Before you go out and get sport fishing tackle, you need to know what exactly sport fishing is. Sportfishing is attempting to catch any species of fish with some kind of rod and reel. This is in contrast to commercial fishing which usually, but not in all cases, uses nets. Attached to the rod and reel is a line with either a bait or some kind of a lure at the end that the desired fish will strike at. Once the fish takes the bait, the fisherman then has a fight on his hands as he tries to reel in the sport fish.
There are many, many different kinds of sport fish available for catch. In Alaska, the major sport fish are salmon, especially king salmon, halibut, trout, and arctic grayling. There’s abundant fishing tackle out on the market today to choose from. The most important thing to remember when choosing your sports fishing tackle is to match to match the tackle to your fish. This involves matching your tackle to both the size and type of fish you’re going after.
When you’re getting your tackle together, don’t forget to include personal items that you’ll need as well. Many people overlook this when they attempt to get their gear together for a trip. While packing a raincoat or extra pair of clothes or socks might not directly affect how many fish you catch, they will be able to keep you out on the water in a better mood for longer. You will have a better time and more time on the water always means more chances to catch more, bigger fish.
Quality of Sport Fishing Tackle
Discount fishing equipment is good for taking your children out and is even more than adequate for smaller fish, like stream or brook trout. But if you’re an avid angler or want to go after larger fish, you can’t skimp on the quality of your equipment. More expensive is not always better, but the more you spend on your equipment the more you will get out of it. If you use a poor quality discount store rod to go after bigger saltwater fish you might even injure yourself as the rod is more likely to break during a fight with a large fish. Always keep in mind the type of fish you are going after as well as your budget when you’re choosing fishing tackle. Two of the major different types of tackle you’ll need depending on what you’re fishing for are light tackle and saltwater tackle.
Light Tackle Sport Fishing
Light tackle is ideal for use in streams, small rivers, and lakes. It’s used to catch freshwater fish such as trout, perch, crappie, and occasionally larger fish like bass and small walleye. Larger freshwater fish such as salmon will require at least a medium sized rod and reel to accommodate their size. Having light tackle allow you to cast more without throwing your arm out and, more importantly, gives you a more sensitive rod tip so that you can feel when a fish strikes at your bait. Your rod should be six or seven feet long and the line should be four pounds, although you can use up to a six pound test on your line.
Because the line you are using is so light, you need to make sure you tie your knots properly when using light tackle. Retie them after every catch or every time you snag a rock because line fraying can happen fairly easily as well. It is also extremely important to use your drag right. Keep the hook tight when you are setting the hook, but loosen it when the trout is on the line. This is a fairly advanced fishing technique that also needs to be adjusted for the size of the trout.
Saltwater Fishing Tackle
Saltwater fishing requires much bigger, and many times more expensive, equipment than freshwater fishing does. The fish are bigger and more aggressive and the saltwater can wreak havoc on unprotected metal parts. If you’re out in a boat you need at least a medium heavy rod with a saltwater reel and fifteen pound line. Make sure that any rod you have has a test curve greater than the size of the fish you intend to catch, otherwise the trophy fish you want on your wall could end up just breaking your rod.
If you’re surf fishing, you need a different set of equipment. The goal in surf fishing is to get your bait out past the waves and into the trenches where the fish are. To do this, you need heavy gear. This includes a twelve foot rod and a reel set to accommodate heavy line so that your casting distance is increased. Live bait tends to work the best, so make sure you rod, reel, and terminal tackle are setup for it.
Types of Reels
Along with your rod, you reel is the most important piece of equipment you have. Depending on your skill level and what fish you are going after, you may need different reels. For example, spincast, or closed face reels a designed for young or inexperienced anglers. In these reels, there is a covering over the spool and the line is fed out of the reel through a hole in the top. A simple button is used to control the cast. Most more experienced anglers stay away from this reel however.
The reel used by most fishermen is called a spinning reel. These are general use, open faced reels than hang down below the rod. Casting involves flipping a ball or lever to open the reel and then closing it to stop the line from coming out. Different spinning reel are made for almost all different version of fish. You can find these reels made to catch anything from sunfish to huge trophy fish.
The next, and possibly most complicated, type of reel is a baitcasting reel. These reels are used by many bass fisherman and experienced anglers swear by them. They allow you to increase your casting accuracy, so you can fish hard to reach spots near weeds, logs and other obstructions and they also allow you to achieve really long casts. They are actually a cross between spincast and spinning reels. In baitcasting reels, a button is used to release the cast, like in spincast reels, but the fisherman must use his thumb on the spool to stop the reel from spinning. This takes a great amount of practice to learn and avoid backlashes, but once you’ve leaned it you can place your cast almost anywhere you want.
The final type of reel is a fly fishing reel. These are the oldest reels and they’re in a league of their own because they’re designed for fly fishing. In fly fishing, a fisherman uses a long cast and the weight of the line to cast small lures called flies. These types of rods are popular for use with trout and salmon.
Terminal Tackle
Terminal tackle is all the sport fishing equipment that an angler attaches to the line to catch fish. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to hooks, bobbers, leaders, and lures. It is very, very important that you know what type of fish you want to catch and use the appropriate terminal tackle. For example, if you are hoping to aggressive, toothy saltwater fish, you need to make sure to use wire leaders, lengths of line attached to the main line, otherwise the fish will simply bite off your line.
Hooks are particularly important for obvious reasons. Hooks come in many different shapes and sizes for different fish and purposes. When buying hooks, keep in mind not just the fish you are going after, but also the type of bait that you plan to use. If you are planning on doing some catch and release fishing while you are out on the water, make sure to buy barbless hooks. These hooks will damage the fish much less than regular hooks with barbs in them.
Sinkers are another important piece of equipment depending on your locations and target prey. They are made out of heavy metals such as lead and sink your line to a certain date and also improve your casting distance by adding weight to the line. Usually these are in the form of split shot, lead balls split down the middle that you pinch onto your line. Bobbers are also important pieces of terminal tackle in certain situations. They can be very useful in setting the depth of your bait and are used to catch bass, catfish, and crappie.
The importance of sport fishing equipment cannot be overrated. The better your tackle, the better chance you have of catching a good fish. You can find some discount fishing tackle online, but make sure you do your research on products first so that you know which ones are best and what style of equipment you need. Before you buy take into account the size and type of fish as well as the environment you plan to be fishing in. Saltwater sport fishing tackle is much different than freshwater tackle.
Good Luck on Your Next Trip!
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