Fishing Tackle and Accessories: Beginners Guide, Lakes and Rivers.
On a previous page found here we went into some bits of tackle you may want or NEED to have before you head out fishing. In this post we are mainly aiming this toward someone who is looking to do mostly lake, river fishing, so I have listed some main bits of tackle/accessories you may want to take a further look at before heading out.
Main Fishing Tackle.
Rods.
First things first you will need to have is a rod or rods, take either 1 or two depending on where you are experienced wise, if you are brand new to fishing then just use the one rod to start off with, make sure your rod of choice is right for the place you are fishing and the methods of fishing you choose to use on the day.
Reels.
Secondly have your reel/reels suited to your rods and the type of Angling you are taking part in. Having the right rod and reel setup is a crucial part of not only succeeding when trying to catch fish but it also makes it a lot more of an enjoyable experience, if you wish for more information on these subjects then please visit the pages below as you may find more in depth information you are looking for on one of these subjects.
Rod and Reel holdall.
This is not so much of a must have but is highly recommended as this will keep your main tackle in tip-top condition, helping to avoid damage to the delicate bits of kit been your rods and reels. I have mentioned this in a previous post that one of my rods became damaged due to the fact that I did not have protection for it when I first purchased it, this could have been easily avoided by having the right protective gear.
You can buy separate rod and reel bags or one that holds both while the reel is still attached to the rod, I actually have separate reel bags for mine but will be looking to get the rod and reel holdall as this will allow me to pre rig my rods and reels making it a lot quicker to get setup once I’m on the bank ready to fish. Always take into account the size of the holdall needed as obviously some rods are longer than other when built up and when packed away, don’t make the mistake of buying something that does not fit the rod size you intend on using it for.
Landing Net.
This is a MUST please do not attempt to go fishing without a suitable landing net. You can get landing nets in a variety of sizes, Some fisheries/venues will have a minimum requirement for the size of your net, for example some large Carp fisheries will require that you have a 42inch Net, this is because of the size of fish that can be caught at that venue so its a measure put in place to avoid harm to the fish.
You will obviously not always need a 42inch net but I would suggest that you do opt for a large net as it will be optimal if you do catch big and still usable if you are fishing for smaller species but it wouldn’t hurt to have a small net and a large net handy. Nets are not too expensive after all and can be found second hand on certain websites like EBAY for a reasonable price.
Unhooking Mat.
Just like the Landing Net this is another MUST have, the main reason for an unhooking mat is obviously to remove the hook from the fishes mouth but to also keep the fish safe from harm if the fish starts flailing once its out of the water and on the mat. DO NOT put the fish directly on the ground as debris and hard surfaces could damage the fish and cause it unnecessary unrest, the fish wants to be treated with as much respect as possible once out of the water, you can also have a bucket of water ready to pour on the fish whilst you are unhooking this will help calm the fish and keep it at ease.
You can get a flat unhooking mat around 60″x 40″ x 2inch thick, these are the cheaper ones to opt for and I have personally used one myself, they are OK when unhooking smaller fish like Bream or Roach but for larger species like Carp once they hit over 10lbs can become a little unsafe for the fish especially if the fish is very lively and looking to try and swim on land, I would opt for something more robust myself like a Carp cradle (shown in the image), these generally have raised sides so the fish can not just flail its way on to the floor, these are a much better bit of tackle to help you unhook and return the fish safely.
Fishing Chair.
You could say this is not a must have but it all depends on if you have found a place to sit while fishing that is comfortable then that’s fine, no problem with that at all, also you do not need to go out and buy an expensive fishing chair if you do not want to or do not have the cash to do so, you can use a foldable garden chair if needed, it will do the job just as good as any fishing chair really so do not overthink this one.
All I will say about some fishing chairs out there is that some makes/models have areas on the frame of the chair used for attachments like landing net holders, bait trays, and rod holders for example. Now this is very useful and probably needed if you are thinking about taking up match fishing anytime soon as this will be a massive help in aiding you to be quicker when time is of the essence but for general fishing its definitely not a must have, just a normal chair will suffice.
Rod Pod Or Bank Sticks.
You may wish to not have your rods rested on the floor or handheld the whole time you are fishing then Bank sticks or a rod pod will be needed. You may be fishing near soft ground like grass for instance or on an uneven surface then you may want to get yourself some bank sticks, these work great as they can be easy placed anywhere as long as you have the availability to sink them in the ground. The ground has to be relatively soft to do so, this will give you the option to set up your rods basically anywhere you would like with easy adjustment features.
Rod pods are great on a flatter surface, they can be used on uneven ground as on most models the legs do adjust so you can incline or decline the legs independently depending on the fishing situation, I use my rod pod when fishing off of wooden decking for instance where Bank sticks are not applicable, rod pods are also a must if you are fishing on solid ground like stone, gravel, concrete for example. You may click here to read the review about the one I personally have giving my honest opinion about it.
Tackle Holdall.
These can come in many forms from back packs to plastic boxes, I would suggest that you have one of these as it will obviously help with the transport of all of your fishing tackle which will be explained more later. I have a plastic Shakespeare fishing box which is perfect for holding my Reels, Bait, Bait tubs, and basically most of my fishing tackle for a day ticket. You can also use it as a seat while fishing so that’s an added bonus, so its more than enough to hold your tackle and provide you somewhere to sit for a day’s fishing.
Having one is always going to be handy as no doubt as time goes on you will acquire more and more tackle to take fishing with you but not only that it just make sense to have somewhere that you can use for storage and travel, as you progress on you may even have more than one tackle holdall for various types of fishing tackle but to start off with I would at least get something you can use to hold and carry your kit.
Fishing Umbrella.
No matter where you are in the world rain or shine I would have a fishing umbrella, not only are they the best when the heavens start to open but even on heated summers day’s they can come in use providing you with plenty of shade from the scorching sun, I have used mine in all weathers and it has become a staple in my fishing itinerary, don’t overlook this as its cheaper than buying a bivvy and as you will probably already know it can be setup in seconds and with ease.
I have bought a 90inch one from amazon that allows room for 2/3 people seated with kit underneath, I will be doing a review on this also which can be found here. You can get easy to set up bivvys online but I just find that using a large fishing umbrella is super convenient.
Fishing Tackle and accessories.
Mainline
This may seem an obvious one but you will want some mainline that is also suited to your rod and reel setup, see here for more on how to determine the specific line that you need, Having the right line for your angling will add to one of the many percentages of things that dictate your success, always check what line you need for the equipment you are using before you buy because like most things there are many options for mainline and it can be easily overlooked.
Rigs
When we mention rigs we mean the method in which you intend to fish, this will include your terminal tackle with the hook set up at the very end of your mainline. If you are new to fishing then I would recommend that you use ready-made rigs as it will be quicker and easier with less time spent on the bank setting up. Use the ready-made options firstly but after you have a good grasp on the mechanics of the rigs used, there purposes and experience using them then I would then choose to start making up your own home made rigs. See here for a beginner friendly method of fishing, this may help.
Baiting Needle
This is an ideal tool to possess as you will find it comes in handy when tying knots and attaching hook baits. Because tying knots and other tasks can be quite fiddly so having these as part of your kit will save you from frustration through multiple tasks when setting up and improvising.
Catapult
Not an essential but highly recommended especially on lakes as they are perfect for baiting up areas in which you intend to fish, helping you to get the accuracy and range you would not be able to gain by simply just trying to throwing the bait out by hand. Once you get the hang of using one then it becomes a bit of tackle that is used very often while fishing on lakes and waters a like.
Bait Tubs
You may want to have a few bait tubs within your fishing tackle so that you can have a few different types of baits mixed up and stored while you fish. It will pay dividend to have at least 3 of different sizes, you could use one let’s say a large bucket or tub for mixing ground bait and other baiting ingredients together, another tub could be used for a batch of maggots and the other for pellets, this is obviously just an example giving you the idea as to why you would want more than one bait tub to divide your baits. The baits you use is totally up to you and it will all depend on what you are fishing for (species) and the methods of fishing you are using.
These items are inexpensive and can also be found right at your doorstep, you can use tubs that you already have at home like Tupperware boxes etc, these will work perfectly for keeping baits fresh in storage and while fishing as well. There are types of bait boxes that have water strainers within them they are handy when using such things as pellet and other baits that require soaking/mixing with water but for the most part you can find suitable items to use as bait boxes in most households so be sure to check.
Scissors
Definitely get yourself a pair of small fishing scissors, you will be glad to have these as you will use them consistently throughout your Angling session, they will be used for setting your rods up and making rigs with numerous materials so always have a pair or two of these handy at all times when fishing.
Hook Disgorges/Forceps
Having a hook disgorger tool will be mandatory especially for species such as pike for example which have an array of sharp teeth to get by. They do also come in very good use on any fish as you may find that sometimes the fish will swallow the hook to the point where getting in to unhook with your fingers alone is almost impossible so a disgorger tool is needed. You will also find that when using smaller hooks its sometimes harder to get a grip on the hook to remove it out of the fishes mouth, so again a disgorger tool helps a lot here so have some in your tackle box at the ready.
Things To Know About The Above.
You may notice that there are items I may have not listed above for certain Angling needs, the tackle and accessories I have written about are items that are more aimed at someone who is looking to fish lakes and rivers with such kit as a SPINNING ROD and REEL for example . You may plan on taking part in other styles of Angling, Let’s say flyfishing or sea fishing then you may need other bits of tackle that are not mentioned here. I will be doing later posts covering more tackle items relating to the other ways of angling.
Kit consisting of rods, reels, unhooking mats, nets, disgorgers and holdalls are pretty essential across the board so you wouldn’t of wasted any time and money acquiring most of the listed items for your fishing itinerary regardless.
Items such as Rods and reels will differ quite a lot depending on the type of angling so be sure to have the correct kit in mind before purchasing. You may use the guides listed under the Reels section on this page you should receive the information you need to give you a better idea on what you may want to focus on. It’s not always a one size fits all with fishing/angling so always do your due diligence, hopefully you find some useful information here on this page and others on Lake Amenity so that you make better choices.
Conclusion.
Once again if there is anything you feel that has not been discussed or would like to address then please leave a comment so we can look into it further, after all at Lake Amenity the whole point is to guide and help people with all things Angling so feel free to leave your opinion as this will help us give more informative and relative info to others just like you so they get exactly what they are looking for from Lake Amenity, I hope you have taken something away from this post yourself so thank you for reading and hope to see you again.
martin@lakeamenity.com
