Fishing tackle and bait are essential elements in helping anglers catch fish. From robotic lures that wiggle and shake to live bait offerings, there are numerous techniques anglers can employ to entice fish to bite.

Crankbaits are designed to resemble small baitfish and crustaceans or insects, making them easy for anglers to cast and reel them in.

Line

Fishing line is an integral component of a fishing rig. Suitable for use with both live bait and artificial lures, fishing line is often combined with terminal tackle such as hooks, leaders, beads, bobbers and weights to form an all-inclusive fishing set that attaches directly to the line via swivels and snaps.

Different fishing lines are best suited to specific conditions and situations. Some popular options are monofilament, fluorocarbon and braided lines – although their properties vary in terms of abrasion resistance, sensitivity and visibility – each dependent on factors like target species, fishing location, fishing style and level of angler competence. Fluorocarbon lines for instance can increase strikes by concealing lure flash from wary fish.

Hooks

Hooks come in various sizes and designs. Some hooks are intended to hold artificial, processed or dead bait (bait fishing); others serve as platforms to support lures that imitate prey fish (lure fishing).

Live bait hooks include the octopus style for rigging minnows; O’Shaughnessy or straight shank styles used for cut bait; Aberdeen/worm hooks used with natural or plastic worms for use as live bait. Many Aberdeen/worm hooks feature barbs or distinctive bends to hold onto your bait securely on the hook.

Wide gap hooks feature wider gaps between their hook point and shaft than standard hooks, making it easier to use thicker plastic worms on them. Circle hooks, on the other hand, catch fish at their mouth corners reducing gut-hooking risk. Treble hooks feature three points that are frequently used with hard baits or some jig rigs for trout, panfish, or catfish species.

Weights

An outstanding rod, leader and hook can go to waste if your bait can’t reach where fish are biting; that is why fishing weights are an indispensable component of every angler’s tackle box.

These slim and lightweight weights allow trolling anglers to set baits at precise depths while at the same time fitting perfectly in lines and leaders ahead of baits so as to minimise any risk of them tangling with monofilament lines, potentially resulting in lost fish.

Split shot weights attached with pliers to an angler’s line are a versatile solution that can be used for everything from adding additional weight beneath a bobber to increasing artificial worm weight. Other types of sinkers available to anglers include rubber core and clamp-on designs as well as bullet weights.

Lure

Artificial lures offer several advantages over live bait: durability and multiple uses; no special storage conditions (like in a bait cooler); easier transport in a tackle box; and reduced costs associated with bait refrigeration systems.

Some lures mimic the movement, flash, and vibration of insects or fish prey in nature; other lures create an irresistibly aromatic scent to attract fish.

Lures such as jerk baits or crankbaits float suspended in the water column when fished, while others, such as Rapala Scatter Rap crankbaits, can stall and remain subsurface when retrieved. Lure fishing can be particularly effective during spawning cycles when fish may be near their beds protecting eggs; additionally using lures helps solve one of our major threats to marine ecosystems: overharvesting bait species.

Reels

Reels are mechanical devices attached to fishing rods that store, release, and collect line when anglers crank their reel handles. There is an assortment of sizes and types available to meet varying locations, species targeted, and budget needs.

Fishing lines are constructed from various artificial materials, most often monofilament but sometimes fluorocarbon and braided lines for low stretch and high strength. Fishing lures or bait may add weighted end sections for floating or sinking applications.

Baitfish lures are frequently designed to imitate prey such as crustaceans or insects, while crankbaits feature plastic lips in different sizes that give an array of actions when cast out and reeled back in. Crankbaits offer another form of lure that’s simple for anglers to use; just cast and reel!