Fishing or angling requires four essential items: rod, reel, line and bait. Bait may include real or artificial items that attract fish such as worms, minnows or insects.

Artificial lures include spoons, spinners and jigs that resemble baitfish in terms of size, shape and movement – some float while others sink while shaking, wobbling or wiggling to attract fish.

Line

Hooking and landing fish requires choosing the ideal line, whether monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided line. There are a wide range of lines suitable for various situations and conditions from monofilament through fluorocarbon and braided line.

As well as its material composition, fishing line can also be classified by its strength and diameter. The stronger a line is, the greater its tension-holding abilities when fighting fish. Line is generally tested for breaking strength (known as “pound test”) by stretching it until it breaks.

Braided line, composed of interwoven strands, offers fishermen more line on their spool while typically being thinner than monofilament. Some braided lines also include chemically or thermally fused materials which add strength and reduce stretch.

Weights

Many lures or baits need weight to sink to their target fish’s strike zone and attract attention, yet too much weight could make your lure appear like trash in the water, turning gamefish away.

Selecting appropriate fishing weights depends on several variables, including cover and depth of water, wind direction and strength, bulk of bait or lure used, current conditions and the disposition of fish you are targeting. Weights range from tiny BBs up to several ounces in weight – everything from bell sinkers, pyramid sinkers and pinched split shot weights used when targeting panfish or trout can also serve as trolling weights, with many fitted with swivels for reduced line twist.

Swivels

Your choice and size of swivel can have a tremendous effect on the strength and performance of your terminal tackle. There is an array of types available, from American snap swivels or crane interlock swivels, through link swivels (American snaps or crane interlock swivels) and barrel swivels with snaps or rings attached, to name just two examples.

A quality swivel will protect your line from twisting, eliminating the common bird’s nest problem when using lures with spinning action or when fighting fish. Furthermore, they make switching rigs easy as you can switch without cutting and retying your line. Barrel swivels may be larger in size but can still be useful when trolling for bluefin tuna or drifting live bait for swordfish; smaller alternatives would likely break under pressure from these applications.

Lure

Lures are non-organic baits made of rubber, plastic or metal used to attract fish onto a hook with movements, vibrations, colors and shiny reflections. Lures come in the form of spinners, spoons, crankbaits, plugs and even replicas of creatures such as worms, grubs or other creatures.

Live bait can be costly and potentially introduce invasive species and diseases into an ecosystem, while artificial baits could contribute to eutrophication and lead to harmful algal blooms.

Selecting the proper bait for any task is paramount, for instance selecting brightly-colored lures may work better in clear waters compared to more muted and naturalistic colors that blend in more realistically. Quality over quantity should always be prioritized – low quality lures often break easily and rust quickly, potentially costing time and effort in their hunt for fish.

Hooks

Hooks are unquestionably an integral component of any fishing rig, with numerous styles and sizes designed to accommodate various baits and species.

Pointed hooks use their sharp point to penetrate fish tissue and hook fish successfully, and its shape and angle determine its success in doing so.

The shank of the hook relays pulling force from its line to its point. The eye, located at its front end, allows lines to be tied via various knots. Some hooks even feature snelled eyes to prevent line from being pulled through and prevent it from bending or breaking during fights with fish.