Can you give me a list of items that are “must haves”?
The first item is obvious, without it you won’t be doing any fishing. Get a good quality rod and reel and use good quality fishing line. Also make sure your fishing license is current. With the obvious stated, I will list the items that I find are an absolute necessity when fishing. Pliers- You will need these to remove hooks. Extra Fishing line. You never know when you might need this. Wire cutters or something similar-These are for cutting the eye off the hook. If you get a hook embedded in your body somewhere, the easiest way to remove it, especially if it’s a barbed hook, is to remove the eye of the hook and slide the hook out. Nail clippers or small scissors-These come in handy for cutting fishing line. A variety of hooks, sinkers, swivels, bobbers and lures. Sunscreen and Insect Repellant- These are self-explanatory. A compact rain suit comes in handy now and then. First Aid Kit- This should be first on your list! Fish Scale- For weighing your catch Camera-For proof if you practice catch & release. A good fillet knife. A supply of drinks. For cold weather fishing: heat packs for hands and feet, and a pair of gloves. I also keep, in my boat, a supply of energy bars, and re-hydrating drinks like Gatorade. I also have a fish finder, this is not necessarily a “must have”, but it sure comes in handy! I keep a couple of energy bars in my tackle box also, if I’m bank fishing. If you are like me, I get so into my fishing that I forget about eating or anything else, even to the point of being caught in a sudden storm blowing in, because the fishing was so good! So make sure you are ready for anything that comes up.
