From beginner to pro-fisher in a tackle box
<p>They say a man is only as good as his tools, well the same goes for fishing. Prior to heading out for a day of casting the line, you need to ensure your tackle box is well stocked – this could mean the difference between looking like an amateur or, staying on par with the professionals. The contents may also change depending on the type of fish you’re angling to catch. But every fishing tackle box should have a few basic items. The following are the 11 things that every man’s tackle box should contain:</p><p><strong>1. Extra line</strong><br>Now every fisherman hopes he runs out of line because he gets a bite from a legendary monster fish, but either way it’s almost guaranteed that your fishing line will break or get tangled up during a fishing trip. Thus, it’s always good to have some extra line in your tackle box.</p><p><strong>2. Spare hooks</strong><br>When you’re out on the water you need to be prepared for anything, so stock your tackle box with a variety of hooks that will work for any sort of fish. Popular types of hooks include traditional J-hooks or French hooks, but no matter what type of hook you carry, make sure you have them in different sizes.</p><p><strong>3. Bobbers</strong><br>Also known as floaters, bobbers will help you to know when you’re getting a bite from a fish. When you have some action the bobber will sink and you know you’re ready to reel in your catch. There are a few options when it comes to choosing bobbers, and although most people are familiar with the round red and white plastic ones as you just have to clip them to the line, these limit how deep you cast a line. Slip bobbers let you get around this. Although they take a little more time to rig, the effort is worthwhile as you get to hook deeper into the water.</p><p><strong>4. Sinkers</strong><br>In addition to a hook and worm, you may need to attach a sinker otherwise your line will be too light and won't sink very deep. Traditionally made of lead, other options for sinker materials are brass, tungsten, steel, and bismuth.</p><p><strong>5. Plastic worms</strong><br>If you’re not really into the idea of live bait, plastic worms are great. Available in a variety of colours and sizes, worms with the long tails are probably the easiest to use.</p><p><strong>6. A couple of lures</strong><br>While a hook and worm should be enough, if you want to step out of the beginner fisherman category, you might want to bust out some more complex lures in order to up the ante. From spinner and spoons to minnow imitations and top water types, there are hundreds of types of lures to choose from. Each type is designed to work in a specific way, so selecting what you go for usually comes down to personal preference. Experiment and find out what works for you.</p><p><strong>7. Needle nose pliers</strong><br>As well as needing tools to catch fish, you’ll need a few supplies to help once you’ve caught something. Needle nose pliers are helpful to have in your tackle box to take the hooks out of fish.</p><p><strong>8. A small first aid kit</strong><br>Sounds silly, but you should always be prepared for little accidents. Small injuries, like getting a hook caught on your thumb or falling over and scraping yourself, are likely to happen. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but a small first aid kit with some band-aids, antibacterial cream, a few small bandages, and some waterproof medical tape.</p><p><strong>9. Sunscreen</strong><br>Whenever you’re out in the sun you need to be wearing sunscreen. So it makes sense that when you’re out all day that you have a supply with you. To keep protect you throughout the day, you will need to reapply a few times.</p><p><strong>10. Line cutters (nail clippers or knife)</strong><br>Sometimes you’ll get a snag that you can’t get out of and your only option is to cut the line.</p><p><strong>11. Cigarette lighter</strong><br>Not a common things found in a tackle box, a myriad of professional fishermen carry cigarette lighters because they can be used to melt the end of nylon lines to stop them from fraying.</p><p> </p>
