We’re in PEAK fishing season here, bros. You should be getting out on the water in pursuit of fish any time you have the opportunity, but in order to do so you have to follow the fishermen’s mantra (which is actually the official Scout Motto): “Always be prepared.” As a fisherman you need to be prepared for any and every scenario imaginable. Weather conditions, water conditions, time of year, whether you’re targeting one specific species or fishing for a variety of species, these are all things you need to be prepared for. Today we’re going to take a look at 15 items every fisherman should own. Most of them can fit into your tackle box, but others are more all-purpose items you’ll either be holding or stuffing in your pocket.
What fishing accessories does every fisherman actually need? For starters: a knife, clippers, tackle box, rod, reel, line, and lures (and a fishing license). After that everything’s a matter of preference. Today I’ll be sharing a few basic suggestions for recreational fisherman as well as some more advanced products that will truly enhance the life of a serious fisherman. So without further ado, here are 15 fishing accessories every bro needs needs in his tackle box!
Berkley, Tackle Management (Soft Tackle Bag)
One of the fastest ways to start catching more fish it to get organized. Once you know exactly where everything in your fishing arsenal is you’ll be able to call on that piece of equipment on a moment’s notice. This means organizing your rods as well as your tackle, and in order to do the latter you’re going to need a dependable tackle back. At a low, low price of just $12.49, you can afford to own an entire arsenal of these soft tackle bags from Berkeley (BUY IT NOW by using the link below or above!). Once you pick up a few of these you organize your tackle by freshwater and saltwater, then by size, then by species. Once you’ve done that go grab a marker and label EVERYTHING, so you can call on the proper equipment in a moment’s notice. Get as obsessively organized as possible and I guarantee you’ll be catching more fish by the end of the month!
Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Suspending Lure
I’ve caught more fishing using a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow than any other lure in existence. Admittedly, most of those fish have been in saltwater, but the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow comes in nearly every pattern imaginable (there’s also a slightly more expensive 3-D model), so if you’re looking to ramp up the number of fish you’re catching in both freshwater and saltwater you need to pick up a few different patterns of these RIGHT NOW. Using the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minno I’ve caught trout, redfish, and snook. I’ve jumped tarpon with these lures, I’ve caught snapper, juvenile grouper, ladyfish, black drum…really any fish you can find in the Gulf Coast waters of Florida I’ve caught using a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. BUY IT NOW by following the link below or above!
Whether you’re fishing freshwater or saltwater, the Berkley Gulp! will catch you more fish. They come in every style from baby mullet and shrimp to earthworm and grubs. They’re injected with Berkley’s special scent that drives fish absolutely insane, and once you pick up a few packets of the Berkley Gulp! you’re going to be scratching you’re head wondering ‘why in the heck did I only just now found out about these?!?!?’
Needle Nose Pliers From The Fishing Tree
You HAVE to invest in a great set of fishing pliers if you care about ecology. These needle nose pliers from The Fishing Tree have a lifetime guarantee, which is something that’s hard to come by in the fishing world due to the amount of wear and tear you put on equipment. These pliers are perfect for pulling the hook out of a fish’s mouth, for cutting line or tackle, and all sorts of rigging. The pouch they come in will sit on your belt loop, tuck right into the cupholder on your boat, or sit in the corner of your tackle box and take up virtually zero space. Did I mention that they only cost seventeen bucks? BUY IT NOW by following the link below or above.
Bull Frog Mosquito Coast Spray Sunblock + Insect Repellent
Buy this and buy this IN BULK! You cannot put a price on sanity, and in order to maintain your sanity while on the water you’re going to need to stay bug free and protected from the sun. I’ve been using Bull Frog products my ENTIRE LIFE, and would stand by any product they put on the market. ESPECIALLY the Bull Frog Mosquito Coast Sunblock + Insect Repellent spray (it’s also one of Consumer Reports top rated bug repellents). Why put on sunscreen and bug spray separately when you can combine the products? For just $12 on Amazon (you save $5 by ordering on Amazon) you can combine the products and save yourself the hassle of a week full of mosquito bites after your next fishing trip. Seriously, buy a few of these and just toss them in your tackle box and thank me next time you need them and they’re there for you.
Yeti Coolers are THE INDUSTRY STANDARD when it comes to fishing coolers. They hold temperature and withstand the elements better than any other cooler on the market. Yeti Coolers aren’t exactly cheap, but rest assure that when you buy a Yeti Cooler it’s the last cooler you’ll EVER need to buy. BUY IT NOW by following the link above or below!
The Costa del Mar Fantail (Costa 580 Glass Lens)
These are, in my opinion, the finest fishing glasses on the market. The lenses come in a variety of different colors to match any and every water condition. The frames are constructed in a way to ensure these sunglasses always stay on your face (never fall off). I’ve caught more fish wearing Costa Del Mar sunglasses than any other pair of sunglasses on the market.
Once you tap into the power of Costa Del Mar polarized fishing sunglasses you’ll be able to see AND catch more fish than you ever previously thought imaginable, and you can take that to the bank.
Fly fishing is a beast of a different nature in terms of gear and necessity. You’ll need to carry a large variety of tackle on your person at all times, as you’re often standing waist deep in water and the conditions are constantly changing. The Safe passage Chip Pack from Orvis is literally the PERFECT fly fishing day pack, and whether you’re a serious fly-fisherman or someone who breaks out the fly rod once ever other year, you should highly consider this day pack as it’s only $79 and it’ll house all of your gear.
Columbia Men’s Bahama II Long Sleeve Shirt
The concept of a ‘fishing shirt’ was always hilarious to me until the first time I came down with sun poisoning. My mantra’s always been Sun’s Out, Guns Out, but after getting so sunburned my entire body looked like one giant blister, and being bedridden for nearly a week…well, I figured it was time to hide from the sun a little. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Cover up your skin with a QUALITY fishing shirt like this one from Columbia. It’s not only the sun you’re hiding from either, a good fishing shirt will keep you hidden from all those insects out on the water trying to feast on your skin. That shirt above comes in about every color imaginable, but take my advice and choose a neutral color that will at least somewhat blend in with the surroundings. It’ll attract less bugs and won’t scare off the fish if you’re wading. BUY IT NOW by following the link above or below!
Choosing the right rubber worm to fish with is a big decision, but it’s a relatively easy decision. All you need to know when choosing a rubber worm is what you’re fishing for, or more specifically what that fish eats. Do a little research on whatever it is your target species is most likely to eat, and then match the pattern to that baitfish. Do that and you’ll catch A LOT more fish. Just hook that worm through the center (non-ribbed portion), chuck it out there, let it fall towards the bottom, lift your rod tip bringing that worm back up to the surface, and reel that slack in while letting the worm fall back down…and get ready for strikes.
I’ve been catching Smallmouth Bass all Summer long using that worm pictured above (fishing in upstate New York), and I’d recommend that pattern to anyone going after bass (largemouth or smallmouth). The greens of that worm match the greens of a juvenile bass, and as we all know bass are cannibals. Also, make sure to give that rubber worm some action because you can often piss those bass off to the point that they’ll strike out of anger…which means more fish for you. But heed my advice, and pick up a few different patterns of that worm above (note: these are MOSTLY for freshwater fishing, but will work in certain saltwater situations).
If you’re like me then you own close to 10 fishing rods. But let’s say you’re not, and you only own 1 or 2 rods, you still need a place to put those, right? This roof rack holds up to 12 fishing rods and will keep them completely out of the way. It’s time to move past the days of walking around the house and tripping over rods, or knocking over rods and watching the eyes of the rod break and forcing you to either repair your rod or pick up a new one. With this rack (only $26.99) you’ll never trip over another rod again. BUY IT NOW by following the link below (or above)!
FACT: Leader line is best bough and cheapest when purchased as a spool of fishing line. But the test of line that you’re looking for in a leader and buy a 1,000-yard spool, you’ll save yourself the hassle of constantly buying tiny spools of leader. I KNOW almost all you bros are already using leaders, and that you’re catching bigger and more fish because of it. But I’m willing to bet there are a few of you bros out there not yet in the leader game. Why? I don’t have a clue. Maybe it’s just because you don’t know how to tie that leader on, in which case you should watch this tutorial and then buy that spool of line above:
Ultimate Survival Technologies Floating Lighter
Honestly, the uses of a lighter while fishing are limitless. Sometimes you need to singe the end of a line or rope, other times you need to light up a stogie while waiting for the fish to bite. It may not seem like a necessary tool when fishing, but a good waterproof lighter can come in handy in very unexpected ways. This one’s only $13.17, and it’ll be there for you in a pinch. Buy it, toss it in your pocket or toss it into your tackle box, and be thankful it’s there when you least expect it.
I cannot explain why fish got nuts for these Gotcha lures. I was probably 12-years-old the first time someone turned me onto the Gotcha. I was at Economy Tackle in Sarasota, Florida and at the time I thought the guy working at the bait shop was just trying to make a sale. I think it was June or July, and that night my dad and I went down to the Venice Jetties to try and catch some snook. I kid you not, I caught probably 20 snook the first night I was tossing out the Gotcha lure.
These various lures have some weight to them, so they get down in moving water. They’ve got multiple treble hooks so you’re likely to convert every strike into a fish. And they come in a huge variety of colors. Using the both the silver and gold Gotcha’s I’ve caught Spanish Mackerel, Snook, Jack Crevalle, Pompano…and I’ve jumped tarpon (haven’t landed one yet), and gotten Cobia to strike it. Next to the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, if I had to have only 2 lures in my saltwater tackle box this would be the 2nd. BUY IT NOW by following the link above or below (I recommend a silver or gold body)
Marine Metal Bubble Box Portable Air Pump
This portable aerator is PERFECT for live bait on the go. All you need is a bucket (any bucket at all) with some water in it. Plug in the $8 Bubble Box and it’ll inject fresh oxygen into that water, keeping your live bait alive for hours (days?) longer than the bait would live in stagnant water. Healthier bait means bigger, healthier fish. So drop the $8 on a Bubble Box and either buy it for yourself or give it as a gift!
AFTCO Bluefever Utility Fishing Glove
Depending on the sort of fishing you may need gloves every day or once in a blue moon, but the fact of the matter is this: at some point in your fishing career you WILL need a set of fishing gloves. Maybe you’re fishing for a species with sharp barbs you need to avoid? Or maybe you’re fishing for large pelagic species and will need to get hands on with large fish? Or perhaps you’ll be catching a shark at some point, and you don’t want your barehands anywhere near the razor sharp teeth of a shark as you’re releasing the hook.
The AFTCO Bluefever Utility Fishing Glove (starting at $21) will protect your bare hands from the terrors of the deep and catfish alike. It’s a small investment at just $21, but you’ll be thanking me when the day comes where you might’ve taken a bite from a fish and been infected with all sorts of nasty bacteria, but instead the glove saved your baby hands from the fish’s mouth, and disaster was averted. BUY IT NOW by following the link below (or above)!
If you’re not already fishing with circle hooks then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Circle hooks have completely revolutionized saltwater fishing. The rise of circle hooks in fishing have led to infinitely more catches, as the hook shape does most of the setting of the hook, and once the fish is hooked it’s pretty much on that hook until you release it. Circle hooks haven’t taken off in the freshwater fishing scene quite as prominently as they have in saltwater, but they’re getting there. Like I said before, if you want to catch more fish you should be fishing with circle hooks.
If you think I missed anything here today, any fishing gear that’s integral to your fishing life, be sure to let me know down below in the comments and I’ll be sure to include it next time around! Speaking of next time around, if you bros enjoy this post let me know and I’ll do a follow up on the best rods and reels for every situation.