Keep your box organized and updated so you can go fishing instantly whenever you want. As you start getting a hang of it, you can try out advance gear to take your fishing game to the next level.