Fishing is a fantastic pastime. The therapeutic nature of it all aside, it’s a great prepper activity for sustainable meats. But before you can fish, you need the right gear.
Sure, you can make an improvised fishing rod in a more dire situation. But half of the point of prepping is to have the things you need BEFORE you need them. Here are all of the most important things to keep inside a fishing tackle box.
Hooks/Lures
Sure, there should be a hook on your fishing rod. But what if something happens? Maybe the line breaks and you’re out. You need spares. They shouldn’t all be the same hook, either. Small river fish need appropriate hooks, which won’t do anything for larger fish like bass and trout. Have a safe collection of hooks in a variety of sizes/needs. The same for lures, which are just fancy hooks, really.
Extra Fishing Line
Like before, lines can break. Depending on where it breaks, you might need more fishing line. An extra spool of thread might be a day-saver. Depending on your needs, you can use a different line, as well. heavier fish and rougher conditions merits thicker, stronger line.
Spare Bobbers
Also called floaters, these handy little devices help indicate when a fish has bitten and is pulling on the line. All of the previous rules apply here: It might break off, might lose it, have a spare or two, maybe some of the different types.
Sinkers
Depending on what fish you’re after and how deep they swim, you might want a sinker. These weighted object, as the name implies, help the sink down when a hook and worm aren’t cutting it. Having a couple sinkers of different weights can drastically diversify your fishing range.
Fake Worms
Live bait is ideal. Fish love that stuff. But sometimes that’s not an option. Since you can’t really store live bait for the long term, a good alternative for your tackle box. A fake worm is better than no worm.
Pliers
Of the needle-nose variety, pliers will be incredibly helpful when handling the fish hooks. When you catch a fish and need to remove the hook, you don’t want your exposed skin trying to wrangle the sharp edge. Instead, use the pliers.
Line Cutter
Sometimes you have to cut the line. Maybe there’s knot you can’t undo or the line is caught on a snag you simply cannot break free from. Instead of tugging like a fool, you can have a tool to break the line easily. Most folks will settle for using their knife, but a common trick by fishermen is to store some nail clippers in their tackle box. They’re quick and effective.
First Aid Kit
Let’s be frank, sometimes you hook yourself. It’s embarrassing, it’s dumb, but it happens. Instead of letting yourself suffer, a small first aid kit can provide the needed medical material to patch yourself up after an accident.
Now that we know what we need, why not check out our article about knowing when and where to go fishing? With these two combined, you’ll have everything you need to know about fishing preparation.